Local residents killed four relatives and destroyed their homes due to superstition. Among the dead was a pregnant woman

At least four people have been killed in the western Tanzanian city of Kigoma on suspicion of witchcraft. All of the dead were from the same family, Xinhua reported.

The murder was committed by locals because of suspicions of witchcraft. Locals also destroyed the homes of the victims. According to local authorities, there was one pregnant woman among the dead.

According to Evans Buchonko, a councillor for Msambara ward in Kasulu district in Kigoma region:

A group of angry villagers raided houses of the victims at on Friday afternoon and slashed them with machetes after they were suspected of involvement in witchcraft practices.

The villagers also destroyed the victims’ belongings before they demolished their houses and farms

The local authorities asked the Government to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

The district commissioner called for calm, saying security agencies had launched an investigation into the killings. The commissioner also called for an end to killing people on suspicion of witchcraft.

It should be noted that in Tanzania there are regular murders on suspicion of alleged witchcraft because of local superstitions.

Earlier it was reported that in Tanzania, 65 “witches” were detained for killing children. It was about the ritual murder of at least ten children. 

It was also reported that five women were killed in India, accusing them of witchcraft. Five women, aged between 45 and 50, were killed in an Indian village by a mob.