Witchcraft in Ghana

[3] Witchcraft beliefs are deeply rooted in Ghanaian culture and can be traced back to hundreds of years before colonial powers in the country were even present.

[citation needed] Witchcraft beliefs are deeply rooted in Ghanaian culture and can be traced back hundreds of years before colonial powers in the country were even present.

[4] Shelagh Roxburgh concluded through field research that there is no clear definition of what witchcraft is exactly, but there is a common factor in what civilians perceived it as: it causes harm.

These practices often led to convictions for witchcraft which varied from medicine usage, to public executions, and even selling individuals to slavery.

Sang in Akan, the dominant non-English language in Ghana, popular songs reference witchcraft as explanation for things such as infertility, alcoholism, and death.

[4] The constant negativity relating to the subject supports the fear in witchcraft engraved in Ghanaian culture, leading to acts of violence as a response to possible threats, rumours, and observations.

The existence of witch camps and government interventions have been some of the local and national response to violence resulting from accusations of witchcraft activities.

[citation needed] A witch camp is a place for women to seek refuge from being killed by local citizens and neighbors and can reach a sense of safety.

[citation needed] The government of Ghana has condemned witch camps, but has rarely addressed violence related to the subject of witchcraft through direct action and protocols.

A famous case in 1930, reported by The Gold Coast Times, dealt with a woman in the town of Winneba, Ghana, who was ordered by her local tribe to be tested through the oracle.

[5] If the woman was to be found guilty through the oracle she would be treated through medicine to get rid of witchcraft powers which were referred to as bayi by the people of Akan.

Disputes over the Tongo oracle led to the Gold Coast colonial government to revoke the power from Native Tribunals to judge cases of witchcraft.

Conflicts rose when village chiefs would imprison or fine people for involvement with witchcraft even after it was outlawed by colonial rule.