When Witchcraft Fear Turns Into Accusation

Introduction

Fear of witchcraft becomes most dangerous when it moves from private belief to public accusation. In Namibia, accusations that someone has caused illness, death or misfortune through supernatural means have, at times, led to social exclusion, assaults and killings. Rather than attempting to judge whether witchcraft exists, Namibia’s law has long focused on preventing the harm caused by naming people as witches and by using ordeals or witch-finders to identify supposed culprits. That legal approach dates to a colonial-era statute, the Witchcraft Suppression Proclamation of 1933, which remains in force but has become the subject of growing debate over whether it is still fit for purpose.[Namiblii]namiblii.orgWitchcraft Suppression Proclamation, 1933 – NamibLIIApril 15, 1936…Published: April 15, 1936

The central challenge is that the law was written in a very different political and cultural era. While it criminalises accusations that can trigger violence, critics argue that it also reflects colonial assumptions about African religious practices and fails to distinguish harmful accusations from legitimate traditional healing. At the same time, recurring attacks on people accused of witchcraft have convinced many lawyers and human rights advocates that legal protection against accusations remains necessary.[The Namibian]namibian.com.naThe Namibian Call to revise witchcraft suppression lawThe NamibianCall to revise witchcraft suppression law - The Namibian…

From spiritual belief to public accusation

Belief in witchcraft has long formed part of the religious and cultural landscape in many Namibian communities, as it has across much of southern Africa. The existence of such beliefs does not automatically produce violence. The greatest danger arises when ordinary misfortune is linked to a named individual who is blamed for another person’s illness, livestock losses or unexplained death.

Accusations often emerge during periods of grief or uncertainty, when communities seek a human explanation for events that appear otherwise inexplicable. Elderly people, widows, people living alone, those with dementia or mental illness, and socially marginal individuals have frequently been among those most vulnerable to suspicion. Human rights advocates have repeatedly argued that these accusations can become a form of social control or a way of settling personal disputes under the language of supernatural harm.[The Namibian]namibian.com.naThe Namibian Call to revise witchcraft suppression lawThe NamibianCall to revise witchcraft suppression law - The Namibian…

The accusations themselves can produce serious consequences even before any violence occurs. People may be ostracised, expelled from their homes, pressured into confessions or subjected to informal hearings by community members or traditional authorities. Once a person has been publicly labelled a witch, restoring their reputation may prove extremely difficult regardless of any lack of evidence.

Murder cases and the human cost

The most severe consequence of witchcraft accusations is lethal violence. Although Namibia has not experienced the large-scale witch hunts associated with some periods of European history, isolated murders and assaults linked to accusations continue to occur.

Police and courts have repeatedly dealt with cases in which relatives, neighbours or traditional practitioners allegedly identified someone as responsible for deaths through supernatural means. Such accusations can rapidly escalate from rumour into intimidation or physical attack, particularly after multiple deaths occur within a family or village.[The Namibian]namibian.com.naThe Namibian Accusing someone of being a witch still a crimeThe NamibianAccusing someone of being a witch still a crime - The NamibianMay 19, 2021…Published: May 19, 2021

A widely discussed example highlighting the human cost did not involve murder but prolonged abuse. Ndjiina Ngombe, an elderly woman in the Kunene Region, spent roughly two decades shackled and isolated because relatives believed she was a witch. She was later found to have dementia rather than supernatural powers. The case became a powerful illustration of how neurological illness and age-related behavioural changes may be misunderstood through the lens of witchcraft beliefs, leading to profound violations of human rights.[The Namibian]namibian.com.naThe Namibian Call to revise witchcraft suppression lawThe NamibianCall to revise witchcraft suppression law - The Namibian…

Cases like this have encouraged campaigners to argue that responses should combine criminal justice with better public understanding of dementia, mental illness and other medical conditions that may otherwise be interpreted as evidence of witchcraft.

What the 1933 suppression law does

Namibia’s principal legislation is the Witchcraft Suppression Proclamation, 1933, inherited from the period of South African administration over South West Africa.

Its primary aim is not to punish witchcraft itself but to suppress practices that encourage accusations and persecution. Among its main offences are:

The legislation originally authorised punishments including imprisonment, fines and corporal punishment. The corporal punishment provision is no longer constitutionally valid following Namibia’s post-independence constitutional jurisprudence prohibiting such penalties, although the remainder of the law continues to operate.[Namiblii]namiblii.orgWitchcraft Suppression Proclamation, 1933 – NamibLIIApril 15, 1936…Published: April 15, 1936

The law therefore attempts to interrupt the chain that runs from accusation to violence. Instead of deciding whether supernatural forces exist, it treats public accusations themselves as the conduct most likely to endanger others.

