MP Jimmy wants death penalty for black magic

When he joins a future Government, veteran politician and former Minister for Finance, MP Willie Jimmy says he won’t hesitate to push a law through Parliament calling for the death penalty for everyone who practices ‘nakaemas’ or black magic.

The Opposition Whip makes the comment following the hanging of two men by a community in Akam Island on November 14, allegedly sanctioned by chiefs and church pastors of the island, after they were reported to have admitted to using black magic to kill four people in the Island.

Police are treating the men’s deaths as homicide.

The Opposition Whip says he told Radio Australia that there had to be a law to support death penalty to punish anyone who practiced black magic, to scare black magicians from practicing the ancient art of killing anyone they dislike.

When Radio Australia’s Bruce Hill asked him if he believed in black magic he says he replied, “Yes I do believe that black magic does exist in Vanuatu.

Jimmy says having the law framed this way puts those who “innocently” kill accused black magicians at risk of punishment. “We have to have a capital punishment bill to cater specifically for those who practice black magic to kill other people,” he says.

“In fact Westerners or white people do not believe in black magic and I argue that if they don’t believe in black magic then they may as well not preach against Satan in the gospel because the basis for every evil is Satan. If there is no black magician then Satan does not exist too”.

The MP says it is about time that any Government of the day address the issue of black magic saying, “Otherwise civilian law is over riding the very Melanesian traditional values on which Vanuatu is founded.

“According to the Preamble of the Constitution, this country is founded on Melanesian traditional values and then followed by faith in God and Christian principles”.

He points out those Melanesian traditional values come first followed by Christianity and civilization as we know it today. “But now civilian law is over riding the recognition for these Melanesian traditional values which is not good”, he argues.

In addition, the MP says there are also the good sides of black magic. “When you want to send someone to travel somewhere to deliver a message or get important information and you are conscious of travel costs, you simply close your eyes and the work is carried out, that is good. There are also other aspects of black magic but I simply cannot tolerate any killing through black magic”, he says.

When asked his view on whether Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Fiji could work together through the Melanesian Spearhead Group to address the issue of black magic, he says he believes there is common ground on which every MSG country can unite to address black magic but he is adamant a law must come into force to enforce the traditional deadly issue.

On the question of how the international community would react to such a law, he answers that there are fundamental differences between Western and Melanesian traditional values. “The international community, they do not have the same tradition as ours. Our Constitution says Vanuatu is founded on Melanesian traditional values and then followed by Christian principles so our Melanesian traditional values do exist, the good and the bad sides of it”, he says he told Radio Australia.