Title: Enforcement of the Witchcraft Law in Tanzania, A Socio-Legal Challenge.

Authors: Innocent Pius Kibadu & Elia Shabani Mligo

Innocent Pius Kibadu  OIL Advocates, P. O. Box 244, Njombe Tanzania
Elia Shabani Mligo  Faculty ofl Humanities and Social Sciences, Teofilo Kisanji University, P.O. Box 1104, Mbeya, United Republic of Tanzania.
*Correspondence: eshamm2015@gmail.com

Abstract

For many years, the witchcraft law has been in existence as a mechanism of regulating witchcraft activities in Tanzania. The law was enacted aiming at punishing people involved in witchcraft and related offence under the law. This article attempts to identify the history, application, achievements of the Witchcraft law and subsequent challenges facing it and its application in Tanzania. Following this analysis, the article argues that the law has fallen short of achieving its targeted objective as envisaged in it. The nature and secrecy of the commission of the offence, especially in establishing that a person is a witch, is considered to be responsible for the failure to meet its significant objective. In people‘s failure to provide evidence of one being witch, or possession of witchcraft instruments, the witchcraft law favors the accused. The article suggests that the witchcraft law be repealed from the statutes book because its applicability in the Tanzanian context is problematic; instead, extensive education to Tanzanian societies should be geared forthwith.

Keywords: Witchcraft, Instruments of witchcraft, Supernatural Power, Occult Power, Sorcery, Witchcraft Law