Kohnert (2002) The Impact of Occult Belief Systems on Democratization and Development in African Societies: Working Hypotheses and Case Studies

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The Impact of Occult Belief Systems on Democratization and Development in African Societies: Working Hypotheses and Case Studies

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CONTRIBUTORS:

Author:

Kohnert, Dirk (GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies)

CONFERENCE TITLE:

International Conference on Culture, Democracy, and Development, Monte Verita, Locarno, Switzerland, Oct. 6-11, 2002

CONF. LOCATION:

None

YEAR:

2002

PUB TYPE:

Conference Paper

SUBJECT(S):

culture, development, occult belief systems, Africa

DISCIPLINE:

Sociology

HTTP:

http://www.ethno.unizh.ch/csfconference/files/manus/Kohnert_Manus1.pdf

LANGUAGE:

English

PUB ID:

103-425-060 (Last edited on 2006/03/13 01:52:31 US/Mountain)

SPONSOR(S):

ABSTRACT:
The strange collusion between occult belief systems and different trans-national social networks, embedded in specific transformations of local and global modes of production, results in unique but reinforcing modifications of witchcraft belief, its underlying structures and its impact on the process of democratization and development. The belief in witchcraft has a great seducing power for Africans, regardless of education or social status. Surprisingly, the process of globalization and the second wind of democratization in Sub-Saharan Africa brought about a reorientation of major conflict lines from the global to the local dimension. The amazing range of possible results has been indicated by the analysis of two outstanding examples of witchcraft violence in South Africa in times of transition: In the former homelands of Venda andLebowa seemingly “traditional” elements of witchcraft accusations, mediated by an ill-conceived struggle for
liberation, stimulated the sympathetic attention of stakeholders beyond the local setting. On the other hand, the occult base of violence in the Transkei became so blurred by involvement of “modern” elements of globalised markets of violence that it was hardly visible any more, although undercover its repressive effects were still very much alive. Disregard of the state concerning the occult dimension of violence made that efforts to reconcile the local population by heavy public investment in development utterly failed. The different roots of witchcraft violence had serious repercussions on conflict resolution and genuine reconciliation, the base for any sustainable democratization and development. The focus on the rationality of witchcraft belief in combating its negative effects, deflects
attention from its role as emotional base for survival.

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