Two men in Zambia have been sentenced to two years in prison with hard labour for plotting to assassinate President Hakainde Hichilema using witchcraft. Leonard Phiri, 43, and Jasten Candunde, 42, were convicted under a colonial-era witchcraft law dating back to 1914.
The court found that the men possessed charms intended to cast a fatal spell on the president, including a live chameleon, an animal tail, and a dozen bottles of concoctions. They were arrested in a hotel room in Lusaka after a cleaner reported strange noises.
Prosecutors alleged the pair were hired by the brother of a former lawmaker to curse Hichilema. The men pleaded for leniency before sentencing.
Zambia's witchcraft law, which carries a maximum sentence of three years, defines witchcraft as pretending to exercise supernatural power to cause fear or harm. Despite official Christianity, belief in witchcraft remains widespread, with a 2018 study finding 79% of Zambians believe in it.
