Malawi court fines 3 men for planting ‘magic landmine’: Witchcraft
First Grade Magistrate Court in Nkhata-Bay Friday fined John Ng’oma K45, 000 for hiring two witch doctors to magically fortify a disputed land in a bid to harm his adversaries.
The Magistrate also ordered the two witch doctors Michael Juwawo and Brighton Mbewe to pay a fine of K20, 000 each for using charms, which is contrary to Witchcraft Act.
The court heard that Ng’oma and Chirwa have been at loggerheads over a piece of land, which each of the two claims to be the rightful owner.
Ng’oma told the court that banana and orange fruits that grow on the land belong to him, while Chirwa said potatoes that are on the same land are his.
Ng’oma alleged before a jam packed court that Chirwa and others had been stealing his fruits and in a desperate attempt to protect his property, he incorporated the services of two witch doctors to magically fortify the land by applying herbs.
He added that the two witchdoctors were particularly targeting Chirwa whom he described as a big menace to him.
But as Ng’oma and his two witchdoctors were busy magically fortifying the disputed land, they were spotted by Chirwa’s employees who apprehended them before severely beating them up.
The First Grade Magistrate Billy Wamkaya Ngosi noted in his one- hour- ruling that use of charms and employment of witchdoctors contravenes Witchcraft Act apart from posing danger to the targeted individual.
Magistrate Ngosi expressed worry over the trouble Chirwa would have found himself in, if his adversaries led by Ng’oma had succeeded in what he called planting magic landmine on the disputed land.
He, therefore, ordered Ng’oma to pay K45, 000 while the two witchdoctors K20, 000 each as fine.
Out of the whole amount, K75, 000 is compensation to Chirwa, a target of the ‘magic landmines’.
Magistrate Ngosi further ordered that a bag full of magic charms belonging to the two witchdoctors be burnt to ashes.
Both Ng’oma and Chirwa hail from Mng’ona Village in the area of Traditional Authority Mkumbira in Nkhata Bay District.
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