Mutasa Nyanga Senator Patrick Chitaka (MDC-T) yesterday called for the repeal or amendment of the Witchcraft Suppression Act, arguing witches and wizards did exist.Report by Senior Parliamentary Reporter
Chitaka said the repeal of the Act crafted during the colonial era by whites who did not believe in witchcraft was now long overdue.
“We still have statutes that are against traditional knowledge, for example, the Witchcraft Suppression Act, which should have been repealed or amended a long time ago,” said Chitaka.
“We are trying to Westernise our culture and that is why we know there is witchcraft, but we have this silly legislation put by those who call us savages, and I hope you (Justice minister Patrick) Chinamasa will bring us amendments to the Act during the next sitting of Parliament,” he said.
Chinamasa said the Witchcraft Suppression Act was repealed a long time ago, updated and put in the criminal courts.
“I would like to warn the senator that if you point out to someone that he is a witch, it is defamatory. If someone is found with a human hand and you can prove it is one of the tools of his trade as a witch, then that would be good enough to prove the person is a witch,” said Chinamasa.
