26-year-old Rufunsa woman jailed two years for defaming President Hichilema

A 26-year-old woman of Rufunsa has been jailed two years for defaming President Hakainde Hichilema after she accused him of sacrificing six Seventh Day Adventist youths who drowned in Kariba Dam in Siavonga.

It is alleged that Saliya Laisha of unknown residential area in Rufunsa on January 5, 2022 in Lusaka with intent to bring President Hakainde Hichilema into hatred, ridicule and contempt, published a defamatory matter by word of mouth.

Laisha alleged that: “President Hakainde has sacrificed the six Seventh Day Adventist youths who died in the Kariba Dam in Siavonga, Southern Province so that he works well as he has failed to work.”

She was prosecuted under section 69 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia for allegedly defaming the President.

Laisha, pleaded not guilty to defamation of the President, a law which had now been repealed.

The Lusaka Magistrate found her with a case to answer and placed her on defence. She, however, opted to remain silent.

Delivering judgement on Friday, Magistrate Sheila Mweene convicted Laisha, who in mitigation pleaded for mercy that she was a mother of five and had been deserted by the husband.

She said that she was unemployed and looked after her partially blind mother.

However, Magistrate Mweene said she was removing Laisha from society with the hope that she reforms and refrains from uttering words of malice about anybody.

“This offence was committed before the law was repealed. Therefore, I shall apply the law as if it is still in force. The words you used infringed on the honour of the President. They hurt and damaged the reputation of the President,”

“Your words have the potential of unpacking the entire nation with hate and ridicule against our current President of Zambia, even the family and friends of the deceased youths are not spared as this can add to their grief,” she said.

Magistrate Mweene proceeded to pronounce a two-jail term with effect from Friday.

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