Advocacy for Alleged Witches commends the government for shutting down the Evangelical Church

The Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AFAW) commended the Ugandan authorities in Kampala, the capital of the country, for shutting down an evangelical church. 

A minister of that church was said to have, through prayer, "treated" people with mental disabilities. 

Earlier, the BBC announced that the pastor was detained by police when rescuing several sick people held at the church. 

According to the BBC and AFAW, nine of the rescued patients were shackled to metal poles as part of the recovery process, according to accounts of similar 'healing' activities in Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia.

The Alleged witches Advocacy group claimed that many African pastors, in the quest to grow their churches and finances, venture into faith healing.

“Evangelical churches, as well as Islamic centers across Africa, operate faith clinics, prayer camps where they claim to provide healing services for persons with all diseases, including cancer, HIV/AIDS, and even COVID-19,” AFAW said in a statement on Friday signed by its coordinator, Leo Igwe.

He noted that the situation had worsened due to the lack of affordable health in most African countries, adding that instead of getting their desired healing, the victims end up suffering abuses and further health damage.

He said in Africa, people tend to rush to churches, mosques and other spiritual houses whenever they fall ill simply because they “cannot afford the costs of evidence-based medicine or treatment, even if there are hospitals to go to.”

Furthermore, AFAW noted that there was insufficient mental health facilities while hospitals are few in the area. 

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AFAW called on African leaders to "explore ways in the region to improve evidence-based mental health care." Governments can make medical care open to the urban public and available. 

It also called on the police to apprehend pastors and imams who appeared to have the ability to cure individuals and also shut down their churches and mosques. 

The organization wants priests, imams, or anybody who claims to have government-prosecuted authority to cure mental illness "because these medical impostors harm, not heal people."

AFAW noted “Traditional, Christian, and Islamic clerics are religious, not medical professionals, by their training. They have no business with mental health work. Churches, mosques, and shrines are worship centers, not hospitals”.