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A Lusaka court sentenced two men to prison after ruling they plotted to harm President Hakainde Hichilema through unusual means The convicts, including a traditional leader, were found with charms and a live creature said to be central to their plan Magistrate Fine Mayambu stressed the case was less about proving supernatural powers and more about what the accused admitted to The men, linked to a fugitive politician’s family, were arrested after a tip-off that exposed their secretive activities Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
A Zambian court has sentenced two men to two years in prison after convicting them of attempting to use witchcraft to kill President Hakainde Hichilema.
President Hakainde Hichilema has been criticised for cracking down on the opposition. Photo: Krisztian Bocsi.
Source: Getty Images The unusual case, which involved the use of a live chameleon as part of the alleged ritual, has stirred debate on the place of witchcraft in modern politics and law.
Magistrate Fine Mayambu of the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court ruled that the two men, Zambian traditional leader Leonard Phiri and Mozambican national Jasten Mabulesse Candunde, were guilty of “professing” witchcraft under the colonial-era Witchcraft Act of 1914.
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A report by the BBC shows the duo was also convicted of possessing charms, including a red cloth, animal parts, white powder, and a chameleon, believed to have been central to the plot.
“The motive of the crime was to kill the head of state,” Mayambu said while delivering judgment. He added that the convicts are not only enemies of the president but also enemies of all Zambians.
The magistrate emphasised that the case was not about proving the supernatural powers of witchcraft but about whether the accused represented themselves as capable of performing such acts, which they admitted.
The two were arrested in December 2024 after a cleaner alerted authorities to unusual noises coming from the house where they were staying.
According to the prosecution, the men were hired by the brother of opposition MP Emmanuel “Jay Jay” Banda, who is facing multiple charges, including attempted murder and escape from lawful custody.
Banda, currently a fugitive, has been accused of masterminding the plan to bewitch the president.
How would Chameleon ‘kill’ Hichilema? During the trial, the court was told that Phiri demonstrated how the chameleon’s tail, when pricked and used in a ritual, could cause death within five days.
The prosecution argued that their intention was to use the ritual to eliminate President Hichilema.
Lawyer Agrippa Malando, representing the accused, pleaded with the court to impose a fine instead of imprisonment, citing their status as first-time offenders.
Hakainde addresses national delegations during the First Part of the High-Level Segment for Heads of States and Governments during the COP28, UN Climate Change Conference. Photo: Dominika Zarzycka.
Source: Getty Images However, Magistrate Mayambu rejected the plea, insisting that the law was designed to protect society from fear and the threat of harm caused by those claiming to practice witchcraft.
“The question is not whether the accused are wizards or actually possess supernatural powers. It is whether they represented themselves as such, and the evidence clearly shows they did,” Magistrate Mayambu said. The two-year sentence will run concurrently with an additional six-month sentence for possessing charms, meaning Phiri and Candunde will serve only two years in total, effective from their arrest date in December.
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