Witchcraft Beliefs and Practices: Perceptions of Tobacco Growers in Lupa and Ngwala Villages, Tanzania

Abstract

This article presents the findings of the study on tobacco growers’ perceptions on witchcrafts beliefs and practises in the growing of tobacco. The study was conducted in two villages namely; Lupa and Ngwala from Chunya and Songwe districts respectively. Leaders from Lupa AMCOS and Ngwala AMCOS made the key respondents with a back-up of ordinary growers. It was necessary to study ‘witchcraft beliefs and practises’ in the study area not only for adding to the knowledge base on the topic but also for looking on the solution to the reportedly conflicts due to accusation of witchcraft beliefs and practises among tobacco growers. The study employed qualitative methods of data collection, in which interview and focused group discussion were used. The collected data were analysed qualitatively through thematic analysis. The findings revealed that in the surveyed communities witchcraft beliefs and practises existed and its impacts were stated in duality as negative and positive impacts. The negative impacts involved inharmonious relationship among tobacco growers as well as fear of prospective tobacco growers to join such business for the fear of being bewitched. The positive impacts included the increase of tobacco productivity. Various reasons for the persistence of witchcraft beliefs and practises were mentioned, where geographical location and unstructured information and communication infrastructure, lack of schooling for a formal education and poverty were among the perceived factors for the persistence of such beliefs and practises in the study area. Therefore, the conclusion has been that witchcraft beliefs and practises persisted in the study area and its impacts were perceived in duality as having both positive and negative impacts. The recommendations has therefore been provided that stakeholders in tobacco growing are urged to provide proper education for transforming these societies and increase tobacco growing otherwise the production will be falling on the yearly basis.