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Cauldron boils in witchy word war

TSHWARELO ESENG MOGAKANE AND THABISILE KHOZA - Feb 26 2010 06:00

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The cauldron is bubbling and the spell-books are being frantically thumbed after the national coordinator of the Traditional Healers' Organisation, Phepsile Maseko, blamed muti murders on "heartless witches".

"Your public allegation against witches is demonstrably false, defamatory and objectionable to real witches, who are not guilty of that which you have, on several occasions, publicly accused us of," said an angry Damon Leff, director of the South African Pagan Rights Alliance (Sapra), in a letter to Maseko.

Revealing that of a total of 901 cases of corpse mutilation in South Africa last year, Limpopo accounted for 350 and Mpumalanga for 210, Maseko had asked: "How could a healer use body parts or remove somebody's body parts while the person is still alive? That means you are a witch, not a healer."

Leff argued that the accusations reinforced, without evidence, "prejudicial stereotypes that serve to encourage further witch-hunts". He said: "Your false and vexatious allegations against witches … may be regarded, to the extent to which such allegations may harm the reputations of real witches, as defamatory."

Sapra did not deny that men, women and children across Africa suffered "brutal mutilations at the hands of criminals who harvest human body parts for sale".

But local witches and wiccans had issued a statement last month condemning muti murders and the illegal trade in human body parts for medicine and magic. South African witches did not participate in such criminal activities, Leff said.

The statement was supported by the South African Pagan Council, Clan of Kheper Temple, Clan of Mafdet, Lunaguardia, Clan Ysgithyrwyn, The Grove, Pagan Freedom Day Movement, Penton Pagan Magazine, Pagan Federation International South Africa, Pretoria Pagan Social Group, Dream Weaver Pagan Community, Celestine Circle, Temple of the Midnight Sun, Temple of the Celestial Paths and other non-aligned individuals.

Sapra threatened to take the matter to the Human Rights Commission.

But Maseko was unrepentant this week, saying: "Let's be honest here -- a witch is a witch and everybody in the country knows that.

CONTINUES BELOW

"Publicly calling yourself a witch in South Africa smacks of white privilege. In a village or township, you'd be dead even before completing your proclamation. Sapra must accept that we speak different languages and live in different areas," she said. -- African Eye News Service

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Comments

What a shame that Phepsile Maseko so blatently lies to the people of South Africa.

It is rogue members of the traditional healers who are falsely accusing people of being Witches, causing their death, beatings and banishment. It is rogue members of the traditional healers that are using human body parts for black magic, therefore are responsible for those people's murders as well.

It is necessary that the traditional healer police themselves rather than make false charges against actual Witches and Wiccans.

It is time to stop the murders of thousands of Africans, and the beatings of tens of thousands more and the banishment of thousands more totally innocent people. All involved in this hateful action should be tried, imprisoned and some of them should be executed to stop this continuing great crime that tarnishes the reputation continent of
Africa and countries like.
South Africa.

Christopher Blackwell on February 26, 2010, 11:01 pm

SAPRA Complaint against THO lodged with SAHRC
http://www.paganrightsalliance.org/press.html
- 22 February 2010

This Alliance has lodged a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission against repeated libelous statements made by Traditional Healers Organization national co-ordinator, Phephisile Maseko, against South African Witches.

Maseko's repeated allegation that muthi murderers are "witches" practicing "witchcraft" remains untrue and defamatory. This Alliance demands that the South African Human Rights Commission (1.) properly investigates repeated libelous allegations made by Phephisile Maseko against South African Witches, (2.) makes a ruling regarding the innocence of self-identified Witches with regard to allegations made by Maseko that we are responsible for the commission of muthi murders, and (3.) instructs the Traditional Healers Organization national coordinator to cease making libelous statements against South African Witches.

Damon Leff on March 1, 2010, 8:32 am

Sad to see that, the same Phepsile who once addressed a room full of self-defined Witches and told us that we should fight for our rights, no matter how hard the fight may be, and that the THO supports us in fighting for our rights, is now saying "a witch is a witch" and screaming white privilege.

Witchcraft is not evil and has nothing whatsoever to do with muti murder. The Constitution guarantees our right to freedom of association and to defining ourselves. It is really tragic that a word that was twisted into an excuse for murdering people in Europe was imported to Africa and forced on Africans, and has become an excuse for murdering people here too.

Muti murder is murder. It is not special because it is committed in superstition. Muti murderers are not witches, they are murderers, and should be treated as such. People who kill or abuse suspected "witches" are also guilty of murder or abuse. They are not heroes but criminals.

So let's take back the original meaning of the word Witch, accept people's rights to define themselves, and most importantly, work together on ending both muti murders and witch killings.

Colleen Mollentze on March 1, 2010, 9:51 am

Yes, I remember that day too as I was there. We were the face and heart of the "new" South Africa. But now? It is sad that Phepsile is using her voice to insight further discrimination and hate - What a poor example she is leading. We should be healing the old wounds not creating new ones!

Christy Schiller on March 1, 2010, 2:18 pm

What IS interesting is that a study by the International Warlockian Senate has found NO evidence to suggest that Witches have had anything to do with the killings. The blame, they say, lies firmly at the door of the THO, a multi million Rand business.
It would be interesting to hear what the racist, Phepsile Maseko, has to say in her justification of this cover-up of the killings by what appears to be her own organization.

Peter Eck on March 1, 2010, 10:14 pm

Here is a list of people who have been murdered in this country this year (2010).

REMEMBER THEIR NAMES

January 4 2010
Mamakazi Mkhwanazi and her granddaughter Thobile Mbatha were burnt beyond recognition in Gunjaneni after being accused of practising witchcraft.

January 13 2010
An 81-year-old woman, Badabukile Ndlovu, was stabbed 50 times and her throat slit by her neighbour who accused her of witchcraft, in KwaKwiliza near Mtubatuba, KwaZulu-Natal.

February (?) 2010
A 68-year-old man, Mbongeni Zungu, died after community members attacked him and burnt down his shack in Umlazi E section. They accused him of practising witchcraft, KwaZulu-Natal.

February 3 2010
A 65-year-old woman, Nokitani Tshemesi and her three grandchildren, Phumeza Ntakani aged 13, and Nonkoliseko Malolo and Akhona Malolo both aged 10, were found stabbed to death in their home in Kwaaiman, Eastern Cape. They were accused of witchcraft.

March 1 2010
A Limpopo family accused of witchcraft had their house burnt down in Magaung village at Sekororo, Maake, Limpopo.

These are victims of African "cultural interpretation"... and yet traditional healers still insist on the right to continue to make accusations of witchcraft.

How many more must die?

Culture changes and evolves, even African culture. The South African Pagan Rights Alliance will continue to be an agent of that change.

Damon Leff on March 3, 2010, 11:52 pm