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Consequences of accusing older people of practicing witchcraft on local communities: empirical evidence from rural and urban Zambia
Isaac Kabelenga
Abstract
A gap exists in the scientific knowledge on the consequences of witchcraft accusations. Research on the consequences of witchcraft accusations has not adequately brought out the negative consequences of such accusations on the local communities where the accused live. This study sought to describe and understand the negative consequences of accusing older people of practicing witchcraft in the two communities of Zambia - one rural community and one urban community. By undertaking qualitative research with 31 local community leaders involved in addressing witchcraft accusations involving older people, the study established that accusing older people of practicing witchcraft has enormous negative consequences on the local communities where the accused lives and the whole Zambian community. The three significant negative consequences that emerged from the data are family and community divisions, low participation in community activities, communities where the accused live. This is essential in broadening scientific knowledge on the consequences of witchcraft accusations and generational hatred. Based on the present findings, the article concludes that accusing older people of practicing witchcraft in Zambia has far-reaching negative consequences on the Zambian communities both in rural and urban Zambia than what is documented in the existing literature. Thus, the article recommends that since witchcraft accusations are a common problem in different regions of the world, future research should investigate the negative consequences of such accusations on the locals.
Keywords:
Witchcraft accusations, Older people, Consequences, Local communities, Rural and Urban Zambia, Qualitative ResearchDetails
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