Witch-hunts are illegal and must be condemned Damon Leff | 23 March 2012 | Mail & Guardian Witch-hunts are common in Africa. Historically, they have been viewed as gender specific because a large number of the victims have been elderly, solitary women,
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In South Africa witches are incorrectly believed to be responsible for human mutilations, often referred to by the media as ‘muti murders’. African traditions ascribe supernatural properties to medicines (muti / muthi) derived from both plant and animal sources. In extreme
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2017 Director’s Report The future of the South African Pagan Rights Alliance SAPRA, a community-based organization, was formed in 2004 as a faith-based (Pagan) human rights activist alliance. In recent years, SAPRA has assumed the mantle of a formal non-governmental organization, and
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According to the preliminary report of the CRL Commission following the hearings on ‘Commercialization of Religion and abuse of peoples belief systems’, the Commission has proposed that all religion and religious organizations in South Africa should be regulated by legislation. According to
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The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has published the draft of the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill for public comment. “The Bill provides for the offence of hate crimes and the offence of hate speech and
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Can Pagans take paid leave for religious holidays? The short answer is, probably not. Whilst the celebration of religious holidays by members of any and all religions (including Paganism, Wicca and Witchcraft) is entirely legal and protected under the Constitution, employers are
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Let the buyer beware! If you undertake to pay to attend a public weekend workshop on herbalism or a two week course on Wicca, examine the offer carefully before paying any deposit fee. A supplier (in this instance, the person offering a
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SAPRA Submission on the National Action Plan to combat Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance Submitted to Ms. Danaline Franzman, Chief Director: Social Justice and Participatory Democracy, Department of Justice and Constitutional Development on 30 August 2016. The South African Pagan
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SAPRA sometimes receives requests for assistance from Pagans who believe they have been unfairly dismissed from their employment because of their religion. If you feel that you have been unfairly dismissed, what should you know, and what can you do to receive
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“Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically
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Custody – the protective care or guardianship of someone… “A custodial parent is a parent who is given physical and/or legal custody of a child by court order. A child-custody determination means a judgment, decree, or other order of a court providing for
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The Editor – Independent Online – www.iol.co.za The South African Pagan Rights Alliance strongly objects to the implied incitement of violence against independent candidates as “witches” by President Zacob Zuma. Zuma: Independents are treacherous witcheshttp://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/zuma-independents-are-treacherous-witches-2050163 Bongani Hans | 27 Jul 2016Durban –
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SAPRA will be hosting its 2016 AGM on Friday 8 July. This meeting will close on Monday 11 July to allow all formal members to attend and participate. * This meeting will be open to the general public. Where: SAPRA Facebook group –https://www.facebook.com/groups/sapaganrightsalliance/
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African witchcraft beliefs are said to be an inherent part of the cosmological and religious belief systems of African communities. The truth however is that allegations of “African witchcraft” are only ever used by accusers to slander innocent victims of prejudice. On
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South African Law Reform Commission Private Bag X 668 PRETORIA, 0001 For attention: State Law Advisor Ms Jennifer Joni Professor Marita Carnelley Professor David Bilchitz Dr Sibusiso Masondo Ms Likhapa Mbatha Prof Pitika Ntuli Prof Theodore Petrus Comment
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The new Issue Paper released by the South African Law Reform Commission has confirmed the following:a) the Witchcraft Suppression Act’s prohibition of identifying as a witch and professing knowledge of witchcraft is unconstitutional, and b) the Act’s prohibition of engaging in divination’s
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SAPRA has received an update from the South African Law Reform Commission, on the review of the Witchcraft Suppression Act. See: http://www.justice.gov.za/salrc/media/20160119-prj135-dp139-WitchcraftSuppression.pdf All stakeholders (existing or new) are invited to submit comment on the new draft PROHIBITION OF HARMFUL PRACTICES ASSOCIATED WITH WITCHCRAFT BELIEFS
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In the aftermath of the attacks on foreign nationals residing in South Africa, we at SAPRA, condemn the violence, discrimination and prejudice stemming from xenophobia. After years of campaigning against brutally violent witch-hunts in South Africa, we have come to recognize that
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In the Times LIVE article dated 7th June 2014, Harmful Religious practice and occult on the rise in SA, we see a lot of the same alarmist rhetoric. Claims are made that there is a rise in Occultism, Satanism and Vampirism and
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by Francisco Fumarola (SAPRA Executive Member) Some debate has been raised about why some South African Pagans consider Satanic Panic a non-issue, something that does not affect Pagans and that can be ignored. Naturally, I do not agree with this stance and
