Two men have been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with hard labour in Zambia after being convicted of plotting to use witchcraft to kill President Hakainde Hichilema.
Leonard Phiri, a village chief, and Jasten Mabulesse Candunde, a Mozambican national, were arrested in December following a report by a cleaner who claimed to have heard unusual noises. Upon investigation, authorities discovered the men in possession of a live chameleon, a red cloth, an unidentified white powder, and an animal’s tail—items described by officials as “assorted charms”.
Delivering the verdict at Lusaka Magistrates’ Court, Magistrate Fine Mayambu stated: “The motive of the crime was to kill the head of state. The convicts were not only enemies of the head of state but all Zambians.”
Prosecutors alleged that the pair had been hired by the brother of opposition Member of Parliament Emmanuel “Jay Jay” Banda, who is currently facing charges of robbery, attempted murder, and escaping lawful custody.
The conviction was made under a colonial-era law dating back to British rule, which criminalises the practice of witchcraft. The case has reignited debate over the relevance and fairness of such legislation in modern Zambia, where traditional spiritual beliefs remain widespread.
The ruling comes amid growing criticism of President Hichilema’s administration, with accusations of authoritarianism and suppression of dissent. Sishuwa Sishuwa, a senior lecturer at Stellenbosch University, wrote in the Mail & Guardian that Hichilema was “using the courts to suppress his opponents”, appointing loyalists to the electoral commission and altering constitutional provisions ahead of next year’s general elections.
Human Rights Watch echoed these concerns in its 2024 global report, stating: “The administration of President Hakainde Hichilema increasingly exhibited tendencies toward authoritarianism … the authorities harassed and intimidated journalists, youth activists and political opposition leaders for expressing dissent or criticism of the government.”
Meanwhile, tensions continue to mount over the burial of former President Edgar Lungu, who died in South Africa in June. Lungu’s family has opposed the repatriation of his body for a state funeral, claiming he did not wish for Hichilema to attend. A South African court is currently considering whether to allow the family to appeal against an earlier ruling that the body should be returned to Zambia.
Amid the legal dispute, rumours have circulated suggesting that Hichilema intends to use Lungu’s remains for occult purposes. Responding to the speculation, the president told journalist Martine Dennis on the Africa Here & Now podcast: “Personally I don’t believe in witchcraft, never believed in witchcraft, as a person, as a family, as a Christian.”
Nonetheless, critics argue that the continued enforcement of anti-witchcraft laws undermines cultural heritage. Gankhanani Moyo, a lecturer in cultural heritage at the University of Zambia, told the Associated Press: “I hate that colonial piece of legislation that attempts to outlaw a practice that it does not understand.”
The case has sparked renewed calls for legal reform and greater respect for traditional beliefs in Zambia’s judicial system.
