NABROHO SOCIETY FOR THE AGED

THE CONCEPT OF HAVING VILLAGE AGE RIGHTS ACTIVISTS AS A STRATEGY TO ERADICATE MURDER OF OLDERWOMEN IN SUKUMALAND TANZANIA

INTRODUCTION

in January 2009,the Prime minister revealed in the parliament that a total of 2,866 people had been murdered in Tanzania over the past five years(2004-2008) this trend shows an average of 573 older people died per year on allegation of witch craft and most from Sukumaland. NABROHO is an acronym for Nassa Brotherhood Society. NABROHO is a registered non-governmental, non-religious, non-partisan and non-profit making organization (NGO). The organization is registered by the Ministries of Home Affairs inTanzaniaunder the Societies Ordnance, 1954 with registration number SO. 10404 and was founded by well wishing Tanzanians in 1995 to create a wider understanding and recognition of ageing issues particularly rights and entitlements, by supporting a strong movement of old people to defend and up hold their rights by facilitating their interaction with government structure and access to information and resources

CONCEPT OVERVIEW

In the context of NABROHO the age rights activists (VARAs) this will be the people at the village level who will be main advocators of age rights and strong defenders of older people. NABROHO believes (V.A.R.As) should be recruited and strongly imparted with facts and figures about issues affecting older people. NABROHO calls governments and civil societies to integrate all sub-villages headman “Basumbabatale” Into the fighting against the murder of older people in Sukumaland. According to the culture of Sukuma people Basumba batale are found in each sub villages these are always two in one the principle and the deputy, their major roles is to coordinate cultural and customary issues . This people are very important in the fighting against murders of older women in our societies.

Experience shows that, Head men “Basumbabatale” in most cases but not often are consulted by community members to identify suspects of witchery practices especially when there is unexplained death, in sukuma context unexplained death is the one which most of the people are not satisfied by the cause of it or when the death has occurred suddenly and some time loss of children due to several factors including self decision to vacate from home due to difficult living situation and etc. Basumbabatale in collaboration with very conservative older men can hold a meeting to identify causes and spread this rumors which eventually may lead to older women victimization.

In Sukumaland headmen “Basumbabatale” are key announcers of any kind of customary punishment targeting any person at sub village level, they are trusted and feared, head men are always the main in charge at any burial ceremony ,they are the key persons to be informed on the occurrence of the particular death and are the last to leave the site after mourning days and possibly after the occasion to distribute the properties of the deceased one “Isabingula” with that point in view headmen “Basumbabatale” leave the scene of event while having a number of useful information including family way forward and expectations after that particular death, head men are believed to be aware of so many cultural values, through interaction and experience. Basing on that situation alone head men in Sukumaland should be the primary defenders of older people against threats, accuse and murder, with the following reasons:-

• Witchery has some thing to do with culture and believes, head men “Basumbabatale” are deep in that.
• Head men “Basumbabatale” are feared and their opinions are primary trusted
• Most of head men know very well people who are suspected of being watchers in their locality, they can warn and being respected
• they can provide useful information to the government in relation to the killings of older people
• Most of them but not every one know the criminals who are hired to attack older people.
• They are available in every sub-village, they are courageous and respected by people
• They are speakers of most customary issues in Sukuma communities
• They know everybody in that locality

In Sukuma societies apart from the killings of the suspects of witchery there is another form of punishments which are commonly assigned to women especially older women. One of the most common punishments is that, older women can be assigned to dig grave during burial ceremony around, sent to the distance place to inform some relatives on the death, around all that, the head men “Basumbabatale” are the key players, to propose the kind of punishment, announce the punishment, monitors implementations, makes follow-ups and suggest future punishment for those will not comply. Basing on this situation we find that headmen in Sukuma communities are culturally very powerful leaders and cannot be left behind in the fighting against the murder of older people.

HOW AND WHO IS RESPONSIBLE TO INTERGRATE HEAD MEN “Basumbabatale” IN CHALLEGING ACCUSE, THREATS AND KILLINGS OF OLDER PEOPLE IN SUKUMALAND

• Village defense and Security committees by instructing headmen to Promote, Respect and Protect older people’ rights and incentive giving to those who manages un occurrence of OP murder
• Police Force through community Police by facilitating, engagement of head men and incentive giving for those who manages un occurrence of OP murder
• District defense and security Committee by instructing village to integrate headmen in the fighting against accuse, threats and killings of older people but also incentives giving
• WDCs by instructing village council to integrate headmen into serious Protection, Respect and Promotion of older people’ rights and incentive giving plan
• Age care organizations by disseminating facts and figures on the situation of older people and facilitating awareness raising meetings
• Older people’s Forum (OPF) by requesting head men to have plan that reflect their security
• LGAs through social welfare officer s and older people focal person by facilitating engagement of headmen and incentives giving to executives and headmen who manages un occurrence of older people killings in his/her area of work at certain given period of time
• Politicians by encouraging and influencing headmen to reflect the rights of OP

PREPARED BY KUBINI NKONDO KUBINI

PROGRAM MANAGER

SUKUMA LAND AGE DEMANDS ACTIONS PROGRAM