Activist Urges Zambian President To Drop Charges Against Accused Witchdoctors
Human rights activist and Director of Advocacy for Alleged Witches, Leo Igwe, has called on Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema to immediately withdraw charges against two witchdoctors arrested for allegedly attempting to bewitch him.
In a letter to the President, Igwe demanded the unconditional release of the two men, condemning the charges as both baseless and damaging to Zambia’s international reputation.
Igwe described the arrest as a bizarre development that threatens to embarrass Zambia on the international stage.
He argued that pursuing such a case wastes the resources of both the country’s police and legislative arm, saying they could better be spent addressing more pressing issues.
Igwe also questioned the legal viability of the case, pointing out that proving the possession of a charm would be nearly impossible to do beyond a reasonable doubt, a critical requirement in criminal law.
The letter reads, “My name is Leo Igwe from the Advocacy for Alleged Witches. We campaign against witchcraft accusations, witch persecution and witch hunting in Africa.
“We aim to end witch hunts in Africa by 2030. I am writing to inform you that the news reported by the BBC, “Suspected ‘witchdoctors’ arrested over attempt to ‘bewitch’ Zambia’s president,” has been so embarrassing to us all.
“The report is a setback to our vision to end witch hunting in the region. Your Excellency, do you really believe in witchcraft and in the potency of charm?”
According to Igwe, “If you take a critical look at the report, it is the police that broke the law by arresting the so-called ‘witchdoctors.’”
He explained that it is the police that broke the law by imputing that what was in their possession was some charm that they intended to use in harming the country’s leader.
“So I urge you to withdraw this bizarre charge which is making Zambia a laughing stock in the international scene,” the letter further reads.
“As I have noted in this blogpost, how would the police prove that what was in their possession was some charm? How would they prove that beyond reasonable doubt as required by law? How do you prove that they intended to use that to harm you? Even if by any stretch of imagination they so confessed, how does it make any legal or criminal sense to you, Mr. president?
“In addition this arrest is a waste of police and legislative resources of Zambia. The country is grappling with serious socioeconomic problems, so this arrest is a distraction. It is a deflation of attention from urgent pressing national issues.”
Igwe noted that there is no evidence that anyone could kill or harm another person using witchcraft or charms.
“Such a claim has no basis in law, science or reality. It is a mistake to charge the ‘witchdoctors’ under Zambia’s Witchcraft Act. It is a misreading, misinterpretation and misunderstanding of that criminal provision.
“Once again I implore you to withdraw the charge and free the arrested ‘witchdoctors’,” Igwe said.
