06 Dec 2020

When you meet a grumpy old woman in the wee hours of the morning seemingly disoriented, just know that she is a witch. This is the common, but disturbing perception that led BOPA’s Lesego Bogatsu to find out what really goes on in the mind of the ‘aimless wonderer’, which subjects them to so much danger.

From time immemorial, many people, especially women from most parts of the world have reportedly suffered torture at the hands of their communities in a bid to squeeze some admission of quilt from them or risk being thrown inside a furious circle of villagers to stone them to death.

Not that her confession would save her anyway.  

Alternatively, such a woman would face the village tribunal, which would summarily sentence her to death by fire tied to a stake, following accusations that they were witches.

First, there would be some gossip going viral around the village about a woman seen walking across the street naked, or crouching behind a neighbour’s hut in the early hours of the morning. Or she could simply be strangely talking to herself on her own backyard. 

Then an accusation of the woman by fellow villagers for casting evil spells upon them following misfortunes such as illness or death. 

The fate of the ‘witch’ would be sealed. 

These stories were common throughout the Middle Age Europe. Today, in this century, we still get some scattered reports of gruesome torture, or murder of womenfolk based on the perceived crimes of witchcraft.

However, advance in human knowledge, industry, science and technology have chased away almost all the dangerous shadows of ignorance.

Sophisticated psychological sciences have revealed complex and powerful conditions of the human brain that allow man to comprehend and manipulate his environment throughout his life. 

Like any other part of the body, the brain is subject to ageing, degeneration and sickness.

This leads to anything as mild as confusion, forgetfulness, madness and eventually death. 

Yet with these medical advances, we still have pockets of absolute ignorance, propelled by superstition and often ridiculous religious belief systems.  

As some scientists have observed, superstition hangs around us like some ancient, but indispensable utility that we need in order to explain the phenomenon we are still ignorant about, confused by and scared of. 

Superstition dates far beyond Biblical times.

It is regrettably still in great force today in Africa.

Recently in Ghana, three men and four women - all over 70 years of age, were burned to death because they were believed to be possessed by powers of witchcraft. 

There are several incidents captured on tape as evidence of those largely pro-African superstitious acts of mind-boggling barbarism. 

Al Jazeera reported of a 55-year-old woman, who was beaten to death in the Bemetara District of Chhattisgarh in India by her own family members for ‘practicing black magic’. 

She was pulled by her hair, dragged naked through the streets and had chilli powder poured on her face and genitals until she choked to death.

According to more Al Jazeera reports, thousands of women across India had been abused, tortured and executed after being accused of witchcraft. 

But, Chhattisgarh location, where there has been more than a decade-old conflict between Maoist rebels and the state, tribal societies indulge in deadly misogynistic violence and superstition. 

Between 2001 and 2013, there were 1 500 witch trials and 210 murders.

Botswana is not spared. Interestingly, one of the trending social media news reported that a traditional African religion secretary in Burundi; identified Botswana as the number one most dangerous country with powerful witchcraft skills in the world, followed by Malawi. 

We can hardly deny evidences of fatal ritual practices in our own backyard. 

What is now well understood from the medical point of view is that, Senile Dementia is a brain-ageing mental condition, that is often the cause of extreme memory disorder, which is the cause for patients of this condition to get mentally and physically lost. 

They would walk pointlessly, covering some distance from home and in the process forget where they were going or coming from, hence at times they would mistakenly walk into other people’s houses for ‘refuge’.  

The health sector may be doing something to educate our communities about the serious problem of mental diseases, but it is possible that our stubborn supernatural beliefs get in the way. 

However, it remains cruicial that our health sector gets more aggressive in educating the communities about the growing cases of psychological and mental conditions faced by people at a certain age. 

High among the subjects is Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia. 

This disease was named after Dr Alois Alzheimer, who discovered it in 1907. 

It was not until the 1970s that Dr Robert Katzman declared that ‘senile dementia’ and Alzheimer’s disease were the same condition and that neither were a normal part of aging. 

According to Oxford Advanced Dictionary, ‘dementia’ is a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental processes caused by brain disease or injury and marked by memory disorders, personality changes and impaired reasoning. 

Scientific evidence has shown that dementia often begins with lapses in memory and difficulty in finding the right words for everyday objects.

Other symptoms may include; persistent and frequent memory difficulties, especially of recent events, vagueness in everyday conversation, apparent loss of enthusiasm for previously enjoyed activities, taking longer to do routine tasks, forgetting well-known people or places, inability to process questions and instructions, deterioration of social skills and emotional unpredictability. 

Symptoms vary and the disease progresses at different paces according to the individual and the areas of the brain affected.  

