Consequences of accusing older people of practicing witchcraft on local communities: empirical evidence from rural and urban Zambia

A gap exists in the scientific knowledge on the consequences of witchcraft accusations. Research on the consequences of witchcraft accusations has not adequately brought out the negative consequences of such accusations on the local communities where the accused live. This study sought to describe and understand the negative consequences of accusing older people of practicing witchcraft on the two communities of Zambia – one rural community and one urban community. By undertaking qualitative research with 31 local community leaders involved in addressing cases of witchcraft accusations involving older people, the study established that accusing older people of practicing witchcraft has huge negative consequences on the local communities where the accused live and on the whole Zambian community. The three main negative consequences that emerged from the data are: family and community divisions, low participation in community activities, and generational hatred. On the basis of the present findings, the article concludes that the consequences of accusing older people of practicing witchcraft in Zambia have far reaching negative consequences on the Zambian communities both in rural and urban Zambia than what is documented in the existing literatures. Thus, the article recommends that since witchcraft accusations is a common problem in different regions of the world, future research should investigate the negative consequences of such accusations on the local communities where the accused live. This is essential in broadening scientific knowledge on the consequences of witchcraft accusations.