East African Colonial Witchcraft and Healing and its Effect on Community and Economy
Witchcraft is the act of employing magical skills and abilities. This act varies culturally and societally, and thus, defining this term with precision becomes very difficult. In most traditional cultures, the term witchcraft was associated with those who used metaphysical ways to communicate with the deities, spirits, and ancestors. During the era of colonialism, many cultures across Africa were exposed to witchcraft through decolonization. The beliefs of these cultures that were related to witchcraft and magic were influenced by the prevailing western concept of the time. Beliefs about the illness, which was said to be a result of witchcraft, continue in the African communities. HIV/AIDS and Ebola virus diseases are examples of the diseases. That was believed to be a result of witchcraft. This discussion aims to shed light on the effects of the East African colonial witchcraft and its healing to the community and the economy.
Witchcraft is believed to be an attempt to make sense of the afflictions of a world that is subjugated by the random occult powers and in securing a suitable personal and social life. Witchcraft is part of a magic worldview. This worldview views man as entrenched in a celestial universe of the unseen spirits, demons, forces, and the souls of the deceased. In traditional African culture, magic was believed to be in the fulfillment of the role of science in today’s era. A typical African feels helpless and strands in reverence of the invisible. The African sought to look for specialists who are believed to interpret and manipulate the forces. These specialists are found to be either the healers or the witches, who occupy highly significant positions in the traditional society. Healers and witches use magic that is said to be the operation of things and persons through the use of the words, objects and acts that are supposed to give one access to paranormal powers for either good or evil determinations. Both the witches and the healers are believed to draw their powers from three sources such as getting trained by the skilled masters, through direct communication with higher powers such as the ancestors or the spirits and lastly through inheritance of such abilities from ancestors. Witchcraft’s main aim was to destroy the life force of the person to be harmed but was also directed to the destruction of properties, animals, and crops. In African society, witches are feared as they are believed to destroy the wellbeing and human life by using the evil occult forces which they embody.
Witchcraft includes the usage of harmful charms, magic, and medicines to cause illness, death, and misfortunes to society. Witches operate mainly at night and in secretive places where they transform themselves into animals. On the other hand, healers employ magic forces to diagnose the nature and the origins of their patient’s problems. The Healers claim to do this with the support of the ancestors. Therefore, witchcraft is a significant factor in the retarded economic development in Africa. The existing belief in Africa that witchcraft is the only way to gain richness by grabbing a considerable share of the partial total supply of wealth discourages development as it overwhelms respect, enterprise, and handwork. An economy filled with a mindset about witchcraft cannot drive dynamic economic activity in any way. The economic development of Africa is drawn back by the existing notions of the occult, which discourages people from assuming personal responsibility and, after that, lead people attributing to the excellent or bad fortunes to the factors outside themselves. The arising fear of jealousy and being accused of witchcraft causes people to avoid doing things that will make them stand out by being fortunate. The majority of the business people use the services provided by the traditional practitioners of magic to ensure achievement through fending off competitors, attracting customers, and discovering of favorable opportunities. This is also a significant way that hinders economic development in Africa.
In the colonial era, the anti-witchcraft movements such as the “nda’ko gb’oya” served in exploiting their subjects ruthlessly. Therefore, witchcraft worked in the oppression of the poor in the economy. In conclusion, witchcraft is seen as an integral feature of the universe; despite being associated with evil deeds, witchcraft is also essential in safeguarding social peace and harmony through its leveling effect on living conditions, wealth, and social status. The leveling, discourages individual initiative, individualism, responsibility, and enterprise and encourages people to rely on magic to rely on witchcraft to increase their material wellbeing. Researchers have findings that witchcraft is most influential in poor communities, and it weakens as the level of prosperity increases and later becomes widely spread.