A 66-year-old woman was buried up to the neck at Mwanza Village in Traditional Authority Chiwere in Dowa after villagers accused her of killing her own sister using witchcraft.
A video shared on social media show the woman buried up to the neck while a man interrogates her about alleged witchcraft activities. The man tells the woman that her funeral would be held the next day if she does not confess.
A Police report we have seen identifies the woman as Christina Chiwoko.
According to the report, on 27 December Chiwoko’s sister Gradesi Chiwoko died suddenly after suffering from headache. A person identified Pilirani Chelumani reportedly started spreading rumours that Gradesi was killed by Chiwoko through witchcraft.
On 28 December in the afternoon, villagers alongside the suspect held Chiwoko with the aim of burying her together with her dead sister in the same grave.
Dowa Police Station officers rushed to the scene where they found that the victim was half buried. They rescued Chiwoko and took her to Dowa District Hospital.
The Police also arrested the main suspect Chelumani who is expected to be charged with charging another person of witchcraft.
In Malawi, charging a person with witchcraft is contrary to Section 4 of the Witchcraft Act.
