Eastern Cape: Village elders flee from suspected witchcraft murder hotspot

Eastern Cape elders in Cacadu, Engcobo, and Cofivamba are leaving their homes in fear of being savagely killed for suspected witchcraft. The Department of Social Development was told by community members on Thursday 16 September.

The old people of the area are relocating to other parts of the province as the number of suspected witchcraft killings rose over recent months, and the department believes education about Alzheimer’s and dementia among the community could be the solution.

ABOUT 45 ELDERS FLEE FROM SUSPECTED WITCHCRAFT ATTACKS

According to a community member, around 45 elderly people have relocated to safer villages outside the Chris Hani District murder hotspot.

“Some older persons are living in fear and others are no longer sleeping in their houses. They sleep in groups under one roof so they may protect one another,” the community member said in the department’s statement.

“But I think some of these killings are linked to criminal acts and we need the South African Police Service (SAPS) to also play their part by of protecting our community,” the member added.

DEPARTMENT SHARES INFORMATION ON ALZHEIMER’S

With the suspected witchcraft attacks occurring as a result of poor education on Alzheimer’s disease, the department took the moment to send a key message about the disease that affects elderly people around the globe.

“Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, especially, among older persons. Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning, thinking, remembering, reasoning, and behavioural abilities to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s normal daily life and activities,” the department said.

“This condition ranges in severity from the mildest stage, when it is just beginning to affect a person’s functioning, to the most severe stage, when the person must depend completely on others for help with basic activities of daily living.”

A community member, Mr. Baleni Lwandle, from Ezingqolweni shared his distress over the killings of his peers for suspected witchcraft.

“I am not happy about the manner in which we are being treated by some community members, I have been living here for many years and some fellow older persons were murdered in their homes after being accused of witchcraft. If there are differences and concerns, they must be resolved without people losing their lives,” said Mr Lwandle.