A Zambian court has sentenced two men to two years in prison with hard labour after finding them guilty of attempting to use witchcraft to harm President Hakainde Hichilema. The rare conviction, handed down under the country’s colonial-era Witchcraft Act, has drawn regional attention and stirred debate over the role of traditional beliefs in modern African politics.
The case was heard at the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court, where Magistrate Fine Mayambu delivered a stern judgment on Monday. He ruled that the two men — Leonard Phiri, a Zambian traditional leader, and Jasten Mabulesse Candunde, a Mozambican national — represented a threat not only to the president but to the entire nation.
“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,” Mayambu declared as he passed sentence.
The pair were given two years each with hard labour. However, because the sentences will run concurrently, they will serve a total of two years, dating back to their arrest in December 2024.
The bizarre case unfolded after authorities received a tip-off from a cleaner who reported hearing “strange noises” in the area where the two men had been operating. Police who investigated found them in possession of a collection of charms that included a live chameleon, a red cloth, white powder, and an animal’s tail.
During the trial, both men admitted ownership of the charms but insisted that they were practicing as traditional healers rather than attempting to harm anyone. The prosecution, however, argued successfully that the paraphernalia was intended to target President Hichilema.
Magistrate Mayambu said the court could not ignore the seriousness of the charges, stressing that the Witchcraft Act existed to protect society from fear, intimidation, and potential harm caused by those who claim to wield supernatural powers.
Zambian Court Jails Two Men for Using Witchcraft in Alleged Plot to Kill President Hichilema
The prosecution further alleged that the two men were hired as part of a wider conspiracy linked to Emmanuel “Jay Jay” Banda, an opposition Member of Parliament currently facing charges of robbery, attempted murder, and escaping lawful custody. According to evidence presented in court, Banda’s brother was directly involved in recruiting Phiri and Candunde for the mission.
Although the accused men did not deny their connection to Banda’s family, their lawyer, Agrippa Malando, pleaded for leniency. He argued that the pair should be fined rather than jailed, maintaining that they posed no real danger to the president. His appeal was rejected, with the magistrate insisting that custodial sentences were necessary to deter similar acts in the future.
The conviction is notable as the first recorded trial in Zambia for attempting to use witchcraft against a sitting president. The Witchcraft Act, introduced in 1914 during British colonial rule, is seldom invoked in modern times. Legal experts note that prosecutions under the law are rare because witchcraft is notoriously difficult to prove in court.
Zambian lawyer and commentator Dickson Jere told the BBC that the law was historically used to protect vulnerable groups — especially elderly women — who were often accused of witchcraft in rural communities. “The law’s original intention was not to prosecute witchcraft per se, but to prevent the social harm caused by accusations,” Jere explained.
President Hichilema himself has previously dismissed the notion of witchcraft. In an interview on the Africa Here & Now podcast in August 2025, he told journalist Martine Dennis:
“Personally I don’t believe in witchcraft, never believed in witchcraft, as a person, as a family, as a Christian.”
The president has not commented publicly on this particular case, but his past remarks suggest he is unlikely to view the attempted attack as credible.
The trial comes against a backdrop of rising political tension in Zambia. The country has been grappling with divisions following the death of former president Edgar Lungu in South Africa in June 2025. Disputes over his burial arrangements also sparked allegations of witchcraft, reflecting how traditional beliefs continue to intersect with political rivalry.
Observers say the sentencing of Phiri and Candunde may be intended as a warning to those who exploit cultural beliefs for political purposes. It also highlights the state’s determination to shield national leadership from real or perceived threats.
For many Zambians, the case illustrates the uneasy coexistence between traditional practices and modern governance. While witchcraft remains a sensitive cultural issue, the government’s reliance on a century-old colonial law has raised questions about how far the justice system should go in prosecuting beliefs that some argue are symbolic rather than practical.
Still, with two men now behind bars, the judgment has sent a clear message: any acts — whether physical, spiritual, or symbolic — perceived as targeting the head of state will not be tolerated.
Source- iHarare
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