The Problem is not Poverty, but Goblins.

There is a very strong African belief that the main cause of most of our calamities is witchcraft. This belief is causing so many deaths that could easly be avoided in our communities, because people have laid their focus on rather a "dubious" enemy. Many dispute the impact of HIV/AIDS and attribute the cause of many Aids related deaths in their communities to witchcraft.

I went to a village called Chiweshe about 80km north of Harare, on Friday when i heard a famous cleansing ceremony was happening, to save the village from witchcraft. They (villagers) claim is (witchcraft) the cause of the ever rising death toll and misfortunes in their village. With the help of a village boy, I went straight to the the place where the ceremony was being conducted by the witchhunter, Guranyanga. I never saw the witchdocter in action, for his operations was being done clandestinely in a hut. I was not even given an opportunity to meet him. His guards composed of a group of young boys everagely built, told me to join others in the long queue. My patience was compromised after seeing the large the crowds in front of me. The process looked tardy. They was talk as arrived that two people were cleansed off their misfortunes and had to let go their goblins.

After every ritual, one would be forced to pay a beast as payment for the service rendered. Those who had no beasts to part with would surrender goats, chickens or furniture. One village headman claimed to have parted with two of his beasts for having his household cleansed. "I don't believe in the way these ceremonies are being conducted and don't trust the witchdoctor at all" he said. The ceremonies are done through the instruction of the chief and no one has the right to refuse. " If you refuse then there is likelihood that you would be labelled as the main source of the calamities" he said.

With inflation running over 1700% and poverty hitting hard on many rural communities and a drought looming, many rural communities including have their life hung on the very few beasts they have. The value of owning beasts cannot be sidelined in my culture. For one to be termed rich or ready to marry in our culture, he has to own a number of these. I cant imagine how our villages can survive if they give honour to such traditional cleansing ceremonies that stupidly deprive them of their wealth. Isn't it day light robbery? Unfortunately the government is aware of this and do standby while people continue to lose wealth to a conman.This is real a fast track to poverty. I came back home angry and frustrated. When are we as a people going to learn, i thought.

For some, the problems in our communities is not politically driven or a result of poverty. Its rather a goblin hidden somewhere within their villages and someone in the community could be using it to cast a spell on others. If all these beliefs are true, then the witchdoctor should be given thumbs up. The experiences of the past decade has shown that, the goblin/s should be the one responsible for the problems in my country, if i am to buy this belief. It has raised inflation, the price of basic commodities, hiking of fuel prices and of course deny people the proper health care they deserve. These people could be right in another way and i have reasons to believe, they do exist. I now know the source of the cloud that does not release rain in my country.