Book Description

Since the mid-1980s the independent homeland of Venda in the Far Northern Transvaal has experienced a dramatic increase in witchcraft-related violence. The area became riddled by a sense of fear which was centred on issues pertaining to witchcraft, in particular the burning of witches and the murder for medicine. This study examines this violence with specific reference to the worldview of the Venda. An understanding of the issues surrounding gender as well as the pervasive beliefs in the supernatural are essential in order to grasp the role played by witches and traditional healers in Venda society. The study is divided into five sections. The first is a brief historical background followed by an examination of their traditional beliefs and customs. The third deals with the role that witchcraft plays in Venda society. Here an attempt is made to define witchcraft beliefs and the form they take. The fourth section deals with the issue of witchburning and the role that gender plays in its occurrence. A final section examines the role that witchcraft beliefs played in the political unrest which swept Venda at the time.