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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Elderly women and witchcraft killings among the Sukuma of northern Tanzania: from 1880s to present
Author:Machangu, Hamisi Mathias
Year:2010
Periodical:Afrika Zamani: revue annuelle d'histoire africaine = Annual Journal of African History (ISSN 0850-3079)
Issue:18-19
Pages:181-198
Language:English
Geographic term:Tanzania
Subjects:witchcraft
witch-hunting
elderly women
Sukuma
Abstract:Witchcraft practices and killings of elderly women have been a cause of many deaths and socio-economic problems among the people of Tanzania. For many years they have had major effects on peoples' health, their right to life, their security, their feelings and the social well-being of their dependants. However, there has been no thorough reconstruction of their history in Tanzania. Therefore, the goal of this article is to trace the history of witchcraft practices and witch killings in the country in the context of Tanzanian women's history. From a theoretical survey of the theme the article moves to present a case study of the Mwanza and Shinyanga regions of Sukumaland. The article discusses the effectiveness of the methods used by the German and British colonial administrators and later on, by the Tanzanian government in the eradication of witchcraft practices in Sukumaland. It also examines efforts taken by the Tanzanian government to stop witchcraft killings of elderly women in the country. Bibliogr., sum. in English and French. [Journal abstract]
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