Why reform is debated

Despite its protective purpose, the proclamation has become increasingly controversial.

One criticism is its colonial origin. Drafted in 1933, the law reflects European legal ideas about “pretended witchcraft” and uses language that many modern lawyers regard as outdated and dismissive of indigenous belief systems. Critics argue that it fails to distinguish traditional healers, herbalists and diviners from fraudulent or harmful practitioners.[The Namibian]namibian.com.naThe Namibian Call to revise witchcraft suppression lawThe NamibianCall to revise witchcraft suppression law - The Namibian…

A second criticism is practical effectiveness. Human rights advocates argue that although the law criminalises accusations, it has often failed to prevent continuing violence, social exclusion or exploitation of vulnerable people. Some campaigners therefore favour replacing it with legislation that focuses explicitly on protecting victims of witchcraft accusations, addressing harmful practices and recognising modern human rights standards.[Namibian Sun]namibiansun.comNamibian SunCall to reform witchcraft law gains urgency amid growing abuse concerns - Namibian Sun…

The Namibia Law Reform and Development Commission has likewise described the proclamation as outdated and has considered whether it should be repealed or fundamentally redesigned rather than simply retained unchanged. The Commission has argued that any replacement should balance freedom of belief with protection against the real harms produced by accusations and violence.[The Namibian]namibian.com.naThe Namibian Call to revise witchcraft suppression lawThe NamibianCall to revise witchcraft suppression law - The Namibian…

Continuing enforcement

Although the law is often described as rarely used, it has not become entirely dormant.

In 2021, a magistrate’s court in Kavango West heard charges brought under the proclamation after several people allegedly accused an elderly man of causing multiple deaths through witchcraft. The case demonstrated that prosecutors still regard public accusations as criminal offences under existing law.[The Namibian]namibian.com.naThe Namibian Accusing someone of being a witch still a crimeThe NamibianAccusing someone of being a witch still a crime - The NamibianMay 19, 2021…Published: May 19, 2021

More recently, Namibian police have publicly reminded communities that accusing someone of witchcraft remains a criminal offence. Police reports have noted numerous complaints involving witchcraft accusations, warning that such allegations frequently lead to isolation, conflict and broader public disorder.[NBC News]nbcnews.naNBC News POLICE WARN AGAINST WITCHCRAFT ACCUSATIONS | nbcNBC News POLICE WARN AGAINST WITCHCRAFT ACCUSATIONS | nbc

These prosecutions illustrate an important distinction: the state is not attempting to determine whether supernatural powers exist but is instead intervening because accusations themselves can trigger intimidation, vigilantism and violence.

Why this remains important

Namibia’s experience illustrates that fear can become socially dangerous even where no formal witch trials exist. The country’s colonial-era legislation was designed to stop accusations before they escalated into persecution, reflecting an understanding that rumours and public naming can themselves cause serious harm.

The unresolved question is whether a law written in 1933 remains the best tool for today’s challenges. Many legal experts and human rights advocates support preserving strong protection for people accused of witchcraft while replacing colonial language with legislation that more clearly distinguishes cultural belief from harmful conduct. The debate is therefore less about the reality of witchcraft than about preventing violence, protecting vulnerable people and ensuring that modern law addresses the social consequences of accusation rather than the beliefs themselves.[com.na]namibian.com.naThe Namibian Call to revise witchcraft suppression lawThe NamibianCall to revise witchcraft suppression law - The Namibian…

Amazon book picks

Further Reading

Books and field guides related to When Witchcraft Fear Turns Into Accusation. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.

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Witchcraft, Violence, and Democracy in South Africa

By Adam Ashforth

First published 2005. Subjects: Witchcraft, africa, Witchcraft, Political aspects.

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African religions and philosophy

By Mbiti, John S.

First published 1970. Subjects: Religion.

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The Penguin book of witches

By Katherine Howe

First published 2014. Subjects: Witchcraft, History, Witchcraft, europe.

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Witchcraft, Oracles and Magic Among the Azande

By E. E. Evans-Pritchard

Explains how witchcraft accusations arise and function within communities, providing essential context for understanding accusation-drive...

