{"id":6163,"date":"2014-12-17T14:33:38","date_gmt":"2014-12-17T12:33:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mafrsaprovince.com\/?p=6163"},"modified":"2014-12-17T14:33:38","modified_gmt":"2014-12-17T12:33:38","slug":"witchcraft-or-sorcery-in-the-traditional-african-society-malawi-and-zambia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mafrsaprovince.com\/index.php\/2014\/12\/17\/witchcraft-or-sorcery-in-the-traditional-african-society-malawi-and-zambia\/","title":{"rendered":"Witchcraft or sorcery in the traditional African society \u2013 Malawi and Zambia"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Serge-St-Arneault-2014\"<\/a><\/em>By Serge St-Arneault<\/strong>, M.Afr<\/span><\/p>\n

Witchcraft and sorcery are words impossible to define satisfactorily. Hundreds of books, thousands of articles, endless reports in newspapers make it challenging to streamline the topic. <\/span><\/p>\n

In the traditional African perspective, the question of whether or not witchcraft exists is irrelevant. It is a \u2018reality\u2019 as much as the earth is moving around the sun. There is no need to believe in it. It is \u2018there\u2019 as an intrinsic part of a global worldview whereby a common vision is shared. In this vision, an ancestral spirit can reside in the body of a descendent and through the descendent perform powerful deeds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moreover, anything distracting from the bitterness and to the boring burden of daily life, from the anxiety of the unknown to uncontrolled changes, from deprivation to sickness or accident, from unfulfilled dreams to anger or resentment towards a neighbour or a family member, anything which is unusual, uncommon or simply inexplicable, all this is associated to witchcraft. The rationale is to know WHO among the living and the dead, meaning the ancestors, is responsible for the disorder or the pain inflicted. For instance, if a tyre bursts in a curve leading to a bridge provoking the accident of a mini-bus plummeting into the river and leading to the death of 20 people, the question remains; WHO sent a curse? Rationally, one can guess that the tyre was run out. Still, WHO made it burst at that specific place and time? Why not before or after the bridge? Therefore, someone is responsible for the accident to occur right \u2018there\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anything related to witchcraft is primarily emotional. Witchcraft dies out like a plant without water if ignored. On the contrary, like an addiction, witchcraft rises or increases by itself when it starts nourishing lives through endless stories of flying planes baskets and flesh eaters. Actually, there is an appetite for witchcraft stories as much as of real food. There is an overall search, a social desire, a common will to eat endlessly in order to ease physical and emotional hungers. <\/span><\/p>\n

In Malawi, food means \u2018nsima\u2019, which is the staple food made out of maize. Even though people are eating rice, sweet potatoes or beans, they will complain of hunger is there is no \u2018nsima\u2019 on the table. Similarly, desires are concomitant to witchcraft. Strange enough, it brings some kind of safety and safeguards. This is why children are being taught about witchcraft as a way to maintain a grip on the evolution of the society at a time of rapid changes imposed by modernity. Witchcraft is a way to regain or remain in control by using fear as a tool. <\/span><\/p>\n

A lady who had a pretty nice house was accused of being a witch by her mother-in-law. She was also successful in business. Her children were doing well at school. As for the mother-in-law, she was living in a dilapidated house due to lack of maintenance. She was not able to move around easily, feeling neglected. Suddenly, the accusation brought some kind of life in this dull surrounding. Everyone was commenting with some laughter about this event. Then, the local chief intervened and asked the lady: <\/span><\/p>\n