A Zambian court has sentenced two men to two years in prison with hard labour for attempting to use witchcraft to harm President Hakainde Hichilema. Mozambican national Jasten Mabulesse Candunde, 42, and Zambian village chief Leonard Phiri, 43, were arrested in December last year and charged with professing knowledge of witchcraft and possession of charms, including a live chameleon.

The Lusaka Magistrate Court, presided over by Magistrate Fine Mayambu, delivered the sentence, emphasizing the grave nature of the crime. Magistrate Mayambu ruled that "The convicts were not only enemies of the head of state but all Zambians." He further stated that the intention behind the mission to harm President Hichilema would have resulted in significant economic losses for the country and other negative impacts on citizens.

During the trial, prosecutors presented compelling evidence, including charms, ritual items, and a live chameleon, which was allegedly intended for use in a concoction to kill a person. Video footage played a crucial role, capturing one of the accused demonstrating how the charms were to be used, while other recordings documented statements about the plan and the payments involved. Phiri, a witchdoctor from Sinda, reportedly explained how a chameleon's tail combined with other concoctions would be used to kill. The court heard that the duo knew the purpose of their journey from the beginning.

The case highlighted Zambia's Witchcraft Act, under which the accused were found guilty. Magistrate Mayambu clarified that the law does not require proof that charms or spells actually work; instead, it focuses on whether the accused represented themselves as possessing and intending to use supernatural powers to cause fear, injury, or death. The court found that the totality of the evidence — including witness statements, video recordings, and physical exhibits — sufficiently proved the elements of the offense: the representation of supernatural powers and the intent to exercise them in a way that could cause fear or injury.

The prosecution claimed the men had been hired by the brother of opposition MP Emmanuel "Jay Jay" Banda, who faces his own trial for robbery, attempted murder, and escaping custody. The accused were reportedly brought to Lusaka, accommodated in lodges, and promised substantial sums of money, with Phiri testifying he had been offered K13,500,000 for his assistance.

Despite being first offenders and entitled to leniency, Magistrate Mayambu deemed a custodial sentence with hard labour necessary due to the severe intent to kill the head of state. Candunde and Phiri received a 24-month sentence on one count and a 6-month sentence on a second count, with both sentences running concurrently from the date of their arrest, effectively resulting in two years of imprisonment with hard labour. In mitigation, the defense denied any intent to harm, claiming the rituals were medicinal or protective, and also noted that President Hakainde Hichilema himself had publicly stated he did not believe in witchcraft.