Stakeholders meet to criminalise witchcraft in Malawi

Experts, traditional leaders and other stakeholders are meeting in Lilongwe to formulate a law that would recognize and criminalise witchcraft.

This follows a spate of incidents across the country where the elderly have been killed in cold blood over allegations that they were practising witchcraft

The stakeholders, attending the national consultative workshop on the review of the Witchcraft Act, might hold solutions to the killings.

Commissioners of the Special Law Commission on the Review of the Act have made a number of presentations on the status of the exercise.

They said the Commission has so far found that the majority of Malawians believe that witchcraft exists.

In a presentation Commissioner, Dr. Mathew Theu said some people believe that witches sometimes make themselves invisible, travel through the air in a flying basket and engage in dancing and walking at night whilst naked.

The Commission recommended that the law should recognize the existence of witchcraft and criminalise it .

But some stakeholders attending the meeting have expressed reservations on the recommendations describing the act as a mere belief while some said it shall be difficult to find evidence  to prosecute suspects in witchcraft related cases.

The Special Law Commission has also recommended that there should be a process to formulate legislation dealing with matters relating to Satanism.

In a presentation Commissioner Sangster Nkhandwe of the Special Law Commission said : ” Satanism is a totally different harmful practice and since some members of the general public consider it to be a religion, there is need for a thorough research into the matter .”

Paramount Chief Kyungu supported the standby the Special Law Commission that witchcraft be criminalised saying ” it is real, and people are suffering”.

The exercise aims at amending a 1911 Witchcraft law currently being used in the country.

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