Man killed in witchcraft attack in Malawi

February 22, 2016

Three people have been arrested in Malawi for allegedly killing their 65-year-old uncle, Hudson Banga, after he was accused of killing a 27-year-old relative using witchcraft.

The news comes only a few weeks after Humanist Society Scotland raised concerns that funding for an anti-witchcraft-based violence, run by the Association for Secular Humanism (ASH) in Malawi, was being stopped.

According to the Nyasa Times the 27-year-old was killed by a lightening strike on Wednesday 17th February sparking rumours that Banga was responsible.

A local Police Officer told the Nyasa Times:
“Two sisters and a young brother to the deceased did not take those rumours lightly. they went to their uncle and confronted him but later chaos erupted where the uncle was stoned and hit by different objects to death”.

This is the eighth witchcraft related killing in Malawi in recent months.

On the 2nd February Kenneth Gibson MSP submitted a motion to The Scottish Parliament calling on the Scottish Government to do all that it can to support anti-witchcraft-based violence initiatives in Malawi’.

Responding to this, George Thindwa of the Association for Secular Humanism (ASH) in Malawi said:
“We are saddened by this negative development. We are looking forward for support to eradicate witchcraft based violence in Malawi. Killing of each other in the name of witchcraft in the 21st Century should not be happening and when we can do something to combat it.”

Gordon MacRae, HSS Chief Executive, added:
“This is the eighth witchcraft-related killing in recent months, and sadly comes just after the news that funding for ASHs vital anti-witchcraft-based violence programme is coming to an end.

“We are continuting with our fundraising effort to do what we can to support ASHs vital work in Malawi, and have also written to the Scottish and UK Governments to seek their ongoing support for tackling witchcraft-related violence in Malawi.”

Image Courtesy: Nyasa Times

Scotland Malawi Humanist Partnership

Humanist Society Scotland and the Association of Secular Humanism in Malawi are coming together to collaborate on a new programme to support human rights, education and development in Malawi. The partnership aims to provide capacity building support to enable ASH in Malawi to grow and develop their work on the ground. The partnership project is supported by the International Humanist and Ethical Union and the Scotland Malawi Partnership.

This is the first initiative of the new HSS International Fund which aims to support the work of humanists working on the ground in developing countries. If we raise more than our target, don’t worry, all funds will be used for activities to support humanists on the ground in other countries around the world.