As much as we would like to push our nation into the 21st century, certain superstitions and prejudices are just too sunk in for us to be rid of anytime soon.
This is why we keep recording these incidents which quite frankly, belong in 12th century Europe and not in any society that dares call itself civilised: as we are oft too quick to point out but never prove via our actions.
A 55 year old woman in the Northern region, Duukwaak Laar, has found herself on the wrong side of these outdated superstitious prejudices, losing her life after being hanged on suspicion of being a witch.
Making the act more dastardly is that of the two suspects in the case, one is her stepson, 44 year old farmer Naanpaak Laar; the other being one Maten Jabong.
Daily Guide reports that Jabong, a 24 year old student, is believed to have disclosed to Naanpaak that he often had dreams about the victims. In these dreams, Jabong revealed, the victim was chasing him around and threatening to kill him.
After a little chit chat between the two, they reached their most logical conclusion; that Duukwaak must be a witch.
Looking at Ghanaian culture and tradition, you would understand how they would reach that conclusion. What does that tell us about Ghanaian culture and tradition then?
The two were then reported to have informed a relative of the victim about the situation, and the said relative advised them to take the victim to a witchdoctor to be exorcised.
I remind you this is 21st century Ghana we are talking about; and to pre-empt any silly retorts we know cases like this happen in all parts of the country and is in no way unique to the North.
A few days later the victim’s stepson spotted the her dead body hanging in the bush and raised an alarm, but her family members were suspicious and reported the issue to the police which led to the arrests of the two suspects.
They have been arraigned before a Nalerigu District Magistrate Court charged with conspiracy and murder, and have both been remanded into prison custody.
Another question worth pondering; why is it always the women who end up having to deal with these allegations of witchcraft? Has no one in Ghana ever watched Harry Potter? If witches exist then wizards are an equal menace as well!!
Or maybe our extremely chauvinistic society does not have the capacity to imagine male witches.
Or the more rational explanation; that neither exists and an unfortunate woman, like so many before her, have lost their lives for nothing!