LL school holds prayers after Satanism scare

Teachers, parents and Standard Eight pupils at Khumula Primary School in Mchesi, Lilongwe, recently held overnight prayers against Satanism and witchcraft scares that have been haunting the school.

Head teacher of the school, Henry Zuze, said normalcy has returned because the panic and rumours were due to two Standard Eight pupils who have since left after writing examinations.

“They used to collapse and after collapsing they would behave in a strange way, but it is now all over as they have finished school,” said Zuze.

The school and the community have been a haven of rumours and scandal, with pupils living in fear after some of them reportedly found meals in toilets, talismans in playgrounds and general fear of others who were said to be possessed.

“It all starts at home. They see their friends being prayed for and they come to school to spread rumour. We had one pupil we had to forcibly transfer because her friends labelled her and avoided her after she had previously been seen being prayed for where she had allegedly admitted being a lion or snake or something,” said Zuze.

He said after the transfer of the pupil, rumours started spreading.

Zuze said the school decided to pray for the two pupils who used to collapse. He said the pupils were not diagnosed with medical conditions.

“We sent them to Masintha [CCAP Church] to be prayed for. We prayed for them here and took them to various pastors,” he said.

First, teachers at the school spent a day praying for the two pupils before parents, other pupils and a CCAP pastor joined them for overnight prayers.

“We took the two pupils to a room and prayed for them separately. Since that prayer, they never collapsed and wrote the examinations well,” said Zuze.