Of water bottles on graves and their use

Bottles filled with water are a common sight at cemeteries, with families having made it a habit to leave them on top of covered graves.

One cannot tell with certainty the purpose of the water filled bottles but some have concluded that it is something associated with religion, culture or witchcraft. Local traditional healer who identifies himself as Dr Dlamini of Francistown says people use the water for many reasons. For some, the water is used to drive away wandering spirits of dead people. Individuals who dream or always feel the heavy presence of dead people can be told to use water to drive out the nagging spirits. There is the common belief that the dead spirit is not at rest, with strange things such as mysterious fires and other inexplicable acts coming to play - this is one of those times a family may be told to go place water on a grave. Others, he said, use the water when plotting a deadly revenge especially when a loved one died in mysterious ways or was brutally murdered.

“They can use the water when plotting revenge against people whom are believed to be linked to the death of a loved one. It all depends on what they were told by the person assisting them.

“What you see is often not pure water but a mixture of different herbs that are not visible to the naked eye,” Dlamini said. The healer said that African

practices are often associated with witchcraft because they are viewed as creepy and unusual. He explained that when one sees the said water filled bottles, it is better they leave them untouched to prevent bringing trouble to themselves.

But this is what often brings wars between families. Some families, he said, are now divided because of such practices. “Remember a loved one does not belong to one individual, it always becomes chaotic when one family member is against rituals or practices that were done at the cemeteries. It then becomes a case of the dead dividing the living,” he said. The healer advises families to consult first as a family and agree on what they prefer.