Two men have been convicted in Zambia for plotting to use witchcraft to kill President Hakainde Hichilema. Leonard Phiri, a village chief, and Jasten Mabulesse Candunde, a Mozambican citizen, were arrested in December after a cleaner reported hearing strange noises. Authorities found them in possession of a live chameleon and other items described as charms, including a red cloth, an unidentified white powder, and an animal's tail.
Magistrate Fine Mayambu ruled that the motive was to kill the head of state, stating, "The convicts were not only enemies of the head of state but all Zambians." Both men were sentenced to two years in prison with hard labour. The prosecution alleged they were hired by the brother of opposition MP Emmanuel "Jay Jay" Banda, who faces trial for robbery, attempted murder, and escaping custody.
The conviction, under a British colonial-era law criminalising witchcraft, comes as Hichilema faces growing criticism for suppressing political opposition. Human Rights Watch noted in its 2024 report that the administration increasingly exhibited authoritarian tendencies, including harassing journalists and political opponents. Meanwhile, a dispute over the burial of former President Edgar Lungu has sparked rumours that Hichilema intends to use the body for occult purposes, which he has denied.
Accusations of witchcraft are not uncommon in Zambian politics, but many argue that traditional beliefs should not be criminalised. Gankhanani Moyo, a cultural heritage lecturer at the University of Zambia, criticised the colonial-era law, saying, "I hate that colonial piece of legislation that attempts to outlaw a practice that it does not understand."
