The Copperbelt provincial cultural office has started pursuing witchfinders who are placing charms in coffins to determine the cause of deaths in Ndola rural.
Provincial Cultural Officer, Andrew Bwalya said yesterday in Ndola that the law did not provide for witchcraft and to accuse one of practicing it was an offence.
Mr Bwalya said 14 people were linked recently to the death of a person in one village in Masaiti.
He said the habit of placing charms in the coffin was becoming common and that it was not the best way of determining the source of death.
Mr Bwalya said when the charms were placed in the coffin, the coffin could hit anyone who had differences with the deceased even if they were not connected to the death.
He said his office had instituted serious investigations into those putting the charms in coffins because it was bringing hatred among the people especially in families.
A coffin in Masaiti recently hit some people after someone placed herbs in it to identify those connected to the death.