Ritual Killing and Skepticism in Zambia

Zambia has just recorded its ‘first case’ of albino killing. Suspected ritualists butchered a 37 year old albino woman in the eastern district of Lundazi. They cut off her right hand and extracted the teeth from her mouth. In Zambia, ritual murder is on the rise.

Mutilated bodies of persons suspected to have been killed by ritualists were found in many parts of the country. Some body parts - arms, tongues, genitals or skin - were missing. The bodies of a 19 year old boy and a 70 year old woman with missing organs were discovered in Lusaka and in the Western province. Some suspected victims of ritual murder in the Central province had their hands and legs chopped off. Ritual killing is a common practice across countries in sub Saharan Africa including Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Tanzania and Malawi. Why are Zambians – and many people across Africa still murdering people for rituals?


The belief in Zambia is that these body parts can be used to perform sacrifice which can fortify people spiritually or bring good luck and success. People harvest these body parts which are sold or sent to local medicine men who use them to perform rituals. The sale of body parts for ritual sacrifice accounts for the thriving market in Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, etc

Unfortunately many Zambians have not bothered to ask : Can ritual sacrifice really make one rich?

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Zambians should begin to challenge claims associated with ritual killing and human sacrifice because if these underpinning misconceptions are not debunked, these vicious practices will not disappear. They will not stop. Definitely, it is not all Zambians that believe that money or success can be achieved through ritual sacrifice. There are skeptics and critical thinking people in Zambia. The issue is this: What are they doing? Why are they not speaking out? Why are their views and perspectives not captured in the discourse on ritual killing? What are they saying about the claim that ‘albino eyes, genitals and limbs can make somebody rich? Why are they not providing Zambia with skeptical fortification for people with albinism as against the supposed spiritual fortification which Zambia derive from ritual sacrifice of human body parts? Skeptics in Zambia may not want to speak out because they fear being attacked or persecuted. They fear being branded ‘atheists’ and stigmatized.

Ritual Killing and Skepticism in Zambia

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries: Another African Church Prosecuting Witch hunt in Contemporary America

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) is one church that is prosecuting a modern day witch hunt in North America. The church’s crusade against witchcraft should, as a matter of urgency, be brought to the attention of the ‘enlightened world’.

MFM is a Nigerian church with branches across North America – in Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New York etc. Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya founded it in 1989. The church draws its teachings from the Founder’s numerous books and sermons including his publications on witchcraft.

In one of his books, Overpowering Witchcraft (2010), Pastor Olukoya provides ‘sound biblical teachings’ on his ‘Ministry of Witchcraft’. He claims that manifestations of witchcraft are based in the Scriptures and can be revealed by God.

Olukoya associates witchcraft with prostitution and multiple deaths. He uses fake and fabricated stories and testimonies to illustrate the potency of witchcraft and how mothers-in-law use occult powers to undermine marriages and fuel problems in families. He states that the function of witchcraft is ”to bend what is straight, make it crooked. They change and refashion things to conform to their wicked intentions.” (p.9)

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The entire book drips with alarmist messages and passages which church members and other witch-believing folks could use to legimitize witchcraft accusation and witch persecution. A quick look on the church’s North American web site reveals how Olukoya’s teachings have been translated into “Deliverance Prayers from Witchcraft Prayers Points and Message.” The anti witchcraft prayer points are divided into several parts.

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Critical-thinking Americans need to realize the potentially dangerous nature of Olukoya’s ‘Ministry of Witchcraft’ and take action against this violent brand of Christianity which MFM embodies before it is too late. American skeptics and freethinkers need to provide a counter narrative to MFM’s witch crusade. They should not stand by and allow a slow undoing and erosion of the gains of enlightenment and a re-enactment of the Salem witch trials. Olukoya’s Ministry of Witchcraft has no place in contemporary America and in the contemporary world. Witch hunting by African migrant churches must stop. Witch hunting pastors must be stopped.

Guest post: Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries: Another African Church Prosecuting Witch hunt in Contemporary America

ADDENDUM::Tackling Witch Hunts in Tanzania: A Proactive Approach - JREF

Researcher and activist Leo Igwe reports to the JREF on the governmental response to such atrocities.

The killing of a witch is the end of a murderous process that starts in the mind. Witchcraft has to do with people’s cosmological notions and a people’s mentality. Changing attitudes and mentality takes great time and effort. Legislation is not enough, enforcement has to go in hand with mental and cultural reorientation.
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We need to understand why the imaginary evil of witchcraft is so real to some people to the extent that they can kill and maim suspected witches as well as poisoning family and community relations.

The government should encourage skepticism, rationality and critical thinking in all areas of human endeavor. Be they students or teachers, taxi drivers or market men and women, technocrats or artisans - the value of critical examination of issues and questioning of magical narratives that fuel suspicions and accusations of witchcraft should be encouraged in society.
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The misconception that witchcraft is African “science” has to be corrected. Scientists, skeptics and rationalists in the country should adopt a more proactive approach.

The government should address traditional healing practices and the sanctioning of healers who mix magic and medicine including faith healers of all types - traditional, Christian and Islamic.

Tackling Witch Hunts in Tanzania: A Proactive Approach - JREF

African witch trials still exist in the modern age, activist says | MLive.com

Nigerian human rights activist Leo Igwe brought detailed accounts of African witch trials -- a lecture entitled "A Debate of the Heart" -- to the Center for Inquiry-Michigan's event on Wednesday, July 23.

Igwe presented his research to the crowd of 50 in the lower section of Women's City Club of Grand Rapids. A slideshow provided a window into the mistreatment of individuals sent into exile in Northern Ghana, Nigeria and Malawi.

Igwe estimated that nearly 200 accused witches are spread throughout seven camps in Ghana alone, but perhaps 20 percent of people in West African nations have someone close to them affected by such claims.

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"The solution is not mosquito nets. It is not rice or food. The solution is in the mind."

Igwe called for vigilance, and not just for those traveling to Africa.

"Witchcraft has a Christian layer," Igwe said. "It is important for freethinkers to dispel belief and challenge the narrative. We cannot just sit back and denounce it. Intervention is needed or else this problem will continue."

African witch trials still exist in the modern age, activist says | MLive.com