Mzimba District Council has launched a community awareness campaign to end attacks on the elderly over witchcraft accusations.
In an interview on Wednesday, Mzimba district commissioner Emmanuel Bulukutu said the district established a committee to coordinate awareness activities targeting communities in traditional authorities M’mbelwa, Kampingo Sibande and Chindi.
| Monica Scotch
Speaking during the formation of the committee in the district, he said the initiative will involve traditional leaders, faith leaders and the Malawi Police Service in promoting peaceful ways of resolving disputes and discouraging people from taking the law into their own hands.
“The campaign will begin during the Umthetho Cultural Festival [from August 7 to 8] where the committee will work with the Malawi Police Band to reach communities with messages against peddling witchcraft accusations and mob violence,” said Bulukutu.
He said the awareness activities will also address misconceptions that often lead to accusations, including beliefs that elderly people are involved in witchcraft because of their age.
The campaign follows deaths of three elderly people from German Mahowe Village in T/A M’mbelwa, who were allegedly forced to drink a poisonous concoction during an attempt to rid them of suspected witchcraft.
Mzimba Police Station officer-in-charge Owen Maganga urged communities to report suspected offences to the police instead of administering their own punishment.
He said the police remain the legally mandated institution to investigate and deal with criminal matters.
“No one has the right to punish or harm another because they suspect them of practising witchcraft,” said Maganga
