Overview
- A Lusaka magistrate found Leonard Phiri, 43, and Mozambican national Jasten Candunde, 42, guilty and imposed two-year prison terms with hard labour on Monday.
- The court said the men intended to cast a fatal spell on President Hakainde Hichilema using charms including a live chameleon, an animal tail, and 12 bottles of concoctions.
- Police testified they arrested the pair in a Lusaka hotel room in December 2024 after a cleaner reported strange noises and discovered the items.
- Prosecutors alleged a relative of opposition MP Emmanuel “Jay Jay” Banda hired the men to bewitch the president, a claim presented as part of the case.
- The colonial-era Witchcraft Act carries a maximum three-year sentence, and the rare prosecution has sharpened debate over criminalizing traditional beliefs and Zambia’s political climate.