Introduction

Fear of crime has become a feature of South African society. The list of acts considered a crime is
constantly changing. Crime refers to many types of misconduct forbidden by law e.g. murder. Muti
murder is defined as a murder in which body parts are removed from a live victim for the sole
purpose of using the victim’s body parts medicinally. These body parts are then often mixed with
other ingredients; these ‘usual’ ingredients may include roots, herbs, other plant material, animal
parts and seawater or used alone to make a medicine called muti. Traditionally the victim must be
alive when the body parts are removed as this increases the ‘power’ of the muti because the body
parts then retain the person’s life essence. The victim usually dies as a result of blood loss from the
wounds. Muti is a Zulu (umuthi) word meaning medicine. Therefore it is a mistake to assume that
when the word muti is used, crime is involved.

Life in the rural areas has been said to be difficult since this is where most muti-murders take place
more often than other places. This is what I will cover in this essay. I will critically discuss from the
psychological perspective why South African communities engage in muti-murders. The aim for
muti-murders is solely to obtain body parts for ingredients.

Body

While predominantly a phenomenon of the country’s more rural provinces, police records indicate
that several muti-related killings take place each year also for instance in urban Soweto (Nicodemus,
1999). An estimated 80 per cent of South Africans are said to regularly use traditional herbs and
medicines or muti. Strangers or enemies are seldom the target of muti murders (Scholtz et al., 1997).

According to Petrus (2006) muti murders have been a challenge to the South African government.
Petrus (2006) has also argued that even if one had to try or make an effort to understand witchcraft-
related crimes they cannot by-pass the importance or the relevance of a political and economic
context. With South Africa being seen as a country battling to come to terms with the political and
economic inequalities posted by apartheid system the government is still struggling to assuage the
insecurities of local communities.

People in local communities engage in muti murders in exchange for power. Geschiere (1997)
argued that almost everywhere in Africa, debates on power continue to be marked by these nation
of the occult, sorcery and witchcraft. Since muti-murders/witchcraft are seen as a weapon for
power, this may be viewed as a fight of the weak against the strong, behind the strong back. It is also
believed that poverty and human suffering is another reason behind/ why there is a rise and why
people get involved in muti murders. Doctor Mathole Motshekga of the Kara Heritage Institute who
is the director also supports the statement above by stating that the increase and the reason for
muti-related crimes is because of the socio-economic conditions that the people live in and have
present which affects the majority of the local South African communities. If majority of the local
people in South Africa lived comfortably this means the result of muti-related crimes would be less
and the fight for power would be less but since the majority of the people are challenged financially,
emotionally and psychologically hence why people resort to muti-related crimes which gives and end
product of muti-murders. And according to the local traditional beliefs, the use of human organs or
other body parts that have been removed from the victim increases the power of the muti. Evans
(1991) also says that muti-murderers are labelled as witches by communities.

Muti-murders involve a much greater degree of secrecy and rumour. Some types of muti increase
the isithunzi - the personality and presence - of the individual using muti. This then helps the user by
reinforcing their social and financial positions using these sorts of medicines, which are reputed to
be very powerful (Evans, 1991).

Labuschagne (2004) argues that in the Limpopo province, which was previously known as the
Northern Province, tended to have a high record of muti-related crime, even though similar
instances of muti-murder have taken place all over South Africa in rural areas and also in urban areas
such as Soweto in Johannesburg. However, according to Ashforth (2005) he argued that the
political and economic insecurities that local communities face have culminated in a “spiritual
insecurity”, which is something that many local communities have tried attempted to manage or
explain through recourse to supernatural powers, which lead to the challenge at hand, muti-
murders. Often these explanations have ended up involving the acknowledgement of witchcraft
debate which have manifested themselves in expressions of political and economic concerns.

Conclusion

In conclusion, muti murders will always be a challenge as the use of muti is a part of some local
communities’ mainstream traditional African beliefs. The traditional African muti is no different from
the herbal or naturopathic remedies that are used by people throughout local communities and
around the world. It’s the criminal offence that creates a problem when people murder individuals
for their organs or body parts to make muti. There is no justification for muti-murders in South
Africa because this is still a deviant behaviour meaning it’s a crime either way, a serious offence to
the public since its murder. No one has a right to take away someone’s life just for the sake to make
muti out of their organs. Yes, muti-murders are a challenging topic to South Africa and a hard topic
to eradicate or get rid of. People will always resort to muti in exchange for power meaning there will
always be muti-related crimes and murders present in South Africa. Murders for the sake of
obtaining medical ingredients will still stand in South Africa.