Witchcraft Act repealed in Zimbabwe

[icymist]

By Steve Vickers


HARARE - ZIMBABWE has unbanned the practice of witchcraft, repealing legislation dating back to colonial rule. From July the government acknowledges that supernatural powers exists - but prohibits the use of magic to cause someone harm.

In 1899, colonial settlers made it a crime to accuse someone of being a witch or wizard - wary of the witch hunts in Europe a few centuries earlier which saw many people burned at the stake after such accusations.

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The Witchcraft Suppression Act was used fairly frequently, but prosecuting someone under the new legislation may prove difficult. The new Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act will demand proof that a person has supernatural powers and that they are using them to harm others.

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