Mkandawire and Religious Obtaining By Trickery In Malawi

The case of a Malawian prophet, Isaac Mkandawire of Jerusalem Ministries, has highlighted a pervasive phenomenon in the religious industry: Obtaining by False Pretence, also known as Obtaining By Trickery (OBT). OBT is a criminal offense where someone uses deception to get something of value from another person. This thing of value could be money, an apartment, land, car, cow, farm produce, etc.

In Malawi, Mkandawire and his accomplice, Eunice Soko, have been arrested by the police for using a small-sized coffin stuffed with 'charms', which they claimed had supernatural powers, to defraud people. These charlatans used the object to incite fear and extort money from gullible persons in rural Malawi. They place the coffin in front of people's houses in the middle of the night, and in the morning they come and demand money to pray and ward off evil and occult harm linked to this 'magical object'. In a particular incident, a woman woke up to find this coffin outside her house. She raised an alarm and reported to the village head. As the villagers tried to figure out what happened, Mkandawire offered to help resolve the matter. He claimed the coffin had magical powers and could bewitch the woman's child living in South Africa. Prophet Mkandawire demanded K350,000 (200 dollars) to free the child from the spell and neutralize the impending bewitchment. The police have charged them with conduct likely to cause a breach of peace and for obtaining by false pretense.

Police prosecution of Mkandawire and Soko is a welcome development and highlights the potency of ROBT in Malawi and other countries. This instance of Religious Obtaining by False Pretence is not an isolated one. ROBT is widespread and constitutes the foundation of religious economies. ROBT is a staple, and normal. Religions cannot survive as we know it today with ROBT.

What Mkandawire and Soko did is what other religious actors professionally do. It is a part of everyday religion and practice. ROBT is the stock in trade of prophets and prophetesses, priests and pastors, imams and sheiks, rabbis, mullahs, gurus, and other god men and women. In some sense, it is surprising that the police are singling them out for prosecution. Other self-acclaimed holy men and women use deception to exploit the people and should also be arrested and prosecuted. Prophets and prophetesses lie and peddle falsehoods. They claim that they talk to god and the gods talk to them even when there is no evidence for such interactions and communications.

Priests and imams claim that god sent them; and delivers messages through them. They claim to have supernatural powers. Religious actors spiritualize and supernaturalize everyday issues and experiences. They invest ordinary objects, including pieces of wood and iron, water, rocks, salt, and oils, with magical or mystical significance, with potency for spiritual good and evil. And based on this investment and designation, they instill fear and panic, extort money and exploit the gullibility and vulnerabilities of the people.

Religious actors create evil forces and assign them names, functions and locations. They pretend to command, direct and manipulate the occult. Clerics ascribe and label what constitutes mythical harm, principalities, and powers, mermaid spirit and then demand money to expel, subdue, or exorcise these forces. Religious actors use various pretexts and guises to deceive and obtain valuable things from people.

State authorities should take necessary measures to tackle these religious impostors and combat religious obtaining by trickery and false pretenses in Malawi and beyond.

Leo Igwe Igwe directs Advocacy for Alleged Witches