Muti, charms in Malawi politics
Malawian politicians rely on witchdoctors to boost their chances of winning during elections and for protection from opponents, a new study has revealed.
The study, titled ‘Power, Politics and the Supernatural: Exploring the Role of Witchcraft Beliefs in Governance for Development’ was published on August 4 2024 in Forum for Development Studies.
It says belief in witchcraft erodes trust among political competitors, resulting in rejection of election outcomes and deterring challengers, thereby reducing the number of office-bearers.
The study comes 13 months before the September 16 2025 General Elections when political parties in the country have already gone full-throttle canvassing for votes.
University of Malawi Department of Politics and Governance associate professor Boniface Dulani, University of Oslo professor of political science Dan Banik and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oslo Johanna Adolfsson conducted the study.
It reads in part: “One of our informants claimed that politics is risky business. Through witchcraft, people can at any time destroy your career. That is why they advise young people to wait until they get older to pursue a political career.”
In April 2022, an Afrobarometer survey stated that 74 out of every 100 Malawians believe witchcraft exists and they support amending the law to criminalize its practice.
Malawi uses the Witchcraft Act of 1911, which states that witchcraft does not exist, making it an offence under Section 4 of the Penal Code to accuse anyone of being a witch.
But the study notes that there is general acceptance of the fear of witchcraft in political circles despite elites being reluctant to address the issue in public.
It says one of the informants cited, as an example, politicians bringing their own chairs to presidential meetings for fear of being “finished off” by fellow politicians through magic.
One of the signs that politicians have consulted witchdoctors is razorblade cuts on electoral candidates’ bodies, the study states.
To prove the existence of witchcraft in Malawi’s political setup, a Cabinet minister showed researchers a video trending on social media of a political rally that was disrupted by a tornado.
The tornado ravaged campaign materials such as posters, banners and plastic chairs.
“Constituents and leaders were convinced that someone bewitched the place to stop the rally. The [Cabinet] minister noted that it was a manmade tornado,” the study says.
The minister further argued that in such a scenario, protection had to be employed to ensure the safety of those attending the rally, the future of the political party and its candidates.
On Friday, Nation on Sunday talked to a former parliamentarian who conceded having travelled to Mozambique to meet a witchdoctor to boost his chances of winning.
He served between 2014 and 2019.
Speaking on strict condition of anonymity, he said various politicians travel from Lilongwe to Mulanje and Mozambique, generally perceived to be home to the most powerful witchdoctors.
Special Law Commission findings on the Review of the Witchcraft Act in 2021 revealed that witchcraft exists and recommended that it be recognised by law.
The commission, chaired by Justice of Appeal Robert Chinangwa (retired), stated that the majority of Malawians believe in witchcraft, a fact that cannot be suppressed by legislation.
But in an interview on Friday, Humanists Malawi representative Wonderful Mkhutche said while politicians are involved in witchcraft, it is only proof of the belief, not its existence.
He argued that if witchcraft existed and worked, politicians could have successful careers.
Said Mkhutche: “Politics is about governing people. If you are not good at leading, no amount of witchcraft can help.
“Actually, politicians can thrive by trusting themselves [more] than witchcraft. Witchcraft does not exist and it takes an unreasonable person to trust in mere beliefs to advance a career that needs social capital to succeed.”
In recent years, elderly persons in the country have been attacked on suspicion of practising witchcraft with statistics showing that 25 were killed in 2023 alone while 56 were harassed in numerous ways.
On his part, Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation executive director Michael Kaiyatsa on Friday said the study shows that witchcraft remains a powerful force in society.
“It somehow vindicates the Special Law Commission’s position that witchcraft practices are deep in the societal fabric and should, therefore, be regulated.
“However, we remain opposed to its legal recognition and regulation,” he said
