A sad tale for old Namwayi
" I cry for my property. I struggled to earn them with my late husband. I am being accused of the sins I did not commit," said Namwayi, wiping tears from her eyes.
Chitipa, Malawi: What started like any other good day for 75-year-old Tolliness Namwayi turned bitter when she received a call from a well-wisher that people wanted to demolish her house, alleging that she bewitched a boy in the village, writes Aliko Munde, MANA.
The news came like an arrow, piercing her heart.
"I immediately went to the police station to report the matter," recalls Namwayi who hails from Bangamoyo village in the area of Senior Chief Mwabulambya in Chitipa District.
Her community, with youths in the majority, went wild and descended on Namwayi's compound, where they demolished three modern houses she built with her late husband and went away with everything they laid their hands on.
They looted her property, which included livestock, 85 iron sheets, an upright fridge, a TV screen, a sofa set, a dining set, and many more valued at K11.5 million.
" I cry for my property. I struggled to earn them with my late husband. I am being accused of the sins I did not commit," said Namwayi, wiping tears from her eyes.
She adds: "What pains me most is the fact that the suspects have been left scot-free."
What Namwayi is going through stems from the mere fact that she is an old woman. The most unfortunate thing is that she is not alone in this predicament. Other elderly people are also being persecuted for witchcraft allegations.
According to Malawi Network of Older People's Organisation (MANEPO) statistics, between January and June this year, 10 elderly people were killed on allegations of witchcraft, compared to seven during the same period last year.
Namwayi, who is currently staying with relatives in Mzuzu, says she is tired of staying at her relatives' place as if she had no home of her own.
But the question is, why did they have to loot the property of a person who is suspected to be a witch?
Doesn't this amount to a well-calculated trick engineered to steal from an elderly woman who was living a modest life in a self-contained house with a TV screen and fridge in her house?
What Namwayi has gone through is a trend that is slowly gaining ground. Recently, it cost the lives of two elderly women in Karonga who were killed because they were labelled witches.
This tendency to take the law into their own hands is tarnishing the image of the country as a God-fearing nation and the warm heart of Africa. It is slowly making life unbearable for the elderly.
Chitipa Police Assistant Spokesperson, Hope Nyalinyali says the law enforcers arrested one suspect who was acquitted by the court due to insufficient evidence.
MANEPO's Executive Director, Andrew Kavala, described elderly people as a treasure that needs to be protected.
"The elderly have rights like any other person. Let us all fight violence against the elderly. Let's stop torturing, harassing, and killing them," he appeals.
Kavala then asks traditional leaders to protect their subjects.
"Some traditional leaders fail to play their role to protect their subjects. Communities must always be proactive and vigilant in protecting vulnerable groups in our societies, such as the elderly," Kavala says.
He says the police need to investigate the matter and ensure that perpetrators of such criminal acts are brought to book.
This, he says, will help make the country a better place to live for the elderly.
The 1911 Witchcraft Act assumes that witchcraft does not exist. Therefore, it is an offence under Section 4 to accuse someone of being a witch or wizard.
Coordinator for the Community of Saint' Egidio, a lay Catholic movement that advances the welfare of the elderly, children, and prisoners, Edda Mtalika, decries delays by Parliament and passes the Elderly Persons Bill.
Mtalika says the proposed law is crucial to eliminating violence and abuse targeting elderly people in Malawi.
"We appeal to our Members of Parliament to expedite the debate on and enactment of the Elderly Persons Bill into law. We believe that if passed into law, the bill will help eliminate violence and abuse of elderly people as it spells out stiffer penalties on perpetrators," Mtalika says.
Responding to the concern, Minister of Gender, Community Development, and Social Welfare, Jean Sendeza says the Elderly Persons Bill will be tabled in parliament as soon as the Ministry of Justice has finalised reviewing it.
Sendeza condemns abuse, brutal killing, and suffering inflicted on older persons, especially women, saying violence against elderly persons requires a concerted effort by stakeholders, including religious, political, and traditional leaders.
"There are 88 court cases, that are not yet concluded. I have been talking to the Minister of Justice to help us and my ministry, through the Department of Disability and the Elderly, will be providing resources to do all the work regarding the protection of older persons," she says.
"I call upon Malawians to take action to end the atrocities that elderly people face in this country. Let us work together to create a society where older people can walk, work, and sleep without fear of being abused, assaulted, or killed. It is our duty to promote and protect the rights of older people and treat them with dignity and respect," Sendeza appeals.
Extremely frustrating. We need to improve culture and community.