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LUSAKA, Mayy 14 - "We traditional leaders need to tell the nation that witchcraft exists," Chief Munyumbwe of Gwembe district told the House of Chiefs yesterday.
Debating on the Witchcraft Act, Chief Munyumbwe said there was need to scrap the Act because the practice existed and that the chiefs should help explain that position to the nation.
He said that schools in the countryside were being deserted by teachers because of fear of being bewitched.
"Why can't we be very open as traditional leaders to tell the nation that we believe in witch craft and that witch craft exists?" he asked.
The traditional leader revealed that he was at one time forced to invite a witch finder to cleanse a school in his area because all the teachers were running away. Female teachers were the main victims of witch practices.
And Senior Chief Ndungu of the Luvale people of Zambezi yesterday presented on the table a letter that the secretary of the Zambezi district education board wrote to him to intervene in reported witchcraft practices at a school in his chiefdom, which was being shunned by pupils.
The letter dated April 30, 2004, was written by the secretary, a Mr D Ngimbu, to help convince parents to send their children at Kashona Middle Basic school, after they had withdrawn them children for fear of the witches.
Senior Chief Chiwala of Masaiti district advised the Luvale chief to refer the matter to the office of the provincial cultural officer.
The chiefs amended the Witchcraft Act to recognise their role in mediating in matters related to witch hunting and witch practices, and to include a fine for offenders.
Chieftainess Chiawa said that the Act, which barred the practice of witchcraft, needed to be maintained because so many innocent people had fallen victims of witch finding.
The witch-finders were in a habit of finger pointing innocent people as long as they looked old.
Chief Mubanga of Chinsali said the Act should allow chiefs to preside over witch craft matters without any interference.
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