A court in Lusaka has sentenced two men to two years in prison with hard labour for attempting to kill the country’s president, Hakainde Hichilema, through alleged witchcraft.
In a landmark case believed to be the first of its kind in Zambia, the court on Monday convicted the pair for what prosecutors described as an attempted “witchcraft assassination” of the president.
The convicts Leonard Phiri, a Zambian national, and Jasten Mabulesse Candunde, a citizen of Mozambique were arrested last December after a cleaner reported hearing strange noises coming from a room.
According to court proceedings, the men were found with a live chameleon, an unidentified white powder, a red cloth and an animal’s tail.
A magistrate said the items were allegedly intended for a ritual that, based on Phiri’s explanation, was meant to cause death “within five days.”
Both men were convicted under the Witchcraft Act, a colonial-era law introduced during British rule that criminalizes witchcraft-related practices.
The case unfolds amid growing criticism of President Hichilema, who has faced accusations from opponents of using the judiciary to silence dissent and restrict free speech.
Witchcraft allegations have also surfaced in the ongoing dispute over the remains of former president Edgar Lungu. Lungu’s body remains in a morgue in South Africa as the Zambian government insists he be buried at home, contrary to his family’s wishes.
President Hichilema’s position on the burial has sparked rumors alleging occult motives claims the government has firmly denied.
