Witchcraft Contest Cancelled in eSwatini

A competition in which practitioners of witchcraft and magic would have gone head-to-head has been banned by the government in eSwatini, formerly known as Swaziland.

According to reports, the competition – known as “Tinyanga” – pits witchdoctors, traditional healers and prophets against each other in a battle of skills.

Organised by Africa Gama – a traditional healer who participated in a similar competition in his youth – Tinyanga was to be held in Manzini, the second-largest city in eSwatini, over the weekend.

However, the landlocked country’s government released a statement on Tuesday, 9 July, in which they declared that the competition would not take place.

The statement reads: “Government will not sanction any competition of that nature. Anyone who will persist with any activity related to witchcraft will face the full might of the law.”

The statement adds: “Government cannot sit back and watch while the lives of the citizens of this country are exposed to illegal and weird practices that have the potential to poison the minds of (Swazi people), especially children.”