Urgent action needed to end harmful witchcraft-related beliefs and practices (2)

PHIL YA NANGOLOH WRITES:The Namibian Government under Public International Law has an obligation to urgently do everything in its power to adopt legislative, administrative, judicial and other effective measures to prevent, investigate, prosecute and punish human rights violations related to witchcraft and related beliefs in Namibia which target vulnerable groups.Witchcraft-related killings must be treated as “hate crimes” which require a range of additional legal, investigatory, sentencing and protection measures. There is therefore the urgent need to institute effective State policies and practices in the fields of prevention, investigation, punishment and remedies.The Namibian Government is also under strict obligation to act resolutely against witchcraft and related beliefs and harmful practices which result in gross violations of a whole range of human rights of girls, women and children.The Government is called upon to apply due diligence to prevent such violations, to protect victims and to punish perpetrators as a matter of utmost urgency. A holistic approach must be adopted aimed at the eradication of violence against women, including comprehensive human rights education and awareness-raising programs, as well as changes in any laws and or policies tolerating such harmful practices and human rights violations.Even when child victims survive, they are often stigmatized, abandoned and forced to live on the street where an even more vulnerable life awaits them.Haulamba and NamRights strongly recommend that the Namibian Government as a matter of urgency:• impose a moratorium on all and any foreign occultist and or witchcraft related church groups,• impose a moratorium on all and any new local occultist and or witchcraft related church groups,• arrest, detain and subsequently deport all and any illegal immigrants associated with harmful witchcraft-related beliefs and practices,• deregister all and any religious groups who are registered in terms of Section 21 of the Companies Act 1973 as amended,• impose a ban on all and any existing foreign and domestic occultist and or witchcraft related church groups which have been found to engage in practices which are harmful are likely to be harmful, and• vigorously investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of harmful witchcraft-related beliefs and practices.(Letter abridged - Editor)

Urgent action needed to end harmful witchcraft-related beliefs and practices (2)

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Urgent action needed to end harmful ­witchcraft-related beliefs and practices (2)

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Urgent action needed to end harmful witchcraft-related beliefs and practices (2)