Madumo, a man bewitched by Ashforth Adam

Author:Ashforth, Adam
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Madumo, Witchcraft
Publisher: Chicago : University of Chicago Press
Published: 2000-09-14T16:00:00+00:00

M A D U M O

problem of crime, and just as intractable. “So how would the witches be identified?” I asked.

“If someone is a powerful witch around the community” Mr. Zondi replied, “the community knows it. They know that person. They know that he’s a witch and he’s the one that’s giving them troubles. There are many people who keep nmthi in their houses. What do they need this muthi for? They are not inyangas. They are not healing people. But still they are having too much muthi. No, they are doing witchcraft. So the community must set up a forum, they must elect their own inyangas to that forum. Then the police should round up these people and force them to drink their own muthi. If really they are healers, they will be fine. That muthi will not affect them. But if they are witches, that muthi will kill them.”

“What if they refuse to drink it?” I asked.

“If someone is refusing to eat his own muthi, then it means he is a witch. He should be punished.” He paused for a moment as if pondering his words. “In Shaka’s day,” he added, “they didn't have this problem. They were just killing those witches. But now they have these human rights, so you can’t just kill them.”

“But I thought that in the olden days they didn’t just kill witches,” I said. “Didn’t they go to the chief and call the inyangas to have a trial?”

“You are right,” he replied. “It was like that, but no more. In those days, if someone was suspecting somebody of being a witch, they would go to the chief or the headman in the village. Maybe they would say: ‘Now we’ve got a trouble in the village. We don’t sleep well at night. We often get some illness. Our children don’t enjoy the life.’ That sort of thing. Then they would point to the one that they say is causing their troubles. Maybe his name is . . . Adams.” Mr. Zondi’s eyes twinkled as he hit upon the name. “So then, that one, Adams, would come to the chief and say: ‘Mr. So-and-so has said I’m a witch. Myself, I don’t know that thing. So look. I’ve brought my cattle to the court. Let us go to the inyanga and find out who is really the witch.’ Then the person who has accused him will also bring his cattle. They will

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