African Beliefs Concerning People with Disabilities: Implications for Theological Education

ABSTRACT

This article describes the position and teachings of indigenous African beliefs concerning people with disabilities in contemporary African society. It examines explicit and implicit African attitudes and teachings pertaining to disability. The article also considers the implications of these African beliefs for theological education. Drawing largely on documented indigenous African beliefs from selected African cultures, and from Swaziland in particular, the contention of the article is that the position and teachings of indigenous African beliefs concerning people with disabilities is ambivalent: on one hand, some African beliefs promote the stigmatization and marginalization of people with disabilities through exclusion and depiction of them as objects of pity or ridicule, and as victims of evil forces; alternatively, other African beliefs inculcate positive and empathetic moral and ethical teaching aimed at protecting and empowering those living with disabilities by depicting them as full human beings who have the same rights, obligations, and responsibilities as ‘normal’ persons.

KEYWORDS:

• African beliefs
• disability
• rights of people with disabilities
• affliction
• witchcraft
• the ancestors
• healing
• ubuntu/buntfu/botho
• theology of disability
• disability studies
• religion
• social inclusion

Notes

1. For the purposes of this article, I use the term witchcraft broadly to refer to 1) the use of an evil power inherent in certain individuals that permits them to do harm or cause misfortune to others without the use of magical charms or other objects; and 2) the use of magical charms or rituals to harness supernatural powers to achieve evil ends.

2. It must be noted, though, that African traditional medicine does not draw any distinctions between the various types of mental illnesses as it is done in modern medicine.

3. This fact was publicly reiterated by a visually impaired clergyman, Rev. Matfunjwa, at the annual Good Friday Ceremony in Swaziland (on April 3, 2015). At this national Christian ceremony, which is hosted by the Swazi monarchy, Rev. Mtfunjwa preached to the congregation and when he had finished, he profusely thanked the Swazi monarchy for allowing and encouraging people with disabilities to participate in the Easter ceremony because in the past, persons with various disabilities were prohibited from taking part in national royal ceremonies (Swaziland Television Broadcasting Corporation, April 3, 2015).