THE MPONDO UNDERSTANDING OF WITCHCRAFT
8.4 The historical background of witchcraft in Mpondoland
In traditional courts headed by traditional leaders, witches and wizards were tried. For instance, in 1887 reports of capital punishment were made in many places in Mpondoland. At Mfundisweni a man was killed because he was suspected of witchcraft.
He was struck on the head whilst his assailants had requested him tactfully to accompany them to look for a certain herb to be used for healing. Unawares he was struck on his head by a stick. His wife was the next on the list of people to be killed (Kokstad Advertiser 23 December 1887 : 9).
About the same time King Mqikela ordered that a man accused of killing his brother should be brutally killed as a punishment.
He was taken and bound by Umqikela himself to a frame which was attached to a span of oxen. He was dragged to a place where a quantity of sharp broken stones were on the road. On these he was drawn up and down till his body was hacked into pieces. Mr Nichola seeing what was about to be done said "shoot the man if you must kill him but Umqikela put him aside saying, get away white man" and the torture proceeded (Kokstad Advertiser 25 December 1887 : 10).
In this example we see the differences in the level of understanding between the Western philosophy of life and African philosophy.
The westerners view the question of witchcraft as a spiritual or psychological factor rather than an empirical reality. It was for this reason that it was equally condemned by early missionaries and the colonial authorities. Some African traditional leaders began to encourage people to stop belief in witchcraft. Even so, it never contributed to the disappearance of witchcraft practice and belief.
The Pondos did not respect Umqikela's wish that there should be no smelling out on his account. Last week three of his councillors who were generally to be found at Great Place namely Ketshe, Manundu, Fadana were smelt out, their huts destroyed and their cattle absorbed, although they managed to escape with their lives (East Griqualand Gazette 11 November 1887).
Belief in witchcraft and its continuity can be observed right through the history of the people of Mpondoland. It was never stopped by the Cape Colonial power in the 1880s- 1990s nor by the apartheid regime. Even the church's influence over the Mpondo people never succeeded to stamp out the belief.
8.5 The western world view's impact on Mpondo communities
The belief in witchcraft existed among the Mpondo from time immemorial. It is taken as part of African Traditional Religion. With the impact of the western worldview on the Mpondo community this belief was somewhat weakened and despised. It was seen by the Westerners as superstition. To believe in it seemed to be not necessary. But the Mpondo worldview has proved beyond doubt that it is not just a mere superstition but a reality, a belief and thus religious.
Although you could argue that witchcraft is not really religion, there is often some overlap between the spiritual powers associated with witchcraft and those with religion. Although believers normally regard witchcraft as opposite to religion neither of the opposites can be properly understood without reference to the other (Bourdillon 1990 : 187).
Since witchcraft has been a social problem based on beliefs and not superstitions it therefore needs to be addressed and verified. On top of that, ways and means to disprove it, seem to be failing. Belief in witchcraft cannot be said to be irrational, for it gives answers to some questions which cannot be answered. It gives answers to why things at times go wrong.
Beliefs in witchcraft provide a way of thinking about things, a way of ordering and understanding, the evidence that appears to the believers. Like any other belief system, belief in witchcraft cannot easily be proved or disproved by empirical evidence; the evidence can be understood in terms of witches as it cannot be understood in terms of other beliefs (Bourdillon 1993 : 188).
Can the belief in witchcraft be attributed to old primitive attitudes of people who are not educated, westernized and urbanized? These are difficult questions which need clear answers. Witchcraft is a fundamental belief and as such religio-orientated and socio- cultural in various respects. If culture is a continuation of a set of beliefs, a way of life usually inherited from previous generations, witchcraft cannot be the opposite of this. As Favret-Seada once declared:
Witchcraft beliefs are on the other hand very common in closely knit agricultural communities. Sometimes in developed countries we find that even educated farmers who denounce witchcraft beliefs as primitive may become suspicious of witchcraft, when tensions arise in their tight community and things begin to go wrong (Favret-Seada, Dead Words, 1978 in Bourdillon 1993).
This makes it very difficult to associate the idea of witchcraft with a certain class of people e.g. the peasant or middle class. The point at issue is whether witchcraft as a practice is continuing or not.
From time immemorial witchcraft has been a menace to many societies all over the world. Even today there is a serious question to be answered about witchcraft - whether it has continued or discontinued. As shown in previous chapters there are many controversial questions about the whole idea of the existence of witchcraft. This stems from the doubt thrown up by many philosophers during the Renaissance in Europe, which
later spread to Africa via or together with Christianity and Western Civilization.
Witchcraft has been declared a myth or a psychological problem, not a social phenomenon. It has been, therefore, regarded as non-existent and its discontinuity ensured by the South African government which passed the "suppression of witchcraft Act No 3 of 1957" (South African Law Report 1986(3) : 496).
Observations have been made among the Mpondo where research work on this problem has been undertaken. Several court cases around witchcraft have been explored to prove the continuity or discontinuity of witchcraft. Examples of continuity or discontinuity of witchcraft have been collected from hospitals and interviews with people at their death- bed. These are the people testifying or confessing about witchcraft so that they may be released to die. If continuity has been proved as a reality, ways and means of dealing with it need to be explored and established.
8.6 Punishment of witches in Mpondoland as a measure of control
When Amaggirha - diviners have proved beyond doubt that the cause of disease or death is a particular person, the relatives or community members of the deceased take necessary steps to confront the accused. Such a person is either declared or labelled a witch or wizard who is practicing witchcraft that is 'ubuthi'. It is a common practice in traditional Mpondoland called ukunuk~ to "smell out". However, nowadays, reports of severe punishment given to witches are still common. They are usually punished through setting their huts or homesteads on fIre, expulsion from their communal homes and through
death. They can be acquitted of their accusation if they confess, that is ukubula. Another control or punishment is done through 'Uphindamtshaye' magical practice.