Ombudsman promises action on witchcraft abuses
Activist worries it's just more empty promises
The ombudsman's office says it will consult the prosecutor-general and may include witchcraft-related abuses in human-rights training, but an activist who raised the issue says vague promises and years of silence are costing lives.
The Office of the Ombudsman has vowed to review long-standing complaints about witchcraft-related abuses and to consult the prosecutor-general and traditional leaders on possible human-rights training.
But human-rights activist Berrie Holtzhausen says the promise rings hollow after years of inaction by law-enforcement agencies and mounting reports of violence linked to witchcraft accusations.
In a letter dated 27 October, deputy director for investigations at the ombudsman's office, Timothy Shangadi, wrote that they “will first discuss the matter with our head of human rights and legal division as well as seek input from the Office of the Prosecutor General and, if need be, we will include the subject matter in our annual human rights training with traditional authorities as well as our human rights training with the police.”
Holtzhausen said the phrase “if need be” summed up the lack of urgency.
“That can mean anything,” he said. “It could just as well mean they’ll decide it’s not necessary at all. That’s exactly how these things die in silence.”
Despite years of complaints, he said, police and prosecutors rarely act on witchcraft-related assaults or killings, and many officers still treat such cases as matters of culture rather than crime.
The Witchcraft Suppression Proclamation 27 of 1933 is rarely applied, and traditional courts continue to impose punishments or declare people witches in violation of constitutional rights, he said.
Superstition and govt failures
Holtzhausen cited a recent case in Kavango where a young man allegedly killed his grandparents after a local “witch doctor” accused them of witchcraft.
“Authorities said it was drugs,” he said. “That’s nonsense. It’s the same pattern we see everywhere – superstition, fear and failure by law enforcement to act.”
The ombudsman’s letter acknowledged these challenges.
“We note the difficulty that persons with dementia face when seeking redress in terms of Proclamation 27 of 1933 and we thank you for bringing this to the attention of this Office,” it stated.
Illness, not witchcraft
Holtzhausen, who founded Alzheimer Dementia Namibia (ADN) and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2020, says many of those accused of witchcraft show clear dementia symptoms.
“People accused of witchcraft suffer sleeplessness, memory loss, anxiety, high blood pressure, isolation,” he explained.
“Once they’re protected and the case proceeds, those symptoms start to disappear. It’s a scientific fact that untreated mental strain contributes to developing dementia.”
He said the link between witchcraft stigma, mental-health decline and suicide is being ignored.
“It’s destroying lives while officials keep debating whether training is ‘needed’.”
A senior official at the ombudsman’s office confirmed on Monday that the 27 October letter remains the office’s formal position.
“The ombudsman cannot comment beyond the contents of that letter,” the official said.
Holtzhausen said he will continue to seek an audience with the ombudsman and lawmakers to amend the outdated law and to demand accountability.
“They fought against apartheid because of human-rights abuses,” he said. “Now they look away while the same kind of injustice happens to their own people.”
But human-rights activist Berrie Holtzhausen says the promise rings hollow after years of inaction by law-enforcement agencies and mounting reports of violence linked to witchcraft accusations.
In a letter dated 27 October, deputy director for investigations at the ombudsman's office, Timothy Shangadi, wrote that they “will first discuss the matter with our head of human rights and legal division as well as seek input from the Office of the Prosecutor General and, if need be, we will include the subject matter in our annual human rights training with traditional authorities as well as our human rights training with the police.”
Holtzhausen said the phrase “if need be” summed up the lack of urgency.
“That can mean anything,” he said. “It could just as well mean they’ll decide it’s not necessary at all. That’s exactly how these things die in silence.”
Despite years of complaints, he said, police and prosecutors rarely act on witchcraft-related assaults or killings, and many officers still treat such cases as matters of culture rather than crime.
The Witchcraft Suppression Proclamation 27 of 1933 is rarely applied, and traditional courts continue to impose punishments or declare people witches in violation of constitutional rights, he said.
Superstition and govt failures
Holtzhausen cited a recent case in Kavango where a young man allegedly killed his grandparents after a local “witch doctor” accused them of witchcraft.
“Authorities said it was drugs,” he said. “That’s nonsense. It’s the same pattern we see everywhere – superstition, fear and failure by law enforcement to act.”
The ombudsman’s letter acknowledged these challenges.
“We note the difficulty that persons with dementia face when seeking redress in terms of Proclamation 27 of 1933 and we thank you for bringing this to the attention of this Office,” it stated.
Illness, not witchcraft
Holtzhausen, who founded Alzheimer Dementia Namibia (ADN) and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2020, says many of those accused of witchcraft show clear dementia symptoms.
“People accused of witchcraft suffer sleeplessness, memory loss, anxiety, high blood pressure, isolation,” he explained.
“Once they’re protected and the case proceeds, those symptoms start to disappear. It’s a scientific fact that untreated mental strain contributes to developing dementia.”
He said the link between witchcraft stigma, mental-health decline and suicide is being ignored.
“It’s destroying lives while officials keep debating whether training is ‘needed’.”
A senior official at the ombudsman’s office confirmed on Monday that the 27 October letter remains the office’s formal position.
“The ombudsman cannot comment beyond the contents of that letter,” the official said.
Holtzhausen said he will continue to seek an audience with the ombudsman and lawmakers to amend the outdated law and to demand accountability.
“They fought against apartheid because of human-rights abuses,” he said. “Now they look away while the same kind of injustice happens to their own people.”
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