Woman beaten for teaching kids witchcraft

BY JOEL PHIRI

A Mzuzu based woman is battling for her life at St Johns Hospital after being seriously injured by unknown people on suspicion that she was teaching children witchcraft.

The incident happened in Salisbury Township near Katoto in the city.

According to the woman’s husband Andrew Chakaka Nyirenda, his wife Jean Nyauhanga, 58, was beaten last Friday.

“She had been suspected of practising witchcraft for some time by our neighbours but I don’t know why,” said the husband on Sunday in an interview.

Nyirenda added that claims that his wife practised witchcraft intensified last week when four children in the area told people she takes them to a graveyard at night.

The children are aged between ages four and 12.

Nyirenda said there had been controversy ever since their neighbours started associating the family with teaching children witchcraft.

“At one time, a certain woman in the neighbourhood dragged my wife to a witchdoctor in Mzuzu to find out if she was really a practising witch.

“However, the witchdoctor told them it was not true that she was a witch but she had protected her self from witchcraft,” he said.

Nyirenda wondered where the people who beat up his wife to an extent that she bled from the mouth and nose, got the information that she was a witchcraft trainer when the witchdoctor dismissed the claims.

“These neighbours probably have got personal scores to settle with my wife and this has nothing to do with the witchcraft claims,” said Nyirenda while disclosing her wife was in a critical condition.

Nyirenda suspects his wife was beaten by unidentified people believed to have been hired by their neighbours to instil fear in the family and force them out of the area.

When contacted, hospital authorities at St Johns refused to comment, saying the police were better placed to comment on the matter.

Police officials, who had gone to the hospital to get full details of the woman’s beating as we conducted the interview with Nyirenda, also refused to comment.

The officers referred the matter to their spokesperson. However, we could not get him on his mobile phone.

The woman hails from Ng’onga Village, T/A Chikulamayembe in Rumphi.