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Senior Patriotic Front (PF) official, Chishimba Kambwili, has been condemned to five months imprisonment with hard labour for hate speech against the Tonga People of Southern Province.
Kasama Senior Resident Magistrate, Samson Mumba, convicted and sentenced Kambwili on Thursday, with the politician now spending a night at Milima Correctional facility .
This is in a case in which Kambwili has been charged with the offence of expressing hatred and ridicule for persons because of tribe and place of origin.
Kambwili was said to have issued anti-Tonga tribal remarks during the 2021 elections when he featured on a live paid for programme on Radio Mano on unknown dates but between May 1 and August 8, 2021.
He was later suspended for a month by the Electoral Commission of Zambia ( ECZ) over the said remarks.
Magistrate Mumba noted that hate speech was a serious offence capable of dividing the nation.
Despite Kambwili pleading for a non-custodial sentence due to his poor health, the Court was on firm ground that perpetrators of hate speech deserved punishment.
Kambwili was first elected as Roan Patriotic Front Member of Parliament in 2006 and served up until 2019 when he was accused of being an office bearer of the National Democratic Party, and had crossed the floor by then Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini.
He was first appointed as Minister of Foriegn Affairs and later moved to the Ministry of Sports and Youth in the same capacity.
Read more: Developing Story: Court hears how politician Kambwili’s maid, others allegedly stole $160,000
A few years later, Kambwili was appointed as Information and Publicity Minister in 2015 and was reappointed to the same capacity in 2016 after Edgar Lungu returned to the presidency.
He also served as PF National Youth Chairperson until he was replaced with Shiwang’andu Constituency Member of Parliament, Stephen Kampyongo.
Kambwili formed the National Democratic Congress Party in 2019 after he was expelled from the PF together with former Copperbelt Minister Mwenya Musenge .
He managed to return to the Roan seat through Joseph Chishala and later worked with the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) during that period in an alliance.
The former lawmaker later switched camp and returned to the PF prior to the 2021 General elections in which he vigorously campaigned for Lungu who unfortunately lost to Hakainde Hichilema.
More details later…
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