Witchcraft myths behind deadly attacks on elderly! The lack of education about mental health issues, such as dementia, together with persistent unfounded witchcraft superstitions, is believed to be behind a spate of killings targeting elderly people.
In the latest incident, four members from two families living 100 metres apart in Mbuba, Matimatolo, near Greytown, were gunned down. The victims included three women, aged 70, 60, and 33, along with a six-year-old child.
According to local Inkosi Mpendulo Cele, the attack was linked to accusations of witchcraft.
Witchcraft myths
In a previous case, three individuals were sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and an additional five years for arson after they assaulted and set alight Fikile Msimango (65) and her daughter Nkosi (28), also accusing them of witchcraft.
Umzinyathi District police spokesperson Constable Siyabonga Nkwanyana condemned these violent acts, stressing the importance of community education to dispel harmful myths.
“To address this, we are committed to extensive community engagements, aiming to educate residents on the importance of resolving conflicts through peaceful and lawful means.
“Through regular izimbizo, community dialogues and collaborations with local leaders, we strive to promote understanding and dispel harmful myths that lead to violence.
“Our detectives are also working tirelessly to bring those responsible for these cruel acts to justice, ensuring they face the full extent of the law. We urge community members to report suspicious activities and avoid taking matters into their own hands.
“Together, through collective effort and trust in the justice system, we can build safer communities for all,” said Nkwanyana.
Professor Bonginkosi Chiliza, head of Psychiatry at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, attributes these tragic events to a lack of understanding about dementia. “People confuse forgetfulness with old age, but it’s a disease,” he said.
In South Africa, vascular dementia, often caused by untreated high blood pressure or diabetes, is one of the most common causes. In younger people, head injuries and untreated HIV can also lead to dementia
He added that dementia can be associated with hallucinations, where sufferers may hear or see things that are not there. Chiliza emphasised that dementia symptoms, such as memory loss and hallucinations, are often misinterpreted as signs of witchcraft. He urged communities to seek medical help for suspected dementia cases.
Chairperson for Health at the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, Imraam Keeka, agreed that there was an urgent need for awareness programmes involving the Departments of Health, Social Development, and Education.
Keeka said he had attended awareness events arranged by the Quality of Life (QoL) Standing Committee and shared the tragic consequences of misinterpreting dementia as witchcraft.
“Those with dementia and related conditions, who are often grossly misunderstood, have suffered horrendous treatment at the hands of others, including their own families, and many have been brutally murdered.
The misunderstanding that many elderly people with dementia are possessed or bewitched is not uncommon
“Senior citizens are assaulted, neglected, tied up for prolonged periods, and, in extreme cases, denied food. We’ve heard horror stories of beatings and burnings,” Keeka said.
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