Religious and traditional practitioners have been urged to stop making witchcraft accusations that fuel hatred, discrimination and violence against innocent people in communities.
The call was made during a peace and unity committee engagement meeting held at Manyamula in Mzimba, where leaders from various groups gathered to discuss ways of promoting peace and preventing violence linked to witchcraft allegations.
Director of Administration and Human Resource for M’mbelwa District Council, Hastings Dowe, warned prophets and witchdoctors against using witchcraft accusations to create fear, hatred and divisions among community members.
Dowe said such accusations were contributing to violence against innocent people, particularly elderly members of society who are often targeted on suspicion of practising witchcraft.
He stressed that old age should not be used as a basis for labelling someone a witch, saying elderly people deserve protection, dignity and respect like any other members of the community.
Dowe urged communities to reject witchcraft-related accusations and instead use peaceful and lawful mechanisms to resolve disputes and address their concerns.
He said community members should avoid taking the law into their own hands, warning that violence against people suspected of practising witchcraft could result in serious human rights violations and criminal offences.
“Advancing in age does not make a person a witch,” Dowe said, while urging communities to protect elderly people from violence and discrimination.
He further called on traditional and religious leaders to play a positive role in maintaining peace by discouraging practices and messages that could incite communities against individuals suspected of witchcraft.
Dowe said addressing social problems through dialogue, counselling and established legal structures was important in preventing conflicts from escalating into violence.
Speaking at the meeting, Village Head Chizinga Nkhata described violence associated with witchcraft accusations as alarming and called for stronger measures to regulate the conduct of prophets and witchdoctors.
Nkhata proposed that prophets and witchdoctors should be registered to make it easier for authorities to identify and trace individuals who allegedly use witchcraft accusations to instil hatred or incite violence in communities.
He said registration could also help authorities take appropriate legal action against practitioners found to be deliberately fuelling violence through unfounded allegations.
Nkhata’s proposal comes amid growing concerns over attacks against people accused of witchcraft, particularly elderly men and women, in some communities.
He said traditional and religious practitioners have an important influence over community members and should therefore use that influence to promote peace rather than encourage suspicion and hostility.
The engagement meeting brought together leaders from various groups as part of efforts to strengthen peace, unity and social cohesion in communities under Traditional Authority M’mbelwa.
Participants were encouraged to work together with traditional leaders, religious leaders, law enforcement agencies and local authorities to prevent violence and protect vulnerable people.
The meeting also emphasised the importance of reporting suspected criminal activity to the relevant authorities rather than confronting or punishing suspects within communities.
Authorities and community leaders have continued to stress that accusations of witchcraft should not be used as justification for assault, destruction of property, expulsion from communities or any other form of violence.
The engagement therefore called for collective responsibility among community leaders and residents to challenge harmful beliefs and practices that can lead to violence, while promoting peaceful coexistence and respect for human rights.
