Influence of Witchcraft and Superstition in Contemporary Africa

Gunz

Gunz

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It always surprises Westerners to learn how deeply entrenched witchcraft and superstition is in the African psyche, even among educated Africans; so deeply imbued that it shouldn't be discounted by Western military advisors. It has often played a significant role in insurgencies, rebellions and military operations and has been known to turn the tide of battle before a shot has been fired. Here's an interesting treatise on it...if it doesn't belong here, admins, please feel free to move or delete.

http://people.bridgewater.edu/~mtembo/menu/articles/WitchcraftPaper.pdf
 
Interesting because the U.S. is the most superstitious first world country in the world IIRC. Reading the paper now...
 
Very interesting read. It's always good to know something about the people you may be dealing with regardless of the mission.

Many in the US never realize that when dealing with other nationalities -- on their soil -- you can't think like and "American" and expect them to understand.

Good post!
 
lucky l3fty said:
Interesting because the U.S. is the most superstitious first world country in the world IIRC. Reading the paper now...
Click to expand...

Funny you said that. As I was typing my above post, I made a remark to one of my co-workers about the shirt he was wearing. His response was, "This is my lucky shirt. I am very, very superstitious. Good or bad...I am. I don't even know why, but I just am."

Very interesting indeed.
 
I was just telling someone today about how witchcraft/superstition is playing a role with the current Ebola outbreak.

People who have been receiving their ebola killed relatives in sealed bodybags have been opening the bodybags to ensure no one has stolen body parts for witchcraft etc... thereby exposing and ultimately killing the entire family.
Good job Darwin.

When I was first in South Africa '93 - '94 we were told about witchdoctors who were telling Africans that if you had sex with a virgin, your AIDS would go to the virgin and you'd be cured.
Of course the liberals and Africans cried RACISM when that came out, a myth created by the nasty white devil!
Fast forward a decade and 6 African males were convicted of raping a 9 month old baby girl for this reason. The increase of this type of crime is staggering.

Read it and weep...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...African-men-rape-babies-as-cure-for-Aids.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...African-men-rape-babies-as-cure-for-Aids.html
 
pardus said:
I was just telling someone today about how witchcraft/superstition is playing a role with the current Ebola outbreak.

People who have been receiving their ebola killed relatives in sealed bodybags have been opening the bodybags to ensure no one has stolen body parts for witchcraft etc... thereby exposing and ultimately killing the entire family.
Good job Darwin.

When I was first in South Africa '93 - '94 we were told about witchdoctors who were telling Africans that if you had sex with a virgin, your AIDS would go to the virgin and you'd be cured.
Of course the liberals and Africans cried RACISM when that came out, a myth created by the nasty white devil!
Fast forward a decade and 6 African males were convicted of raping a 9 month old baby girl for this reason. The increase of this type of crime is staggering.

Read it and weep...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...African-men-rape-babies-as-cure-for-Aids.html
Click to expand...

I choose not to read it. I did however watch a documentary regarding paramedics in South Africa, the vast difference between G-ment provincal v/s private E.M.S. and how private services get the money, the trauma center is better and how doctors from Ireland and England travel to work J-borg to gain experience in trauma. The 1 hour show, the medic had more shootings in one night than most paramedics in the U.S. or U.K. would see in a month. Very intresting to say the least. Female E.M.S. workers have been assaulted and raped at alarming rates. Seeing that, If I watched the video over fuck sticks raping babies, I would kick my T.V.

F.M.
 
One thing you would like @Firemedic, there are many security companies in South Africa that offer an armed paramedic service to private homes.
You race to the scene on a motorcycle or SUV, shoot the bad guys and patch up the homeowners! The perfect medic gig!
 
pardus said:
...You race to the scene on a motorcycle or SUV, shoot the bad guys and patch up the homeowners! The perfect medic gig!
Click to expand...

Securimed...:thumbsup:

I have actually never heard of that being the case. It's amazing to the think they have to do that.

Are they primarily medics who are cross-trained with weapons or medical trained gun toters?
 
pardus said:
One thing you would like @Firemedic, there are many security companies in South Africa that offer an armed paramedic service to private homes.
You race to the scene on a motorcycle or SUV, shoot the bad guys and patch up the homeowners! The perfect medic gig!
Click to expand...

