Chitipa district social welfare officer Humphreys Mwalughali has asked community members in the district to report any acts of violence against the elderly.

His call follows the rise in cases of violence against the elderly in the country, especially over the accusation of witchcraft.

Speaking in an interview yesterday, Mwalughali said his office last year registered five cases of violence against the elderly in the district.

He said the figures were low as most cases go unreported, a development he feared can fuel violence against many elderly people.

“It is inhuman to shield people who abuse the elderly. Our job is to ensure that everyone’s rights are

 protected. So, if we don’t get reports concerning such violent acts, it becomes difficult for us to address the issue since we don’t have information of who to help,” said Mwalughali.

He said the elderly face different kinds of abuse, including being beaten and killed for allegedly practising witchcraft.

“We plan to conduct intensive awareness campaigns to empower communities to take part in preventing and reporting the abuse to relevant authorities,” said Mwalughali.

Community member Janet Msiska of Isyalikira Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mwaulambya said abuse of elderly people is common in the district.

“We need to address the malpractice by bringing perpetrators to book,” she said.

Msiska said it was sad that some people accuse the elderly of practising witchcraft.

“The elderly are a fountain of wisdom. Being old does not qualify you as a witch. We need to respect them because they can guide us in many things,” she said.

In December 2022, some people in T/A Kampingo Sibande in Mzimba District harassed an elderly woman they accused of killing a person through witchcraft.

Inkosi ya Makhosi M’Mbelwa V condemned the incident, calling it humiliating and heartless.

The Malawi’s Witchcraft Act of 1911 does not recognise existence of witchcraft and states that it is an offence to accuse anyone of practising witchcraft

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