- Find out how two men’s failed spells unraveled a strange political plot to kill the head of state.
Politics can be a dirty game. Some people are willing to resort to any measures to ensure their favorite candidate succeeds, or their opponents fail.
Even dark magic isn’t off the table, apparently.
A Zambian court recently sentenced two men to prison for practicing witchcraft. The sorcerous duo was accused of attempting to cast spells to harm the country’s president, Hakainde Hichilema.
The men were caught red-handed in their magical practices late last year. They reportedly had in their possession various charms and talismans they used to channel eldritch powers.
The case has been closely followed in Zambia, as it marks the first time anyone has been prosecuted for attempting to use witchcraft against a high-ranking politician. Additionally, the case has drawn attention to an old, obscure anti-witchcraft law from the colonial era that some Zambians believe runs contrary to some of the country’s religious and folk traditions.
Caught in the Act
The two accused men, Leonard Phiri from Zambia and Jasten Mabulesse Candunde from Mozambique, were arrested in December 2024. At the time of their arrest, they were staying at a hotel room in the Zambian capital of Lusaka.
A cleaner heard strange noises from the men’s room and alerted the hotel staff. They called the police, who raided the room.
Inside, they found Phiri and Candunde engaged in some kind of magical ritual. There really was no question about what they were doing, as the room was littered with various charms and other sorcerous accoutrements.
Among their possession was an unknown white powder, an unidentified animal’s tail, and a red, inscribed cloth. In addition, they had a bottled (and still living) chameleon.
Upon interrogation, one of the men confessed that the duo had been hired to cast a spell that would kill president Hichilema. Reportedly, they were promised one million U.S. dollars if they succeeded in their witchcraft.
‘Enemies of All Zambians’
Phiri and Candunde were tried under Zambia’s Witchcraft Act. The law was enacted in 1914, when the country was a British colony.
Under the law, anyone practicing witchcraft can be sentenced to prison for up to two years. The law defines “practicing witchcraft” as “pretending to exercise any kind of supernatural power, witchcraft, sorcery, or enchantment calculated to cause such fear, annoyance or injury.”
Well, that is certainly what the two men appeared to be doing. The courts deemed that to be the case as well, and found the two guilty in early September.
“It is my considered view that the convicts were not only the enemy of the head of state but were also enemies of all Zambians,” magistrate Fine Mayambu said according to the BBC.
“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,” he added.
Although Phiri and Candunde argued that they weren’t witches or wizards but traditional folk healers, they received the maximum sentence of two years behind bars. They were also sentenced to time already served for possessing magical charms.
The two may also be facing charges of cruelty toward animals.
A Political Mess
The court case has been at the center of attention in Zambia. It unveiled a fascinating circle of political intrigue, in the country.
Some have blamed the fugitive lawmaker Emmanuel Banda of being the one who hired Phiri and Candunde. Yet, others are accusing president Hichilema of arranging the case as a publicity stunt ahead of next year’s elections.
For his part, Hichilema has gone on record saying that he doesn’t believe in magic. Then again, Zambia’s previous president Michael Sata claimed that Hichilema himself had used witchcraft to win elections.
Is Magic Evil?
This all might sound strange and even ridiculous, but belief in magic runs strong in Zambia. The majority of the country’s residents say they believe in witchcraft and use the services of local healers and witches.
Then again, this isn’t witchcraft as we might imagine it. It’s less about flying around on broomsticks and more about local age-old religious traditions and folk beliefs.
As such, the case has renewed a debate in Zambia over whether the Witchcraft Act should be repealed. It was originally put in place to protect vulnerable people, such as elderly widows, accused of witchery from mob justice back in the day.
The laws opponents say that the Witchcraft Act was written by people who don’t understand Zambia’s traditions and society. For example, they highlight how the law lumps every practitioner of magic together, when that’s not how things work according to local belief.
Rodwell Vongo, a folk healer and the president of Zambia’s Traditional Healers’ Association, told the Associated Press that, under the law, he is a “witch doctor.” He find that title offensive and highlights it as a prime example of the Witchcraft Act’s flaws.
Vongo added that most people visiting traditional healers either seek protection against evil forces or blessings for a happy marriage and such. That said, many of them believe there needs to be some kind of law against casting spells that could harm someone.
But how would you prove in a court of law that someone has performed evil magic? That’s a real can of worms, and the reason why the debate rages on in Zambia.