WITCH DOCTORS DEFRAUDING PUBLIC - CROWN COUNSEL

MANZINI – Senior Crown Counsel Macebo Nxumalo said although witch doctors were not prohibited from practising in the country, some of their intentions, however, led to fraud, murder and assault.

He said even witchdoctors who accept money in return for fortune telling are guilty of fraud.
Witch doctor or witch finder includes the person described in siSwati by the words umngoma, sangoma or inyanga yokuphengula, according to the Witchcraft Act of 1852/1952

Nxumalo was referring to the laws that are broken by witch doctors, included in the Chapter 4 Witchcraft Act of 1852/1952.
The witch doctors and traditional healers who were present at the workshop protested that some of the laws were created to oppress them, which led to them renaming themselves as traditional healers and being unable to practise in the open.

Nxumalo, who is also a lecturer in Criminal Procedure, used a number of scenarios to give the witch doctors a clear view of why some of their practises were said to be illegal. Among other things, Nxumalo mentioned assault, murder and fraud that were ignited by some of their customs.

“A person who advises another to seek the services of a witch doctor or witch finder in order to connect another to the death or ailment of another has broken the law and will be arrested along with the witch doctor and the person who took the advice,” said Nxumalo.

The crown counsel explained that this was because some people wanted to believe that they were bewitched by another human and in order for them to get better or to find peace they had to reveal who was responsible for their ill health and have that person killed.

“You will find that the person you are told is responsible for your bad luck is actually killed by the witch doctor him or herself because he or she made you believe that a bad thing would also befall them through the works of their supernatural powers,” Nxumalo said.
  
 
 

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