I can so do that! Plus moonlight in Jo-Berg for more experience but I have seen plenty of shootings and stabbings, plenty I say, kinda boring sometimes. LOL. Actually, I have seen the requirments for paramedic level care in S. Africa through their D.O.H. They are recruiting experienced ex-pats. Turn over is high due to stress, crime against E.M.S. I do not know pay levels. From what I see, the paramedic level they require is what we in the states refer to as critical care level with use of paralytics for intubation and all that but getting the gear and drugs is difficult due to money.. I read that lots of the medics buy their own stuff. Not many paramedics are native there. Most are ex-pats or decendants of I don't what you would call it from the past...

F.M.
 
Agoge said:
Securimed...:thumbsup:

I have actually never heard of that being the case. It's amazing to the think they have to do that.

Are they primarily medics who are cross-trained with weapons or medical trained gun toters?
Click to expand...

They are medics who are gun trained. Also when I was first there in '93, South Africa had only recently stopped conscription and had been at war for many years so gun toters were everywhere.

Firemedic said:
I can so do that! Plus moonlight in Jo-Berg for more experience but I have seen plenty of shootings and stabbings, plenty I say, kinda boring sometimes. LOL. Actually, I have seen the requirments for paramedic level care in S. Africa through their D.O.H. They are recruiting experienced ex-pats. Turn over is high due to stress, crime against E.M.S. I do not know pay levels. From what I see, the paramedic level they require is what we in the states refer to as critical care level with use of paralytics for intubation and all that but getting the gear and drugs is difficult due to money.. I read that lots of the medics buy their own stuff. Not many paramedics are native there. Most are ex-pats or decendants of I don't what you would call it from the past...

F.M.
Click to expand...

Not too sure what you mean in the bolded parts. :-/

SA standards must have dropped then, they used to be top notch in medicine. South Africa conducted the world's first heart transplant for example. But hey, black rule is the "right" thing to do... right!? :rolleyes:
 
pardus said:
They are medics who are gun trained. Also when I was first there in '93, South Africa had only recently stopped conscription and had been at war for many years so gun toters were everywhere.



Not too sure what you mean in the bolded parts. :-/

SA standards must have dropped then, they used to be top notch in medicine. South Africa conducted the world's first heart transplant for example. But hey, black rule is the "right" thing to do... right!? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

RE: Bolded parts. The docu talked about apartide and how things were. The docu showed many medics from out of country. From what I see, the care they give is top notch, no matter what service they work for but money is a big issue there.

F.M.
 
Agoge said:
Very interesting read. It's always good to know something about the people you may be dealing with regardless of the mission.

Many in the US never realize that when dealing with other nationalities -- on their soil -- you can't think like and "American" and expect them to understand.

Good post!
Click to expand...
Understand, but maybe we should let their tribal customs cull the herd and try and work with the survivors.
 
Reminds me of our engagement with the Cameroon Navy and their concerns of being able to fire upon other ships because of Voodoo hexes.
 
lucky l3fty said:
Interesting because the U.S. is the most superstitious first world country in the world IIRC. Reading the paper now...
Click to expand...
Do we let superstition run our lives?

Does knocking on wood, and laughing equate to seeing a witch doctor?

I am not challenging your statement, but I think our superstitions have less impact then Tribal Superstitions.
 
SOWT said:
Do we let superstition run our lives?

Does knocking on wood, and laughing equate to seeing a witch doctor?

I am not challenging your statement, but I think our superstitions have less impact then Tribal Superstitions.
Click to expand...

I think many of those that do "supersitious" things do them out of habit or in the form of a cliche'. For example, I recently had someone do the "knock on wood" motions. When asked what it meant, their response was that "it hadn't happened yet". When asked what that had to do with knocking on wood and what it meant, they simply didn't know.

They did it because they have done it before. I agree with SOWT that in my opinion, that doesn't necessarily mean they are superstitious, it means that are mimicking something they saw with no understanding of where it originated or why.

I believe those that are seeing a witch doctor are doing so because it is part of their "belief system" and more deeply ingrained in their beliefs.

Of course, I am speaking in generalites in this post.
 
During some of the fighting in the Congo prancing witch doctors would be in the van of approaching rebel forces. On word of their approach national army soldiers would thrown down their arms and flee.

The Supernatural literally adds a whole new dimension to your list of uncertainties.
 
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