Two Men Jailed for Witchcraft Plot to Kill President Hakainde Hichilema

A court has sentenced two men to two years in prison for attempting to use witchcraft to kill President Hakainde Hichilema, marking the first such case involving a sitting president.

Leonard Phiri of Zambia and Mozambican national Jasten Mabulesse Candunde were convicted under the colonial-era Witchcraft Act after being arrested in December with ritual charms, including a live chameleon.

Magistrate Fine Mayambu described the convicts as "enemies of all Zambians" during sentencing at the Lusaka Magistrates' Court.

The prosecution alleged the pair were hired by a fugitive former MP to bewitch the president. Despite claiming to be legitimate traditional healers, both men were found guilty on two counts.

"The two accepted ownership of the charms. Phiri further demonstrated that the chameleon's tail, once pricked and used in the ritual, would cause death to occur within five days," Magistrate Mayambu stated.

Defence lawyer Agrippa Malando's plea for leniency was rejected. The men received additional six-month sentences for possessing charms, but will serve the terms concurrently.

The magistrate emphasized that the law protects society from those claiming supernatural powers, regardless of whether such powers actually exist. The 1914 Witchcraft Act was designed to combat fear and harm in communities where witchcraft beliefs remain prevalent.

President Hichilema has not commented on the case.