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South African Witches object strongly to inflammatory and offensive accusations of “witchcraft” uttered by Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula and ANC provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile at the Lusaka Community Hall in Nyanga on 7 April. “This thing of witchcraft is when a witch does nothing for
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With reference to the following media reports: Satanism cases in township schoolsNews24.com | 23 March 2014 Townships need educating on government policyTimes Live | 23 March 2014 Stamp out satanism in schools, parents pleadThe Citizen | 24 March 2014 .There are essentially
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The South African Pagan Rights Alliance has lodged a complaint of hate speech against the South African Police Services and the Occult Crimes Unit, with the South African Human Rights Commission. Repeated media speculation on alleged but unproven Satanic and Occult ritual
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The South African Pagan Rights Alliance is lodging a formal charge of hate speech against the SAPS Occult Crime Unit and its members, with the Minister of Police Nathi Mthethwa, and the South African Human Rights Commission. A South African Police Service
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Allegations published today [0] by Col Hendriek de Jager alleging that there is an increase in occult-related crimes around the country amounts to disingenuous fabrication! There is no convincing evidence to prove that said crimes are in any way linked to actual
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The South African Police Service in a public briefing today, states that SAPS teams have engaged the South African Pagan Rights Alliance regarding an alleged increase in “harmful occult practices”. This is a lie! At no time has any official in any
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It has come to the attention of SAPRA that a number of Home Affairs officials across the country are still refusing to register heterosexual marriages performed under the Civil Union Act by marriage officers appointed by SAPRA. For some reason said officials
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Witch-hunts in South AfricaAdvocacy against human rights abuses committed as a result of accusations of witchcraft and violent witch-hunts (2014)by Damon Leff Download the complete document in.pdf format (1.82 MB) ABSTRACT The test of Nelson Mandela’s legacy will be marked by how
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The South African Pagan Rights Alliance is deeply offended by this advert. Witchcraft is not a synonym for “black magic” and real Witches are not relegated to folkloric stereotypes! As an ngo that represents actual Witches in South Africa, and as the
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Satanism, The Acid Test v01.03 “Satanism: The Acid Test” provides explanations of Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA) hysteria, Satanism as diverse religions under a common label, other religions and subcultures incorrectly associated with Satanism and the Satanism stereotype, and finally, flaws in the
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In 2011 shortly after the Van Eck “Graveyard Murder”, Danie Krügel, who is an associate of Auksano, called the crime a “Satanic murder”. The murder was widely referred to as such in many publication and on television news – all these sources
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An article published on 20 October 2013 entitled ‘Teenager arrested in alleged Satanic murder’ is an example of biased and poor reporting. A crime receives the “Satanism” label, without all the facts being known and simply based on speculation. The word alleged is
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The murder case of Kaemogetswe Sefularo is once again in the news and eNCAnews has reported it as a “Satanic killing”. The South African media should be aware of the harm they are causing to religious minorities in South Africa by calling
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We will be joined live by Damon Leff. Our main focus for the show will be SAPRA (South African Pagan Rights Alliance), the 30 Days of Advocacy Against Witch Hunts in South Africa and the state of religious and cultural conflicts in
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Die artikel in Beeld 5 Augustus 2013 getiteld “Okkulte lok nou meer amateurs” het betrekking. Weereens is Beeld skuldig daaraan dat hulle ‘n uiters eensydige artikel publiseer. Blykbaar besef Beeld nie dat inligting afkomstig van Lamprecht en die Okkulte eenheid deurtrek is
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South African Police Services ‘Occult crime unit’ Warrant Officer says unit targets Occultists (including Witches and Satanists), Esoterics and Pagans. Warrant Officer Matsena from the provincial occult department in Durban addressed social workers, nurses, teachers, psychiatrists and welfare representatives to equip them
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King Buleyekhaya Dalindyebo recently accused Mandla Mandela of being a witch. The king accused Mandla of behaving like a “witch” by moving the graves of three of Mr Mandela’s children from Qunu to Mvezo without consulting his relatives. “I don’t even want
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In an open letter published in the Times entitled ‘Witchcraft plea’ and republished as ‘Barack Obama in Africa: MPs Call on US President to Tackle Witchcraft Violence’ by Hannah Osborne, signatories including “Baroness Miller of Chilthorne; Kirsty Brimelow, QC; Professor Susan Edwards;
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“Complaint falls outside the SAHRC’s jurisdiction.” The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has denied *SAPRA’s appeal against its decision to refer a complaint lodged with the SAHRC, against the Traditional Healers Organization national coordinator for hate speech, to the Commission for
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South Africa’s ‘Satanic Panic’ An online seminar on the facts and fantasies of South Africa’s own “Satanic Panic” hosted by the South African Pagan Rights Alliance on Saturday 01 June 2013 – VENUE DOWNLOAD A FREE COPY Visit the EVENT PAGE to read all commentary. AGENDA
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