2 witch doctors jailed for attempting to bewitch Zambian president

By James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - A Zambian court sentenced two witch doctors to jail on Monday for attempting to bewitch the country's President Hakainde Hichilema.

Leonard Phiri, 43, of Zambia, and Jasten Mabulesse Candunde, 42, of Mozambique, were found guilty of possessing various charms, including a live chameleon, or colored lizard, and practicing witchcraft in their attempted plot to harm Hichilema.

Nelson Banda, the younger brother of Emmanuel, a former independent member of parliament, is said to have hired the duo, and the witch doctors have revealed that they were promised a payment of 2 million Zambian Kwacha (over $80,000) after the mission was completed.

In the judgment, Lusaka Magistrate Fine Mayambu ruled that the duo's mission to harm Hichilema could have caused political strife, economic loss, and a negative impact on the country's citizens.

Mayambu said that, while the duo's case was a first offense and entitled to leniency, their intention for the mission was to cause death, necessitating a custodial sentence with hard labor.

The duo would serve two years each for possessing charms and six months for practicing witchcraft, beginning on the day of their arrest on December 20, 2024.

The sentences should run concurrently.