'Ritual Cleansing' To Eradicate Witchcraft?

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Government Draws Line On Witchcraft
Southern Africa

Namibia

GOVERNMENT is sticking to its guns in refusing to give ground to widespread calls for ritual cleansing at schools suspected to be affected by witchcraft.

"The policy on alleged witchcraft and superstition [at schools] is clear and it remains the same... schools can not be cleansed," declared Ministry of Basic Education and Culture spokesperson Veiwe Kangueehi, yesterday.

"Individuals can go out to get ritual cleansings, but we cannot allow witchcraft-related practices on school premises. These things will disrupt academic activities."

Kangueehi's assertion reinforced a circular by Basic Education Permanent Secretary, Loine Nyanyukweni Katoma, which was sent out less than a month ago.

In it she denounced alleged cases of witchcraft at some schools and expressed her Ministry's concern that teachers and pupils were often wrongly accused of the practice.

Katoma said the policy position of the Ministry was that schools were areas entrusted to impart knowledge based on sound scientific principles and the power of reason.

"Ours is not a Ministry for the affairs of witchcraft and superstitions. The Ministry therefore does not condone the unwarranted mingling of witchcraft in the educational business of our children," Katoma said.

Recent weeks have seen renewed demands on radio talk show programmes for the Ministry to allow "sangomas" to cleanse some schools in the Kunene and Omusati regions where there have allegedly been "mysterious deaths".

The latest school to be engulfed in witchcraft-related controversy is the Opuwo Primary School, where hostel workers have been on strike to demand the transfer of one of their colleagues accused of practising witchcraft.

The workers apparently claimed that 11 people, including workers and pupils, had died while seven pupils at the town's two primary schools were paralysed as a result of the alleged witchcraft.

According to a Nampa report, the striking workers presented a petition to Kunene Regional Governor Simson Tjongarero on Friday, demanding that the school hostel be cleansed by a traditional healer and that the suspected worker be transferred to another school.

Kangueehi insisted in the interview with The Namibian that the Ministry would not take action against anybody based on superstitious claims which "cannot be proven if one is taken to court".

Meanwhile, the Principal of Opuwo Lower Primary School, Ambrosius Tjizu, told The Namibian that the situation at the school was back to normal with workers and pupils going about their normal activities.

Tjizu declined to comment on the allegations of witchcraft.

He said the Ministry was the only institution with the authority to deal with the matter.

[SoUl SuRvIvOrS]

WTF!!!