The Member of Parliament for the Madina, Francis-Xavier Sosu, has revealed that Ghana stands to save more than GH¢25 million if witch camps in the country are disbanded.
The human rights lawyer, who has been at the forefront of the Anti-Witchcraft Bill, which seeks to criminalize witchcraft accusations and protect vulnerable individuals, said dismantling these camps would not only reduce the government’s economic burden but also help restore the basic human rights of those forced into them.
In an interview with Tutuwaa Danso on Starr Today, Mr Sosu stated: “The reason former President Akufo-Addo gave for not signing the bill simply doesn’t hold water. We’ve conducted a fiscal impact analysis of the bill, and as of 2023 when it was passed, it showed that over the course of 30 years, the government had spent more than GH¢25 million catering for people living in witchcraft camps. Disbanding these camps would save the country all that money, while also allowing affected individuals to live freely without any limitations.”
The Anti-Witchcraft Bill, initially passed by Parliament in July 2023, seeks to criminalize witchcraft accusations and protect vulnerable individuals—particularly elderly women—from abuse and stigmatization. Beyond dismantling witch camps, the bill also aims to criminalize the act of accusing others of witchcraft, regulate the activities of spiritualists and witch doctors, provide support and reintegration services for survivors, and promote public education to challenge harmful superstitions.
However, the bill failed to receive presidential assent from then-President Nana Akufo-Addo, who cited constitutional breaches as a concern.
Mr Sosu, alongside nine other MPs, reintroduced the bill in March 2025 to emphasize the urgency of safeguarding the rights of vulnerable women and even some men in society.
The reintroduction of the bill has garnered support and endorsement from Amnesty International Ghana, a human rights organisation, which is urging President John Dramani Mahama to sign the bill into law after its passage to help combat stigma and abuse in society.
Source: Ghana/StarrFM 103.5FM/Vanessa Tutuwaa Danso
