Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga, (Ghana) Most Rev. Alfred Agyenta has expressed disappointment over the stalling of the “Anti-Witchcraft Bill”, passed by Parliament in July 2023, an Act which sought to bring relief to the many vulnerable women languishing in camps in some parts of Ghana for being accused for possessing witchcraft.
The Anti-Witchcraft Bill, known as the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2023, seeks to modify the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Acts 29) to outlaw the practice of witch doctoring or witch finding. It also forbids the act of declaring, accusing, naming, or labelling another individual as a witch.
Despite its impact, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo expressed concerns about potential financial impacts on the country’s consolidated fund, leading to his decision not to sign the bill.
In an advisory opinion on the bill to the President on July 1, 2024, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) observed that the culture of witchcraft accusations and its associated witch camps have tarnished the country’s reputation.
CHRAJ emphasised that in a period of constitutional democracy centred on the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms, the rights of one of society’s most vulnerable groups, elderly women accused of witchcraft, must be prioritised by the state and urgent measures must be taken to protect their human rights and dignity.
In an interview with Catholic Trends, however, some of the inmates said they prefer the camps are not closed because they fear losing their lives and being stigimatised should they return to their communities.