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Magistrate Fine Mayambu has sentenced two men to two years in prison for plotting to kill President Hakainde Hichilema using witchcraft, ruling that their motive was serious enough to warrant imprisonment.
On Monday, the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court handed down the sentence to Jasten Mabulesse Candude, a Mozambican, and Leonard Phiri, a Zambian.
They were sentenced to two years for professing witchcraft and six months for possessing charms, with the sentences running concurrently from December 2024.
Read more: Two men convicted in witchcraft plot against President Hichilema
Court proceedings revealed that the duo not only conspired to kill the President, with Phiri openly stating their plan was “kupa,” meaning to kill, but also detailed strategies on how to execute the plot. Magistrate Mayambu stated, “In an attempt to execute their mission, it was proved that the accused persons did not only want to cause fear, annoyance, and injury to the targeted person but to kill.”
The court heard that Candude and Phiri allegedly claimed to have been hired by fugitive former MP Emmanuel Jay Banda for K13.5 million to carry out the plan.
They had traveled from Mozambique and Zambia’s Eastern Province, camped in separate locations, and meticulously planned their mission before being arrested.
Magistrate Mayambu emphasized the gravity of the offence, noting that it could not be trivialized given the target and potential consequences.
“The convicts were not only targeting the President, but they also became enemies of all Zambians.
“Had their mission succeeded, it would have destabilized the nation politically and economically,” he said.
The court dismissed arguments for leniency despite the duo being first-time offenders and in custody since December, ruling that the aggravating factors outweighed mitigation.
Candude and Phiri will serve their sentences concurrently, amounting to two years in prison.
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