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Browse more on Amazon:Witchcraft, Violence, and Democracy in South AfricaAfrican religions and philosophyThe Penguin book of witches

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Endnotes

1. Source: namiblii.org
Link:https://namiblii.org/akn/na/act/p/1933/27/eng%401936

Published: April 15, 1936

2. Source: namiblii.org
Link:https://namiblii.org/akn/na/doc/law-reform-report/2020-11-01/report-on-the-abolishment-of-the-common-law-offences-of-sodomy-and-unnatural-sexual-offences/eng%402020

3. Source: namiblii.org
Link:https://namiblii.org/doc/law-reform-report

4. Source: namiblii.org
Link:https://namiblii.org/akn/na/act/p/1936/12/eng%401936

5. Source: namibian.com.na
Title: The Namibian Call to revise witchcraft suppression law
Link:https://www.namibian.com.na/call-to-revise-witchcraft-suppression-law/

6. Source: namibian.com.na
Title: The Namibian Local lawyers support UN resolution on witchcraft
Link:https://www.namibian.com.na/local-lawyers-support-un-resolution-on-witchcraft/

7. Source: namibiansun.com
Link:https://www.namibiansun.com/justice/call-to-reform-witchcraft-law-gains-urgency-amid-growing-abuse-concerns2025

8. Source: namibian.com.na
Title: The Namibian Accusing someone of being a witch still a crime
Link:https://www.namibian.com.na/accusing-someone-of-being-a-witch-still-a-crime/

Published: May 19, 2021

9. Source: nbcnews.na
Title: NBC News POLICE WARN AGAINST WITCHCRAFT ACCUSATIONS | nbc
Link:https://nbcnews.na/node/115990

10. Source: namibiansun.com
Title: Ombudsman promises action on witchcraft abuses
Link:https://www.namibiansun.com/cultural/ombudsman-promises-action-on-witchcraft-abuses2025

11. Source: namibian.com.na
Title: Slow implementation of guidelines on harmful practices a concern
Link:https://www.namibian.com.na/slow-implementation-of-guidelines-on-harmful-practices-a-concern/

Published: August 8, 2023

12. Source: namibian.com.na
Title: Guidelines launched on eliminating ritual attacks, witchcraft accusations
Link:https://www.namibian.com.na/guidelines-launched-on-eliminating-ritual-attacks-witchcraft-accusations/

13. Source: namibiansun.com
Title: Protect children against witchcraft accusations, report urges
Link:https://www.namibiansun.com/local-news/protect-children-against-witchcraft-accusations-report-urges2022

14. Source: namibian.com.na
Title: Introducing the Witchcraft Investigation Bureau
Link:https://www.namibian.com.na/introducing-the-witchcraft-investigation-bureau/

15. Source: scribd.com
Title: Witchcraft Suppression Proclamation | PDF | Witchcraft | Justice
Link:https://www.scribd.com/document/939069562/Witchcraft-Suppression-Proclamation

Additional References

16. Source: cambridge.org
Link:https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-journal-of-legal-information/article/witchcraft-accusations-and-the-tort-of-defamation-in-anglophone-africa/22930E9DEDD422B529CE891441433B33

Published: April 3, 2024

17. Source: youtube.com
Title: Witchcraft Act Was Used to Suppress Traditional Healers | Gogo Dineo Explains
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nImfi58BeyI

18. Source: youtube.com
Title: Witchcraft in Otjomuise! From bottles of blood to animal penises
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkrFWOtNJ2Q

19. Source: youtube.com
Title: Namibian Police arrests five people for witchcraft in Havana
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E35JMWgd1Io

20. Source: youtube.com
Title: POLICE WARN AGAINST WITCHCRAFT ACCUSATIONS
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXnAcrK5MfU

21. Source: amnesty.org
Link:https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/africa/southern-africa/namibia/report-namibia/

22. Source: africanlii.org
Link:https://africanlii.org/fr/articles/2021-06-04/carmel-rickard/scrap-colonial-era-common-law-crime-of-sodomy-urges-namibias-law-reform-commission

23. Source: right-docs.org
Title: 17/14 Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review
Link:https://www.right-docs.org/doc/a-hrc-17-14/

24. Source: youtube.com
Title: Meet the anti-witch hunter
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzBi8KVSwlY

25. Source: studocu.com
Title: witchcraft suppression proclamation 27 of 1933
Link:https://www.studocu.com/row/document/university-of-namibia/jurisprudence/witchcraft-suppression-proclamation-27-of-1933/133168770