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v Acknowledgements There is an African proverb which reads: A bundle cannot be fastened with one hand. That is, no one is completely self-sufficient. One constantly needs the support of another for one to succeed in life. My people compel me to acknowledge those that helped me produce this work. I wish to thank Professors John Sharp, Simon Bekker and Francis Nyamnjoh for their guidance and support during this study. I also thank my two research assistants in Cameroon: Bondo Yong and the late Columbus Iyaba. They always believed in this work and showed great enthusiasm. Every village, even the too distant one, was to them always “just over that hill”. They knew how to stretch an exhausted mind and take it to greater heights. It was because of them that I was able to walk tens of kilometres to cover many villages in Kom. I owe much to my wife, Nangula, for her unfaltering love and support, and for always having faith in me. My sources of strength are my lovely daughters, Makhadzi and Masindi, for always believing I am a superman who is capable of scaling down every wall. I thank my mother, a single parent, for her inspiration and for toiling so hard to see me succeed in life. I am indebted to all the people covered in cases from both Kom and Venda presented in this work. I thank them for retelling their witchcraft experiences, even when they were encountered under very unpleasant circumstances. I thank all the traditional authorities and healers in both Kom and Venda for showing trust in me. To all of them I say “may this work help in making home a peaceful place, particularly when it comes to matters of witchcraft”. vi ...

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