Of Secrecy and the Commonplace: Witchcraft and Power in Soweto
Author(s)
Ashforth, Adam
Abstract
Society in Soweto, South Africa, is deeply concerned with the operation of the spiritual world, including witchcraft and sorcery, upon the sphere of the living. This widespread belief in witchcraft causes violence, engenders fear and fosters a passive self-concept of victimhood. It also has political dimensions. One way to attain community power in Soweto, for example, is by possessing the reputed ability to cause others harm by secretly exercising supernatural powers. Secrecy is inextricably linked with witchcraft, as well as the past exercise of political power in South Africa.
