Elections & Human Sacrifices

By Dana

We were in Swaziland during the primary elections.  

Other than the corporal punishment that is still very prevalent in the schools, the only other thing in Swazi culture that I was really opposed to were the human sacrifices.  Although the country is becoming more and more westernized, the majority of people still believe in black magic.  During election time, children and other virgins are kidnapped and sacrified.  The belief is that by participating in this sacrificial ritual, politicians have a better chance of winning the election.

Stories of missing children and evidence of these sacrifices are on the news nightly, however due to the fear of black magic or the fear of being killed by someone in power who is participating in the election, people in the community don't speak out and the killings continue.  It's fascinating how most people are very opposed to the killings and yet it has become almost an accepted part of Swazi culture.