SAPRA Press Release

Trapido: "make it a criminal offence to be a witch" ?

- 13 January 2010

In 'Make witchcraft a criminal offence' [1] and 'Calls to make witchcraft a criminal offence as 81-year-old woman stabbed 50 times' [2], Michael Trapido writes

"So until such time as someone can put forward a better suggestion for protecting people accused of witchcraft — and not the current law which makes it an offence to call someone a witch — legislation to make it a criminal offence to be a witch seems to be the only answer. In tandem that anyone now possessed of this legal channel to accuse witches, who practices self-help, be given the stiffest possible sentences available to a court faced with that charge. Denying some form of religious freedom is very ugly but what happened to an 81-year-old woman and many others like her is far uglier."

Any attempt to suppress witches, historically the object of religious oppression, in order to end witch-hunts is not only illogical, it is devoid of all ethical legal sensibility. Suppressing Witches and Witchcraft in South Africa will not prevent further accusations of bewitchment against innocent citizens. On the contrary, it will encourage even more spurious accusations.

Trapido suggests that someone might be able to proffer a more suitable suggestion to ending witchcraft accusations? Perhaps he could be persuaded to review the findings of the 'National Conference on Witchcraft Violence'. [3] Political parties, safety and security institutions, civic organisations, churches and labour movements committed themselves to bringing an end to witchcraft-related violence with the adoption of the Thohoyandou Declaration on Ending Witchcraft Violence in 1998. [4]

In response to the findings of the Conference the Commission on Gender Equality launched an ‘Action Plan for the Eradication of Witchcraft Violence’ by committing itself to monitoring the progress of “legislative reform, victim support, the reintegration of victims into communities, and reconciliation and public education programmes” aimed at eradicating ‘witchcraft violence’. The CGE’s Action Plan included

a) strengthening the South African Police Service’s ability to respond appropriately to incidences of violence related to Witch-hunts and accusations of Witchcraft, b) making the eradication of violence against suspected Witches a national budget priority, c) special training for police in handling Witchcraft violence, d) the creation of special investigative units, e) the creation of victim support units to facilitate reintegration and conciliation, f) the adoption of a comprehensive public education and awareness campaign, and g) comprehensive legislative reform of the existing Witchcraft Suppression Act.

The right to cultural prejudice against Witchcraft is not enshrined in the constitution of South Africa. The right to life, liberty, equality, dignity and belief belongs to all South African citizens equally by virtue of birth. No South African citizen may commit murder, and no South African citizen may discriminate against Witches based on their own personal religious or cultural bias or prejudice.

The South African Pagan Rights Alliance offers its sincerest condolences to the family of the murdered victim of witchcraft-violence, and calls on all South Africans to support 30 days of advocacy against Witch-hunts in Africa from 29 March to 27 April 2010. Speak out against religious discrimination and Witchcraft-related Violence in Africa. [5]

References:

[1] Make witchcraft a criminal offence
http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/traps/2010/01/13/make-witchcraft-a-crimin...

[2] Calls to make witchcraft a criminal offence as 81-year-old woman stabbed 50 times
http://www.richmarksentinel.com/rs_headlines.asp?recid=3678&pcurr=1

[3] Witchcraft Violence: We Have A Plan Issued by the Commission on Gender Equality Communications Unit on 29 March 1999. http://www.info.gov.za/speeches/1999/000605345p1004.htm

[4] ‘The Thohoyandou Declaration on Ending Witchcraft Violence’
http://www.vuya.net/?q=node/1828

[5] 30 days of advocacy against Witch-hunts in Africa
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6416194117&ref=ts