- You might chuckle at the thought of penis theft, but such accusations have had horrible consequences.
Getting something stolen from you is always bad. At the mildest, you lose something worth money; at worst, something completely irreplaceable might be taken from you.
Something like your penis, perhaps.
Tanzania is experiencing a mind-boggling epidemic of genital theft. The issue has become so serious that dozens of people have been arrested.
However, those arrested are not the penis thieves, but the supposed victims.
In multiple cases, men have claimed to have lost their penises due to black magic used by their enemies. Using the claim as a pretext, they have incited mob violence against the alleged perpetrator.
The unruly penis-protecting vigilantes have beaten people, smashed their houses, and stolen their property. At least in one case, a person was murdered brutally after unfounded genital theft claims.
Now, Tanzania’s government has been forced to issue a public warning against penis theft fraud. A minister dismissed the common superstition as nonsense and warned of serious punishment against anyone claiming his wang has been pilfered.
Mob Violence
Accusations of genital theft are not new in Tanzania. However, there has been a recent spate of high-profile cases that is causing concern among the public and government.
In early April, Tanzanian police arrested 10 people who had all claimed somebody using sorcerous powers had made their genitals disappear. In most cases, it seems the accusation has been a pretext to commit acts of violence against the alleged penis thief.
For instance, in two separate incidents on April 7 and 8, men accusing others of genital theft triggered mob attacks on the accused.
Meanwhile, on April 9, an unidentified businessman hired a motorcycle taxi for a ride home. Later that evening, a group of motorcycle riders surrounded his house, with the previous taxi driver claiming the businessman had stolen his penis.
“He locked himself inside, but [the mob] broke in, assaulted him, stole a television set, and damaged property,” police commander Richard Mchonvu told Tanzanian news outlet The Citizen.
But the most serious incident happened in the village of Kilyamatundu in eastern Tanzania. Schoolteacher Henry Myuwanga, 50, got into an argument over the price of soap with shopkeeper Clement Simchimba.
During the row, Simchimba shouted that Myuwanga had touched him and made his penis disappear. That enraged the villagers, who quickly took savage vengeance on Muywanga.
“The villagers assaulted the teacher by throwing stones and eventually burned his body,” Rukwa Regional Police Commander Shadrack Masija told Tanzania Insight.
Following the murder, 25 people were arrested. According to the latest news from Tanzania, Simchimba remained at large.
Official Warnings
Following Myuwanga’s murder, the Tanzanian government has stepped in. Home affairs minister Patrobas Katambi warned fraudsters of serious consequences.
“I issue a stern warning to all citizens spreading false rumors about their private parts being stolen and to anyone taking the law into their own hands. We will not hesitate to take strong measures against you because you are endangering lives and causing harm to innocent people,” he said in a public speech.
At the same time, he dismissed the notion that anyone was able to steal someone’s genitalia.
“This is pure fabrication, and such falsehoods have already led to loss of life,” he said.
To support his claim, Katambi said that every person arrested after claiming their penis had disappeared was given a thorough medical examination. And what do you know — they had not experienced any “physical changes.”
Their dongs were as good as ever.
The police have also issued their own warnings. Masija, for instance, condemned the murder of Myuwanga.
“This act is savage. An innocent person died because of baseless accusations. We will not tolerate such behavior,” he cautioned.
Periodical Superstition
As mentioned earlier, belief in penis theft is not a new thing in Tanzania or elsewhere in Africa. It’s part of a common superstition about sorcerers and witch doctors being able to use their powers to harm people.
What’s curious is that belief in penis theft tends to surface as epidemics. There’s usually a short-lived panic that often coincides with periods of governmental or economic instability.
And sure enough, Tanzania is currently experiencing an economic crisis, with high fuel prices and interest rates. Consequently, many people, men in particular, are concerned about providing for their families.
Against this background, stealing someone’s penis equals to taking away his capabilities as a man. That includes his ability to work and put food on the table.