By: Topson Banda.
Police in Nkhotakota have arrested a 46-year-old witchdoctor for charging people with witchcraft.
The suspect has been identified as Wizzy Vitima Mhango.
It is reported that, on June 2020, people of Mgombe village and surrounding villages decided to invite a witchfinder to deal with people accused of practicing witchcraft.
All 24 villages agreed and then group village head man Mgombe called the witch doctor who demanded K400,000 and which he was given.
In November 2020, the witchfinder came and started his job. He stayed in the village for over 3 months.
Later on February 23, 2021, police received a report that at Mgombe a certain man was charging people with witchcraft.
Following the report, police on February 24, 2021 arrested the suspect.
Suddenly, on February 25, 2021, a group of people called themselves concerned citizens became furious with police demanding the release of the Witchdoctor.
However, police called upon some chiefs and group leaders for discussion. The station’s Officer In-Charge Mr Isaac Norman, ACP, bemoaned the conduct of chiefs in mobilising children to march against the lawful police conduct.
Meanwhile, he sensitized them on witchcraft and offences contravened by their action from employing witchfinder, accusing people of witchcraft and soliciting money from the alleged witchcraft people.
Principal village head man Mgombe who was leading the group, at the end, accepted to have made a mistake by employing witchdoctor and he apologized.
Norman singled out on how laws is all about on witchcraft Act.
He said: “It is unlawful to call the witchdoctor on anything to do witchcraft practices. It is also unlawful for people to riot.”
In his response, Traditional Authority Kalimanjira admitted that his subordinates had done wrong to summon the witchdoctor.
After intervention by the police, the chiefs together with the children returned home peacefully.
Meanwhile, the witchdoctor is still in police custody pending court proceedings and will appear before Nkhotakota magistrate court soon to answer charges of charging a person with witchcraft contrary to Section 4 of the Witchcraft Act.
Mhango hails from Munyonga Village in the area of Traditional Authority Mwankhunikira in Rumphi District.