A person’s abilities may fluctuate from day to day, or even within a day, becoming worse in times of stress, fatigue or ill-health. 

The rate of progression of the disease varies from person to person. 

However, the disease eventually leads to complete dependence and finally death, usually from another illness such as pneumonia. 

A person may live from three to 20 years with Alzheimer’s disease, with the average being seven to 10 years.

The disease also affects many of the brain’s other functions and consequently, many other aspects of behaviour are disturbed, hence stories of naked old women found doing something weird or appearing bewildered, unintentionally raising the common superstitious perception of ‘evil’ behaviour. 

Apart from the few individuals with Familial Alzheimer’s disease, it is not known why one individual gets Alzheimer’s disease late in life and another does not. 

Scientists are investigating what triggers the formation of plaques and tangles and about other chemical changes that damage brain cells in the case of Alzheimer’s disease.

A variety of suspected causes are being investigated such as environment and biochemical disturbances. 

The cause may vary from person to person and may be due to one factor or a number of factors.

Responding to a questionnaire, Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital Superintendent, Dr Sreekanth Davu gave more enlightenment on Dementia of Alzheimer’s Type (DAT).  

Like any other medical condition, neuro scientists still do not know the exact etiology of DAT and do not have any cure for it, said Dr Davu, who also pointed out that ‘Dementia may be due to many reasons, such as severe alcoholism, HIV, trauma and brain stroke. 

In DAT, the abnormal proteins called Amyloid and Tau are deposited into the brain cells. 

It is hereditary by nature, like sugar diabetes and high blood pressure’.  

Dr Davu explained that, “Neuro transmitter called Acetylcholine is mainly seen as reduced in the brain cells in those who are suffering from Dementia, hence we give the medicine that increases the levels of the above neuro transmitter in the brain cells.  

We are seeing this disease mostly after 40.”  

Dementia of Alzheimer Type (DAT) statistics from Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital shows that in 2018, there were three patients, one male aged 54 and two females aged 66 and 79.  

For 2019, the hospital recorded four male patients aged between 40 and 80 years, while in 2020 they had three patients, two females aged 63 and 68 and one male aged 81 years. 

Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital is said to be receiving patients from both urban and rural areas alike and observation shows that DAT was not so common in Botswana.

Dr Davu said dementia mostly affects people above 60 years, but he pointed out that he had never come across any case of individuals accused of witchcraft as a result of the disease in Botswana. 

According to Botswana demographic census, Botswana has not only experienced a rapid ageing population, but also rapid economic growth, since 1966.

It further reveals that the rapid growth in economic advancement has resulted in increased Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross National Product (GNP) and improvements in general living conditions, thereby excluding Botswana from the world’s most ageing countries. 

Meanwhile, in an interview, one caretaker of a DAT patient, Ms Lilian Mogorosakgomo, who resides in Gaborone North and takes care of her 80+years-old mother, had mixed feelings about the subject of dementia. 

Humour accompanied by distress could be witnessed during the course of the conversation with her.

 “It all started with an abnormal forgetfulness.

At times she would even forget that I am her daughter. 

The forgetfulness increased with time nowadays it is worse. 

I used to laugh when she called me by names that belonged to my cousins. 

For example, she would tell me how sorry she felt for the loss of my mother. 

That was really funny, but it touched me deeply because I realised how much she missed her own late siblings. 

She would often lament the death of both her husband and sisters,” Lilian said with a serious face.  

In another interview, Ms Mosetsana Duncan, who also takes care of her 79-year-old mother; described the situation as a complete emotional roller-coaster and really not an easy task.

She explained that looking after the old lady got strenuous at times, but pointed out that she never had to chase after her, as she preferred to stay quietly indoors. 

“We would regularly take her for a walk or ask her to sit outside for a little while. 

Her occasional jokes are particularly therapeutic,” said Ms Duncan laughing. 

“After she lost her husband, my mother just wanted to be alone most of the time. 

You could tell she was lost in deep thoughts. She would not share her thoughts, but you could almost feel the sadness inside her. 

Sometimes it showed that she had lost vigour or interest in life. 

She is highly forgetful, but it is a blessing that she does not like sitting outside.”

“Being the caregiver to someone with dementia is extremely painful. 

You become physically and psychologically drained each day. 

It can be so emotionally stressing,” she said. 

 She however suggested that, “Batswana in general should always make sure that grieving people are counseled professionally after losing their loved ones for them to heal.”

Ms Mogorosakgomo and Ms Duncan said sad stories of ‘basadibagolo’ with DAT getting lost into people’s yards and labelled ‘baloi’ were only hear says to them. Ends