WAD lashes out against witchdoctors

THE Executive Director of Women’s Action for Development (WAD), Veronica de Klerk, says the strong influence of harmful cultural practices is aggravating poverty in Namibia.

Addressing a WAD field day at Omaruru last week, she said she was cautioning specifically against witchdoctors “who call up spirits for advice”, not traditional healers who complement the health profession with traditional medicines. De Klerk referred to a recent incident that was reported on in the media in which a six-year-old girl allegedly lost both her eyes after a witchdoctor treated her.The girl’s eyes had to be removed from their sockets to prevent infection spreading to her brain, De Klerk said.De Klerk said WAD was also disturbed by the “extremely light bail” of N$500 granted to the witchdoctor, and the fact that the girl’s parents, who had taken her to the witchdoctor, escaped arrest.”This latest shocking incident is a very serious wake-up call for every citizen in the country to stay away from witchdoctors, who dress up in cow skins, who are often under the influence of alcohol while treating people, and who call up the spirits of ancestors to advise them on how to treat people,” she warned.She appealed to Government to implement the Community Courts Act of 2003, which was passed five years ago already, to reduce the suffering of women and children at the hands of witchdoctors, as well as many other harmful practices that contravene the Namibian Constitution.She said many people in Namibia – especially women and children – are suffering tremendously because of harmful cultural practices, which also impede their development.”WAD seriously cautions the public to refrain from using the services of witchdoctors to supposedly ‘cure’ health-related problems, but to rather make use of the services of health professionals,” said De Klerk.She said while organisations such as WAD were empowering poor people with skills to find jobs and to earn a decent living, witchdoctors were stripping the poor of their hard-earned cash.”We are receiving too many reports from our members that witchdoctors are ripping people off; they are destroyers of peace and harmony within families and rural communities, and stripping people of their dignity,” she stated.She added that witchdoctors sow suspicion and mistrust among families by means of false allegations, and that they even mislead HIV-AIDS patients by claiming that they can cure AIDS, robbing them of their hard-earned money in the process.”Why have we, as Christians, abandoned prayer and advice from our spiritual leaders? Maybe it is time for spiritual leaders to assist more profoundly in cautioning their members against the evils of witchdoctors which are happening around us.”De Klerk referred to a recent incident that was reported on in the media in which a six-year-old girl allegedly lost both her eyes after a witchdoctor treated her.The girl’s eyes had to be removed from their sockets to prevent infection spreading to her brain, De Klerk said.De Klerk said WAD was also disturbed by the “extremely light bail” of N$500 granted to the witchdoctor, and the fact that the girl’s parents, who had taken her to the witchdoctor, escaped arrest.”This latest shocking incident is a very serious wake-up call for every citizen in the country to stay away from witchdoctors, who dress up in cow skins, who are often under the influence of alcohol while treating people, and who call up the spirits of ancestors to advise them on how to treat people,” she warned.She appealed to Government to implement the Community Courts Act of 2003, which was passed five years ago already, to reduce the suffering of women and children at the hands of witchdoctors, as well as many other harmful practices that contravene the Namibian Constitution.She said many people in Namibia – especially women and children – are suffering tremendously because of harmful cultural practices, which also impede their development.”WAD seriously cautions the public to refrain from using the services of witchdoctors to supposedly ‘cure’ health-related problems, but to rather make use of the services of health professionals,” said De Klerk.She said while organisations such as WAD were empowering poor people with skills to find jobs and to earn a decent living, witchdoctors were stripping the poor of their hard-earned cash.”We are receiving too many reports from our members that witchdoctors are ripping people off; they are destroyers of peace and harmony within families and rural communities, and stripping people of their dignity,” she stated.She added that witchdoctors sow suspicion and mistrust among families by means of false allegations, and that they even mislead HIV-AIDS patients by claiming that they can cure AIDS, robbing them of their hard-earned money in the process.”Why have we, as Christians, abandoned prayer and advice from our spiritual leaders? Maybe it is time for spiritual leaders to assist more profoundly in cautioning their members against the evils of witchdoctors which are happening around us.”