A court in Zambia has sentenced two men to two years in prison for attempting to use witchcraft to kill President Hakainde Hichilema.
Zambian Leonard Phiri and Mozambican Jasten Mabulesse Candunde were convicted under the Witchcraft Act after being arrested in December with charms, including a live chameleon.
Magistrate Fine Mayambu remarked, It is my considered view that the convicts were not only the enemy of the head of state but were also enemies of all Zambians. This case has garnered significant attention in Zambia as it is the first time individuals have been tried for witchcraft aimed at a president.
The prosecution claimed that Phiri and Candunde were hired by a fugitive former MP to bewitch Hichilema. Despite their assertions of being legitimate traditional healers, they were found guilty and sentenced.
Magistrate Mayambu noted that the evidence showed the men represented themselves as having supernatural powers, which warranted the conviction under the Witchcraft Act. In addition to their two-year sentence for witchcraft, they received another six months for possession of charms, although these sentences will run concurrently.
President Hichilema has publicly stated that he does not believe in witchcraft but has not commented directly on this case. The incident brings attention to the complexities of witchcraft beliefs in Zambia, where societal fears and perceptions about witchcraft play a significant role.
