Witchcraft accusations against vervet monkey condemned
A Vervet monkey was burnt to death after residents believed it was linked to witchcraft. NEWS SOURCE
Several reports of such animal cruelty, motivated by irrational fear of witchcraft and witches, have been published in the South African media since 2000.
In ‘Bewitched rooster case set for trial’ (2000) Simon Magagula was accused of bewitching roosters to peck people after his rooster pecked someone and was hung from a graveyard tree in Mpumalanga.
Bewitched rooster case set for trial
Zenzele Kuhlase | 02 November 2000 | African Eye News Service
In ‘Bewitched school: Kids return’ (2003) a baboon was killed because villagers believing it to be a witch’s familiar.
Bewitched school: Kids return
Riot Hlatshwayo | 10 March 2003 | African Eye News Service
In ‘Witchcraft made donkey do it’ an Mpumalanga inyanga (traditional herbalist) claimed witchcraft made a donkey maul Ditgetho Motjieng’s face. Bushbuckridge Inyanga (traditional herbalist) Daniel Ngobeni said to reporter Riot Hlatshwayo “A witch might have sent the donkey to attack the boy… But you are one of those educated people who believe there is no witchcraft, so I won’t tell you how it happens, because it is a big secret.”
Witchcraft made donkey do it
Riot Hlatshwayo | 09 February 2004 | African Eye News Service
In ‘Monkey scares village’ villagers believing a monkey to be a witch’s relative searching for the witch started to accuse each other of witchcraft after one of the women claimed she saw a monkey herd cattle out of her yard.
Monkey scares village
Bismark Lubisi | 11 November 2004 | African Eye News Service
SAPRA repeats its condemnation of animal abuse and of irrational beliefs which prejudice both animals and Witches (whether real of imagined).