ABSTRACT
Belief in wizardry provides a solution to the problem of causation. The basic assumption of the believer in wizardry, which is also one of the basic assumptions of the believers in most religions, is that misfortune and death do not occur fortuitously but are caused by some external agency. Whether people believe in a God or gods or in the ancestral spirits or the forces of nature these entities are usually regarded as being essentially good. Increasing scientific knowledge does not necessarily destroy beliefs in wizardry. However strong beliefs in wizardry, these beliefs would be unlikely to persist if no 'proof' were offered as to their truth. Similarly, African beliefs are strengthened by stories that are told to 'prove' that witchcraft exists. Some of these stories will serve to illustrate aspects of belief. An example is the story told of a man who lived in the Mhondoro Tribal Trust Land.
