When there's poverty and crisis, there's increase in witchcraft - John Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, has attributed the rise in accusations of witchcraft to the deepening poverty and economic crisis in Ghana.

Speaking during his tour of the Upper East Region, Mahama suggested that as Ghanaians struggle with severe economic hardship, there is a tendency for individuals to seek scapegoats for their misfortunes, often targeting vulnerable members of society.

Mahama highlighted that widespread poverty and lack of opportunities foster frustration and desperation, leading people to blame others for their failures and hardships. He asserted that when citizens are unable to achieve their goals due to economic constraints, they may resort to accusing the most vulnerable, particularly elderly women, of witchcraft.

“Whenever there is poverty and crisis, there is an increase in witchcraft because people don’t tend to take responsibility for themselves,” Mahama said. “If they are not able to find opportunity or satisfy their full potential, they look for somebody to blame. The increase in accusations of witchcraft is a direct correlation to the increase in poverty.”

Addressing the issue further, Mahama urged against making baseless accusations against the elderly. He stressed that many issues blamed on witchcraft, such as infertility or health problems, are often rooted in medical conditions. “There is no witchcraft. None of your mothers is responsible for your poverty. These are superstitions that we must kill,” he asserted.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo recently declined to assent to the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill, also known as the Anti-witchcraft Bill and the Ghana Armed Forces Bill, citing significant financial implications and constitutional concerns. The President's decision was based on a review of the bills, which he argued did not comply with constitutional provisions regarding fiscal impact and legislative procedures.

According to him, the bills posed potential financial burden on the Consolidated Fund and public funds, which would be required for the implementation of new criminal penalties and the sustenance of those convicted. Despite his support for the bills' content, Akufo-Addo emphasised the need for them to align with constitutional and fiscal regulations before they can be passed into law.

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