Tanzania sliding back to pre-civilization: sitting ducks waiting for a miracle?

The provocative subject may mean different things to different people. I'm, however, posting to address what appears to be increasing belief in the nonexistent--call it occult, witchcraft, stuff, I don't care.

Tanzania ought to have matched into the 21st century with the rest of the world. Some statistics even indicate good upswing in technology use, improved information and communication systems, throbbing construction industry. Yet I sadly note that among us there are several persons, some in good standing in society, some highly educated who still believe there is a "medicine-man" somewhere who can help them keep their office, win election, make their businesses thrive, make their team win soccer match and so forth.

The amount of stories reported in air and print media are on the increase. I wouldn't rush headlong to say the paradox is on the increase because it could simply imply that more news is reaching me compared to when I was reading and hearing fewer stories. Is it, though? Why would this bugger go to graveyard at night, dig a kid's body out, open up its chest, cut off the heart, hastily re-bury the body? In this one case, someone saw the process and told on him, he was caught red-handed while drying the newly-acquired key to the riches: a child's heart that he'd been asked to get by witchdoctor. This story was in the media a few days ago.
I am a scientist, and many people innocently ask me questions about how things work. I try to use as simple language as possible to explain, for example how lightning and thunder are created, because these things are taught in science subjects.

Other come up with a thoughtfully-conceived idea of building up a machine that, once started, shall continue running without requiring any energy input in effect producing net energy. What a lovely world we would have if such thing was possible! no need to buy petrol, no need to pay for electricity. But I slowly and patiently explain that it's only possible to convert energy, not to create or destroy: those are laws of nature equally applying on earth and in outer space. Gravitation, magnetism, heat, light, sound are all explained by different principles of science. I also know sadly only a small fraction of those who got to finish primary school went on to secondary education.

The point I'm coming to is, many people who visit witch doctors do so due lack knowledge, and the sharp fella plays with their desperation to request them make such impossible task as digging a copse up and obtain an organ as a means of making them feel big achievement, building self-confidence whose spill-over effect is that of better performing daily chores and going about thinking, that witchdoctor treatment really works. Talk about faith making a sick person feel better by taking a placebo :-).

That, however, does not end with witchdoctors. Tanzania has been invaded with religious sects of all sorts who are not preaching love and forgiveness, but tell their audience what they expect to hear: there are evil spirits within and around, hindering their success. I bundle these preachers with the witchdoctors. You might ask, "Dan, you mean no evil spirits, no miracles?" The answer is, those things are virtual, and within one's inner self or even subconcience: a person who has a dream while in deep sleep and, upon waking up, becomes convinced the dream is a fact is a person who needs to see a shrink--(s)he is a psychological case.

I therefore get roundly annoyed hearing again and again of news stories of people slaughtering their own grandparents, witchdoctors and preachers alike making small ads on papers etc while there are several more serious things to attend to (and report about and advertise about) for this country which is the richest with resources in the region but doesn't seem to get off the ground. No wonder our neighboring countries are all excited about the advent of federation: they see a land of milk and honey with a small pack of individuals who feel the only way to develop is by attaining a political post (higher, better) at any cost including bribing. Their idea of development is that of themselves and close members of family, not nation.
What should we do to stem the damage course?

• Round up the witchdoctors who are known to have been hired for assisting robbers or such other innuendo and give them hell of their lives such as shaming them in public;
• Basic religions strengthening and actually fighting the two-bit emerging sects which are no better than pulpit witchdoctors, however big they grow;
• People are encouraged to write books and paper articles on the subject to shed light on fact that deceptive people are having their field day cashing in on their apparent ignorance. Scientific books for easy reading in kiswahili language can be quite a tool in killing the ingrained culture of occult such as found in some Tanzanian communities.