MARCHING WITH CASKET ON STREETS A DEATH WISH - MAKHANYA

MBABANE - Marching with empty caskets or coffins on the streets means a wish for more deaths.

This is an observation by the Witchdoctors Association of Eswatini, following sentiments shared by Pastor T.H Mahlalela. When addressing people in attendance at the Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) meeting held at Mathendele Community Hall in Nhlangano last Saturday, Mahlalela was quoted having said a petition had to be delivered to the Prime Minister’s Office in remembrance of the people who survived the June 29, 2021 massacre.  He said they would carry caskets in remembrance of the lives that were lost last year.

Petition

“We want to deliver the petition together with the caskets in Mbabane. We will be led by the survivors of lasts years’ massacre,” Mahlalela was quoted saying before encouraging all those who would attend to brace themselves for anything. In response to Mahlalela’s sentiments, Chairman of the Witchdoctors Association Makhanya Makhanya, said a person could march with an empty casket on the streets only if he/she wished for more deaths. He said the question would be ‘who was wanted dead? “Basiphahla ini, kumele kufe bani ngoba kujangaza nelibhokisi esitaladini kusho kutsi kufa akukeneli; futsi usakufisa kutsi kwenteke? Kuhlala njalo uhlolotela kufa ngekwenta kwakho sikutsatsa ngekutsi butsakatsi noma isatanism,” Makhanya said in vernacular. Which is loosely translated to: “What do they wish for. Who do they want dead, because marching with an empty casket on the streets is a wish for more deaths? It means the one making that wish is not satisfied with the deaths. To wish for more deaths by an action is an act of witchcraft or satanism.”

It should be noted that a report from the Human Rights Commission pointed out that 46 people died during the unrest which culminated in looting, burning and vandalism of properties across the country last year. Government had on numerous occasions stated that investigations into the deaths were ongoing as it was not yet apportioned to anyone. Mhalalela further stated that they would hold a prayer at Mahhala, close to Eswatini Beverages, where he said some people were injured during last year’s June/July political unrest. He also stated that they would ‘fetch’ the souls of the people, whom he claimed were killed, as it was culture that souls of the deceased were fetched from the spot where they had died. In reaction to this, Makhanya said in as much as it was culture to fetch souls of the deceased from the spot where they had their last breathe there were people who were responsible for doing that. He said souls of the dead were not fetched by strangers but the families of the deceased.

Deceased

“One has to understand the whole exercise when fetching a soul of a deceased person. It has to be family members who will call the deceased by name and tell him/her what is happening. The family also has to communicate with the ancestors before taking the soul home. This exercise is not a joke and people should not take advantage of it, to mock the bereaved families. I believe the bereaved families have long fetched the souls of their loved ones, and diverted them to their resting places,” he said. Makhanya also warned that one had to seek and get permission from government before he/she was seen performing rituals on a public road. He said any act conducted on government’s property without permission was a punishable offence. “We also have a concern about the souls which are wandering at Malagwane, but we cannot just remove them from the public road without permission from government,” he said. He further asked, what the pastor had to do with politics, as his was to preach about the Kingdom of God which was about to come?

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