Medicine Murder in Colonial Lesotho

Medicine murder involved the cutting of body parts from victims, usually while they were still alive. These parts were then used in medicines intended to enhance the power of the murderers. A startling increase in cases of medicine murder apparently took place in Basutoland (now Lesotho), in southern Africa, in the late 1940s and the early 1950s. This book offers a highly readable analysis of how the crisis arose and why it disappeared.

Colin Murray. Peter Sanders

A stunning contribution to studies which seek to get under the skin of the relationship between violence and political power in Africa ! This book is destined to be one of the classics of African historical and anthropological studies. It will generate a lot of controversy. And it is above all a really great piece of scholarship. -- Richard Rathbone, formerly Professor of African History, School of Oriental and African Studies Controversial, a fascinating read ! this book will be widely read and debated, probably acrimoniously in some quarters, for many years. -- Jeff Guy, Professor of History, University of KwaZulu-Natal A stunning contribution to studies which seek to get under the skin of the relationship between violence and political power in Africa ! This book is destined to be one of the classics of African historical and anthropological studies. It will generate a lot of controversy. And it is above all a really great piece of scholarship. Controversial, a fascinating read ! this book will be widely read and debated, probably acrimoniously in some quarters, for many years.