FIVE women and two men (name withheld) have been paraded
naked in public view under the command of traditional elders of the Kurya tribe
in Tarime district, Mara region after having been suspected of being involved
in acts of witchcraft. It has been learn. A reliable source from the scene said
in a telephone interview early this week that, the incident took place last
Friday at Kewamamba village, Nyandoto ward within Tarime Town Council when the
suspects were brought before the traditional elders from Nyasebe hamlet in Gamasara
village where they are living. Describing the incident, a village security guard
known as ‘sungusungu’ who identified himself
as Michael Ching’wa said that, “each suspect was ordered to put off clothes and
remained with underpants in public view and entered a special room which was
occupied by ten elders for interview”.Chingwa who was directed by ethical committee members of the
Nyasebe hamlet to guard the suspects added that, “the traditional elders administered
a local herb to each one of them to drink while standing upright and made to
utter some words as a sign of swearing them to find out the truth about their
involvement in such acts”. He further noted that, when the exercise was
finished they put on their clothes and later were taken far a distance to a nearby
forest to perform other traditional rituals of the land which would bind them
from continuing with such acts anymore. Among the performances he said each one
of them was ordered to jump over four little calabashes which were placed on the
ground and some local herbs whose magical powers according to their beliefs
would make them desist from practicing anymore witchcraft. He said that, after
the exercises was completed the suspects were fined each one of them Sh.
40,000/- or pay a goat (as equivalent) without knowing the amount of money was
for what purpose. He added that, the elders have threatened them whoever fails
to pay the money within one weeks’ time will see what will happen. One suspect
(name withheld) who proved her innocence said in a telephone interview when
contacted three days later that, she is surprised and became psychologically
affected when she was named among the suspects. However, she noted that, the
incident has diminished her integrity and respect as it has tarnished her good
name before fellow villagers adding that, she is now living in fear of being
attacked by people and she is not happy at all. Commenting on the amount of money
imposed onto them as fine, she described it as unfair act as they do not know
the reasons why they were charged and yet haven’t seen anyone complaining to
have been bewitched, in view of this has requested the government and the
police to intervene. Some interviewed villagers and other relatives of the
suspects have complained on the role being played by the police in the district
of taking no any serious actions against traditional elders whom they have
accused of violating the country’s laws. Instead they said have left them to
decide other matters related to people’s social lives and worse still introduces
penalties to suspects brought before them who are alleged to have committed mistakes
which do not have evidences tendered as proof. Contacted for comment, the chairman
of Nyasebe hamlet in Gamasara village Deus Ngera said in a telephone interview
that, some villagers within his hamlet had been complaining of bad attitudes
related to witchery being practiced by some fellow villagers. He further noted
that, due to such increased habits, he was advised by his ethical committee
members to convene a meeting with a view to identify the perpetrators and had
agreed that, voting method should be used to identify the suspects. He said
when voting went through, seven people were selected and their names were read
in front of the gathered congregation of about 140 villagers who turned up to
witness the exercise on the material day, later on had agreed unanimously that
they should be penalized according to the rules of the land. He couldn’t have
any option except to order the suspects be taken before the traditional elders
of the land in Kewamamba village which is located far about 20 kilometers away
for disciplinary actions. But when asked why couldn’t he order the suspects be
taken to police for interrogation, he declined to say anything. Efforts by this
paper to contact the Chairman of the traditional elders Weisiko Chacha Hati
proved futile, but his close aid who spoke on strict condition of anonymity
said that, imposing fines to such suspects is a normal traditional routine work
and this is even done to suspected thieves brought to them. However, he
confirmed the amount fined to the suspects and noted that this is a disturbance
fee paid to elders even if there is no evidences tendered for any offense
committed whatsoever which could prove beyond any reasonable doubts. Efforts to
reach the Tarime/Rorya Special Zone Police Commander ACP Justus Kamugisha to
elaborate more about the issue proved futile as up to the time we go to press his
mobile phone seemed to have been locked and never responded. However, this reporter looked for another alternative and
managed to get a police spokesperson Senior Superintendent of Police from the
headquarter SSP Advera Senso who spoke in a telephone interview that her headquarter
office deals with the national issues of disseminating policies that governs
matters related with security and administration. However, she advised to keep on looking for the regional police
commander who is a spokesperson of all events happening within a region to give
facts as in accordance to the event itself as this is the procedure.
Commenting over the issue, a Dar es Salaam based human rights activist,
Josephine Bundala said in an exclusive interview that, “it is shameful to
disgrace elderly people in public view and moreover without evidences tendered
for any allegations leveled against them. However, she noted that, this is a
great disgrace which is against the law and furthermore the action shown is a threat
to their lives. In view of this however, she has recommended legal action to be
taken in order to safeguard the lives of the suspects. The inhumane action by
the traditional elders comes amid report of Legal Human Rights Centre (LHRC) issued
in Dar es Salaam early this week which reveals that, there are increased deaths
of old men emanating from witchcraft beliefs in the country. The report
expressed concern about the growing trend of killings and revealed that, thousands
of people lose their lives in Tanzania because they are suspected of engaging
in witchcraft. The report adds that many killings occur in the northern regions
of Mwanza, Mara and Shinyanga. The LHRC says that police statistics in the
African nation show that at least 642 people suspected of witchcraft were
killed between January and November 2011, a significant increase from the at
least 579 witchcraft-related deaths in 2010. This makes for an average of 500
witchcraft-related deaths in Tanzania each year, but the actual figure is
likely higher because many incidents are not reported. Most of the victims are
elderly women with red eyes.
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