Mozambique: Police rescue old women about to be lynched for witchcraft

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Mozambique: Police rescue old women about to be lynched for witchcraft

3:00 CAT | 11 Jul 2022

Image: Rádio Moçambique

Police in Mozambique have rescued four elderly women accused of witchcraft who were about to be lynched by locals in Sábiè administrative post, in Moamba, a district near the place where seven people were buried alive by the population accused of theft in Maputo.

“The elderly women were rescued thanks to the promptness of the police force, which raced to the location as soon as they became aware of the case,” Carminia Leite, spokeswoman for the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) in Maputo province told Lusa today.

According to the PRM district commander in Moamba, Jossias Manhengue, when the authorities arrived at the scene, the four elderly women were already in the bush to be lynched, who were mostly young people who claimed that the victims were responsible for the social problems they face.

“During the night, we could not arrest anyone from the group that was there. We preferred to take the elderly women to the district command and the next day I went to the place personally to meet with community leaders and the locals,” the Muamba district commander explained to Radio Mozambique, adding that the authorities found people were resorting too much to witchcraft to tackle their social problems.

“Even when they fall ill, people here think immediately of the witch doctor and always allege that there is witchcraft,” he added.

The rescued elderly women were taken to safe places in Maputo province.

Meanwhile, Katie Mushunje, co-director of the Elevate Africa centre, has contacted Club of Mozambique editorial and informed us that the centre is caring for three of the four rescued elderly ladies.

The murder of elderly people in rural areas of Mozambique is a frequent crime. It is usually perpetrated by relatives, who accuse them of supernatural acts, blaming them for family disagreements and misfortune.

This episode comes a little over two weeks after seven people, including three Mozambican police officers, accused of belonging to a cattle rustling ring, were buried alive by people on the border between the districts of Moamba and Maluana in Maputo province.

Source: Lusa