Man arrested for masterminding elderly woman torture, live burial over witchcraft
Pilirani Chelumani of Kalizi Village in Traditional Authority Chiwere in Dowa District was arrested on December 28 after he masterminded horrible torture of a senior citizen Christina Chiwoko by burying her alive in a cemetery over suspicion of practicing witchcraft.
A police report we have seen indicates that on December 27, Christina’s sister, Gradys Chiwoko died most unexpectedly after suffering from headache but Chelumani started spreading rumours that the deceased had died due to witchcraft ritual powers perpetrated by Christina Chiwoko.
The following day, Chelumani mobilized fellow villagers confronted Chiwoko by holding her hostage while digging a grave for next to her deceased sister.
The incident is captured on video half buried in soil and being forced to make a confession that she does practice witchcraft as witnesses merrily cheered on to the verbal torture of an unseen interrogator.
The victim was calm throughout the ordeal and it was obvious she mentioned a name as her witchcraft accomplice just to save herself. She kept blinking her eyes that were obviously itching from the sand she was churning from her breath.
The matter was reported at Dowa Police Station whose officers rushed to the scene where they rescued her half buried in the grave while arresting the mastermind, Chelumani.
The police, who were also rounding up Chelumani’s accomplices, quickly referred the victim, Chiwoko to Dowa District Hospital where she received medical attention and was her condition was declared under control.
Just two weeks ago, another video clip went viral on social media of an elderly citizen being brutally tortured by younger village folks masquerading as traditional Nyau dancers who was being accused of practising witchcraft by using his magical powers to influence that the rains should not come.
This is a common belief by village folks that when rains delay, it’s the elderly people who influences through their alleged magic — yet the rain delay in Malawi was publicly alerted by the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services, that the 2023/2024 rainfall season was being influenced by El Niño conditions that is known to cause prolonged and devastating dry spells and/or floods.
In response to this despicable act, Malawi’s social and economic issues commentator, Hesi Chikoko wrote an open letter to Minister of Gender, Community Development & Social Welfare, Jean Sendeza; Minister of Homeland Security, Ken Zikhale Ngoma and the Inspector General of Malawi Police Service, Marlyne Yolamu — asking them to remind village folks that this behaviour goes against the country’s commitment to the rule of law.
He reminded the village folks that “Malawi is a society of equals and should therefore be a country and place where everyone must feel safe irrespective of age”.
He also asked the leaders of the three law enforcement offices that Malawi observed the International Day of Older Persons in Malawi on October 1 on which the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released a report on Rule of Law and Human Rights — which noted that older persons comprise 2.7% of the total population of Malawi, but face human rights challenges such as discrimination, violence, neglect and verbal abuse.
“We must, with speed, ensure that persons who violate the rights of the elderly are not only held accountable but educated on the rights and dignity of the elderly persons.”
Chikoko also applauded the government for working towards making sure the elderly live with dignity through some legislative instruments and protective mechanisms being put in place to safeguard the human rights of the elderly population.
“I fully support the development of the Older Persons Bill and eagerly look forward to its enforcement,” he had said.
Of late, cases of brutal assault on the elderly people on unsubstantiated allegations of practising witchcraft are rampant and several people have observed that such acts are sanctioned by traditional chiefs — as also opined on this Nyau case.
In 2022, Inkosi ya Makhosi M’mbelwa V strongly suggested that the belief and witchcraft practices should be critically and legally scrutinized after a heartless assault and humiliation of an elderly woman who was forced to bury a dead body at a graveyard in Mandala Zimba Village at Eswazini area of Inkosi Kampingo Sibande in Mzimba.
It was reported that family members accused the senior citizen, identified as Christina Mphande of bewitching her daughter-in-law who died in South Africa and the remains of the deceased was repatriated back home.
During the burial ceremony, a group of people pulled the senior citizen from the rest of the mourners and forced her to bury the body alone — and in sympathy, her sister joined her to offer help.
In the process, according to Mzimba Police public relations officer, Peter Botha after the incident went viral on social media, some people assaulted the victim to the extent that she lost two of her teeth.
The video clip showed some stones being thrown at her and when she paused to check who was doing that, one male undressed her of her headgear (dhuku) and as she picked up her gear, another came over and unleashed a brutal brow.
She fell down and rolled over to fall into the 6-foot hole and in his statement, the King of the Ngoni Nation-Mzimba said together with entire Mbelwa Chiefs’ Council, while condemning the barbaric attitude towards the elderly, said: “It must always be remembered that the elderly are the fountain of wisdom and that at all times they should be treated with respect and dignity.”
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