Every sincere and well meaning Gambian will be embarrass and sad at the pantomime witch hunting taking place in our country. As a young boy in the 1980's, I use to hear talks of a certain woman being a witch because of all sorts of reasons. I never understood what the accusations were all about.
But then, when you ask this accusers how does a witch look like, they advance quiet many variant depictions. But then that is the logic of folklore, one is at lost as to what to take as fact and what to accept as fiction. Witches and wizards have been commented on in very society. The fear that men have of each other manifest in many different forms. Evils eyes, witches, poisoning, calculated voodoo rituals, betrayals etc. This are all aspects of cultures that refuse to die.
Even today, institutions are establish on the basis of fighting voodoo illnesses and Jinn infections. But even those people cannot explain the travels of witches. Is there any evidence that humans can turn into planes, cars, birds, dogs, cats etc to harm others?
That is a billion dollar question, but yet science will disprove such claims. In this modern era, what the Gambian government should rather be doing, is set presidential term limits, make the judiciary fair and balance, make the civil services corruption free zone by working with the Bostuwa example. Increase funding for agriculture and education. Stop window dressing development, short-termism.
And increase adult education and the nature of changing cultures, so that people can DE-link from bad and unproductive cultural practices. But what do we see? A president who himself dwell on the secret underworld, link with the business community and use religion to blind the country's scholars. The Gambia is in a sorry state, I hope Gambians get ready for proper education and progress post-Yahya's Aprc. Where ever you are, please learn a trade, a profession, get an academic qualification and live healthily. We need strong citizens with decent minds. May God solve our this complicated problem for us. Amen
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