Witchcraft in Post-colonial Africa: Beliefs, techniques and containment strategies

Table of Contents

iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements…………………………………………... v Foreword by Professor John Sharp…………………..……... vii Preface……………………………………………………….. ix Chapter One: Witchcraft Discourse in Post-Colonial Africa…………………………………………………………... 1 Introduction……………………………………………………..1 Methodological approach……………………………………….. 6 Studies in witchcraft…………………………………………….. 12 Organisation of the book……………………………………….. 19 Chapter Two: Witches of Venda and Kom………………….. 21 The omnipresence of witchcraft……………………………....... 21 Kom……………………………………………………………. 24 Venda…………………………………………………………... 27 Witchcraft beliefs and practices………………………………… 29 Inherited witchcraft…………………………………………….. 33 Purchased witchcraft…………………………………………….37 Witchcraft techniques…………………………………………... 40 Tshiliso/si luf a djem……………………………………………….41 U shelela/lef……………………………………………………… 42 U livhanya/si ling………………………………………………….43 Afu a lemna/tshipfula…………………………………………....... 46 Ndadzi (lightning)………………………………………………… 47 Conclusion………………………………………………………49 Chapter Three: Containment of Witchcraft at Family and Community Levels……………………………………………..51 Introduction……………………………………………………..51 Family containment of witchcraft………………………………. 52 Doctoring of a homestead……………………………………… 52 Protection of family members…………………………………... 53 iv Community containment of witchcraft…………………………. 61 Combating witchcraft at village level in Venda………………….. 62 Ngwainkuma traditional council in Kom………………………... 67 The Kwifoyn banishes a witch from Kom……………………… 69 Conclusion………………………………………………………79 Chapter Four: Explaining Witchcraft Violence in Venda, Limpopo Province…………………………………………….. 81 Introduction……………………………………………………. 81 The fury of a rejected witchcraft of inheritance………………… 84 Implications for anthropological theories……………………….. 90 The Apartheid State and witchcraft violence……………………. 99 Conclusion………………………………………………………107 Chapter Five: Policy Options for Post-Colonial South Africa…………………………………………………… 109 Introduction……………………………………………………..109 Suppressing witchcraft beliefs and practices…………………….. 109 Recognising the reality of witchcraft……………………………. 113 Criminalising witchcraft practice………………………………... 115 Conclusion………………………………………………………118 Bibliography………………………………………………….. 121 ...