A court in Zambia has sentenced two men to two years in prison for attempting to use witchcraft to kill President Hakainde Hichilema. Zambian Leonard Phiri and Mozambican Jasten Mabulesse Candunde were convicted under the Witchcraft Act after being arrested in December with charms in their possession, including a live chameleon. Magistrate Fine Mayambu stated that the convicts were not only enemies of the head of state but of all Zambians.

The prosecution alleged that Phiri and Candunde were hired by a fugitive former MP to bewitch Hichilema. Despite claiming they were traditional healers, the court found them guilty on two counts, particularly after Phiri explained that the chameleon's tail would be fatal if used in a ritual.

Their lawyer sought leniency, but the court imposed a firm sentence, holding that both represented themselves as capable of witchcraft, despite cultural beliefs in witchcraft not being scientifically proven. This case is notable as it's the first time individuals were tried for using witchcraft to target a president in Zambia, provoking discussions about the influence of such beliefs in contemporary society. Hichilema, who has publicly rejected the existence of witchcraft, has not commented on the trial.