Two Zambian "Witchdoctors" Arrested In Alleged Plot To Bewitch President Hichilema
The Zambia Police Service (ZPS) has arrested two men accused of being “witchdoctors” tasked with bewitching the country’s president, according to a BBC report. The suspects, Jasten Mabulesse Candunde and Leonard Phiri, were arrested in Lusaka.
“Their purported mission was to use charms to harm” President Hakainde Hichilema, stated the police on Friday.
The police alleged that Candunde and Phiri were hired by Nelson Banda, the younger brother of MP Emmanuel “Jay Jay” Banda.
Emmanuel Banda was reportedly arrested last month in Zimbabwe over robbery charges, which he denies. He has not been seen in public since and is also accused of escaping custody in August while awaiting a court appearance.
The opposition Patriotic Front (PF) party, led by former President Edgar Lungu, claims these charges are politically motivated.
Emmanuel Banda, an independent MP since 2021, was previously associated with Lungu, who lost the presidency to Hichilema that year.
The police stated that Nelson Banda is “currently on the run.” Candunde and Phiri have been charged under Zambia’s Witchcraft Act with “possession of charms,” “professing knowledge of witchcraft,” and “cruelty to wild animals.” They were found in possession of “assorted charms,” including a live chameleon.
The suspects reportedly told the police they had been promised over 2 million Zambian kwacha (£58,000; $73,000) for their “mission.”
They are currently in custody and will appear in court “soon,” though no exact date has been given.
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