50 Killed in Anti-Witchcraft Ritual in Angola

(RepublicanJournal.org) – A town in Angola appears to be suffering from an epidemic of witchcraft. At least, that’s what the results of a ritual to “prove” someone is a witch seem to be saying. In the bizarre ceremony, traditional healers give suspects a toxic mixture to drink. If they die, they’re guilty. So far this year, at least 50 have died in one town.

In January and February, tribal “marabous” — witch doctors — around the town of Camacupa, in central Angola, accused dozens of people of witchcraft. They then forced them to drink a poisonous herbal mixture called Mbulungu to prove their innocence. According to myth, if someone drinks Mbulungu and dies this proves they were a witch. Of course, it also means they can’t deny it.

Although most Angolans are Catholic, traditional beliefs survive and many people still believe in witches. Unlike some African countries, Angola doesn’t have any laws against witchcraft — probably because it’s 2024 and the government doesn’t think this is an actual problem that needs a solution — so people turn to the marabous and their lethal herbal tea.

Camacupa town councilor Luzia Filemone and provincial police spokesman Antonio Hossi have both spoken out against the epidemic of poisonings, and Hossi warned that the number of cases seems to be rising.

Local churchmen are also speaking up. Last year, a bishop in the former Portuguese colony blamed the growth of witchcraft accusations on the country’s struggling economy, saying some Angolans believe it’s a way out of poverty. He called on the government to “create job opportunities to keep young people busy so as to avoid crimes.”

Unfortunately, Angola is a one-party state run by the far-left People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA); on top of its failed socialist economic policies, the MPLA is also one of the most corrupt governments on the planet. It looks like Angolans who want to escape poverty will continue to turn to witchcraft, then run the risk of being accused and forced to drink the Marabous’ deadly brews.