Used to reading the typical Canadian newspaper, I find the content in the Tanzanian newspapers to be an interesting change. Take, for example, the article in The African that caught my eye about a week ago. It was about a man that was recently skinned alive in the Mbeya district of southern Tanzania. He was a local villager in his early thirties and his killers, two men also in their thirties, are now sentenced to be hanged. For his skin, the men would have earned 400,000 Tanzanian shillings - equal to about 360 Canadian dollars - from the local skin trader (yes, there is such a thing).

Its the kind of article that first makes your jaw drop in disbelief, then, once you realize it is true, you almost feel your lunch come up. In my case, I experienced another strange feeling that came along with knowing that I would soon be traveling to Mbeya for work. I have already heard a little about Juju since I have been in Tanzania, a magic that many locals believe in and deeply fear. I figured I would research this topic a little further.

I first mentioned the article to my driver, Peter. “Ah, yes, Juju,” he says. He shakes his head, and does his signature “tsk tsk tsk.” In his broken English, he explains that this has been going on for a very long time, and Mbeya has always been known for it’s practicing of Juju and skinning humans.

The locals use the word “witchcraft” interchangeably with Juju. To them, it is the same thing. Locals will hire witch doctors to cast spells, give curses, heal broken bones and cure sicknesses, among other things. The locals will also associate anything they cannot explain with Juju. For example, along the bumpy drive to Mbeya, I was suffering from a severe headache. When we stopped for a lunch break, I massaged and stretched out my neck to relieve the tension. In ten minutes, my headache was almost gone. My driver asked me what I was doing, poking at my neck. I explained how I was making my headache go away, and with wide eyes he addresses my father: “Ah, George, your daughter, she is a witch doctor! She goes like this,” as he squeezes his neck, “and makes her headache go away!”

Africans even bring Juju to soccer. An article published by National Geographic says that African teams will hire witch doctors to cast spells on opposing teams. In the rituals, they will smear pig’s blood on opponent’s lockers, burn bits of animals or plants near the goal, or even bury animals under the playing field.

African witchcraft rituals are also to blame for the savagely cruel practice of killing humans for their skins. The skins, along with other human body parts, are said to have magical properties and are used in rituals and as charms. Human skins are used to bring wealth and power, and the dried and crumbled scalp of a bald man is said to impart wisdom.

Many of the skins are smuggled into neighboring countries. Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo and other countries of West Africa all propel the underground skin trade.

In attempts to bring awareness to the unjust killings and help change beliefs, the Tanzanian government displayed a human skin and other body parts at an international business fair in Dar es Salaam three years ago. The government and police are working to put a stop to the skin trade and are hoping to educate people to realize human skins cannot make one become rich and powerful. This must be a challenge in a culture where most government officials and police also have the same beliefs.

Passing through Mbeya, I observed the towns with added scrutiny. I looked at the faces of little boys, grown men, and women with babies tied to their backs. I tried to imagine one of those people committing such a crime and living in place where people fear to be skinned as they walked down the street. The towns looks no different than any other, mud huts, straw roofs, concrete shops and bustling streets of women in patterned skirts and men in western clothing. Some of the towns in the area were actually quite nice, with paved streets, sidewalks, boulevards, and pretty homes on hilltops surrounded by crops and mango trees.

Like anywhere in the world, it is difficult to imagine people being killed for such silly reasons. It’s very sad to think about, and all we can do is be thankful that it doesn’t happen to us.

- Kristen Dyck