Two individuals have been found guilty in Zambia of plotting to employ witchcraft for the assassination of President Hakainde Hichilema.
Leonard Phiri, identified as a village chief, and Jasten Mabulesse Candunde, a citizen of Mozambique, were detained in December following a report about peculiar noises heard by a cleaner. Authorities discovered them in possession of a live chameleon along with an assortment of tools such as a red fabric, an unidentified white powder, and an animal’s tail.
According to Magistrate Fine Mayambu’s ruling at a Lusaka court, “the objective of the crime was to assassinate the head of state. The accused not only targeted the president but all Zambians.”
Both men were sentenced to two years in prison, with hard labor.
The prosecution alleged that the duo had been hired by the brother of opposition MP Emmanuel “Jay Jay” Banda, who is currently on trial for robbery, attempted murder, and escape from custody.
This conviction, based on a British colonial-era law that criminalizes alleged witchcraft, coincides with Hichilema facing increasing criticism for suppressing free speech and political opposition.
The president is accused of using legal means to stifle opponents, appointing allies to electoral commissions and amending constitutional rules in his favor ahead of next year’s elections, as per a column in the Mail & Guardian by Sishuwa Sishuwa, a lecturer at Stellenbosch University.
In its 2024 annual global human rights report, Human Rights Watch stated, “The regime under President Hakainde Hichilema has shown increasing traits of authoritarianism … officials relentlessly harassed and intimidated journalists, youth activists, and leaders of the political opposition for dissenting or criticizing the government.”
Meanwhile, a heated dispute is ongoing regarding the burial of Hichilema’s predecessor and opponent, Edgar Lungu, who passed away in South Africa in June. Lungu’s family is contesting the repatriation of his body for a state funeral, asserting that he did not want Hichilema present. A court in South Africa is deliberating on allowing the Lungus to appeal a decision to return the body to Zambia.
Claims of witchcraft are not new to Zambian political discourse. Amid the quarrel over Lungu’s funeral, the rumor has spread that Hichilema intends to use the body for occult purposes.
“I personally don’t believe in witchcraft, have never believed in it, as a person, as a family, as a Christian,” Hichilema told journalist Martine Dennis in a recent podcast episode.
However, many in Zambia argue that traditional spiritual beliefs should not be criminalized.
Agence France Presse and Associated Press contributed to this report
