The harassment of two elderly women over witchcraft allegations in Traditional Authority Kampingo Sibande in Mzimba has attracted condemnation from various quarters of society.

On Saturday, social media was awash with video clips of two elderly women being forced to bury a dead woman in a grave after being accused of killing her through witchcraft.

M’Mbelwa: Remember that accusing a person
of practising witchcraft is an offence

One of the victims, Christina Mphande from Mandala Village in the area, was accused by family members of bewitching her daughter-in-law, who died in South Africa.

The woman was rescued by her sister and daughters who reported the matter to police.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Inkosi ya Makhosi M’Mbelwa V expressed shock over the incident which he described as humiliating and heartless.

He said: “We wish to strongly condemn this barbaric attitude towards the elderly. It must always be remembered that the elderly are the fountain of wisdom and that at all times they should be treated with respect and dignity.

“Also, let us remember that accusing a person of practising witchcraft is an offence under the laws of Malawi.”

The Jere Ngoni chief further called for a proper check on the operations of witch doctors in the country who he accused of being in the forefront promoting beliefs and theories that have created tension against the elderly who are often accused of practising witchcraft.

Meanwhile, the Malawi Network for Older Persons’ Organisations (Manepo) executive director Andrew Kavala has called on the police to immediately arrest and prosecute every person involved in the harassment.

Mtumbuka: We can no
longer take this rubbish

He said: “We hold it that escalation of abuse, discrimination and even killings of older persons can be explained by continued failure by law enforcement agencies to prosecute those who accuse older men and women of practising witchcraft.

“The uncoordinated responses at various levels of the justice administrative system and the absence of structured community support systems continue to make Malawi one of the worst countries for one to grow old in Africa.”

 In an interview yesterday, Mzimba Police Station spokesperson Peter Botha said police have not yet made any arrest on the matter.

He said: “But we have identified the prime suspects; we just don’t want to alarm the situation.

“We went there to ensure calm and security of the victims and we met both the family of the deceased and the elderly women together with the chiefs.”

A couple of weeks ago, Bishop Martin Mtumbuka of Karonga Diocese of the Catholic Church urged President Lazarus Chakwera to discipline chiefs who invite witch doctors in communities to assault innocent people in the name of exorcising purported witches.

He said: “We can no longer take this rubbish. Mr President, discipline your chiefs. The President must go beyond condemning bad customs and bad practices, he must do something, we can longer stomach this.”

Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stipulates that no one shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.

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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