If you ask the average Zimbabwean what keeps them up at night, you might expect to hear about inflation, joblessness, or the next government tax scheme. But in many parts of the country, there's something even scarier lurking in people's minds—witches.
Despite living under decades of economic collapse, rampant corruption, and political oppression, many Zimbabweans still seem more terrified of an old lady with a broom than the politicians stealing their future.
Why? Because in Zimbabwe, fear isn't just about what's real—it's about what people believe.
Witchcraft: The Original Power Structure
Long before politicians ruled Zimbabwe, witches did. Or at least, that's what people believed. Traditional folklore is filled with stories of ndhokos (goblins), spells, and mysterious deaths caused by jealous neighbors dabbling in the dark arts.
• If a successful businessman suddenly dies? Witchcraft.• If a young person gets sick and doctors can't explain it? A curse.
• If a political leader rises too fast? They made a deal with the spirits.
Witchcraft isn't just superstition—it's power. It's a way to explain why some people succeed and others fail, even when the real cause is often corruption, bad governance, or economic collapse.
Politicians: The Real Magicians
Meanwhile, Zimbabwean politicians have perfected a different kind of witchcraft—the ability to make billions of dollars disappear overnight while the people stay poor.
• Roads? Vanished.
• Hospitals? Turned into empty buildings.
• Public funds? Abracadabra—they're in a Dubai mansion now.
Yet, somehow, politicians don't invoke the same primal fear as a suspected witch in the village. When people hear about a minister stealing millions, the reaction is often a shrug and a joke about how "that's just how things are." But if a neighbor is rumored to have a goblin hidden under their bed?Suddenly, a whole village mobilizes to chase them out.
Why? Because corruption feels distant, but witchcraft feels personal.
You Can't Fight What You Don't Understand
One reason Zimbabweans fear witches more than corrupt politicians is that witchcraft is seen as unpredictable and uncontrollable.
• A politician may steal money, but life goes on.
• A witch, however, can curse your entire family, make your crops fail, or bring mysterious illnesses.
It's easier to understand corruption than to understand why a child gets sick out of nowhere or why bad luck follows someone for years.
Religion: Making Witches the Bigger Enemy
Zimbabwe is one of the most religious countries in Africa. Churches and prophets thrive on spiritual warfare, constantly warning their followers about the dangers of witches.
• Pastors preach against witches more than they preach against corruption.
• People pay prophets to remove curses but don't demand better schools.
• Tithes flow into churches, but taxes barely build anything.
Religion has made witches the enemy of progress, while politicians remain largely untouchable. Instead of organizing protests against corrupt leaders, people rush to prayer mountains to cast out demons.
Fear Is a Tool—And Politicians Know It
Politicians love the fact that Zimbabweans fear witches more than them. In some cases, they even use witchcraft accusations as a political weapon.
• Rival politicians have been accused of using juju to gain power.
• In some rural areas, leaders use witchcraft rumors to discredit opponents.
• Some government officials openly consult traditional healers before making big decisions.
Meanwhile, the real magic trick is happening in broad daylight—the economy is getting looted, and no one is marching in the streets.
The Real Curse: A Nation Distracted
Witchcraft may or may not be real, but one thing is certain—it has distracted Zimbabweans from fighting the true evil that controls their lives.
• It's not a tokoloshe that's making life unbearable—it's inflation and bad governance.
• It's not a neighbor's curse that's keeping people poor—it's policies that cripple businesses and chase away investors.
• It's not a goblin that's making hospitals run out of medicine—it's corruption at the highest levels.
Until Zimbabweans start fearing the thieves in government more than the old woman next door, the country will remain trapped—not by spells and curses, but by its own misplaced fears.
Because the real magic trick isn't witchcraft. It's how politicians have made themselves less scary than something that may not even exist.
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