PF’s Mabonga to know fate May 7, as court sets judgement date in sedition case trial

The Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has set May 7, 2025, as the date for judgment in the case involving Patriotic Front (PF) Mfuwe Member of Parliament Maureen Mabonga, who is facing two counts of seditious practices.

Senior Resident Magistrate, Trevor Kasanda, is expected to deliver the verdict after months of proceedings.

In the first count, it is alleged that between May 25 and May 28, 2024, in Lusaka, Mabonga made remarks deemed seditious, including:

“Do you want us to be moving with guns? Start killing each other? Is this where we are going? Is this what we want as Zambians? Because we can do it. Today it is Jay Jay that has been abducted. Tomorrow it is another person and you want us to sit back and relax…”

Prosecutors argued that the remarks were intended to incite violence or disrupt public peace.

In the second count, Mabonga is accused of making further inflammatory statements in the same period, such as:

“Every Bemba speaking is a criminal according to them… They hate him because he is from the Eastern Province… They hate Jay Jay Banda because he is also from PF… We are not going to lose our people like that and we sit back just like that…”

The prosecution says these comments had the potential to fuel tribal and political tensions.

Mabonga has denied the charges. In her defence, she claimed her statements were meant to highlight the alleged violence and intimidation faced by PF members.

She cited the disappearance of former Petauke Central MP, Emmanuel Jay Banda and threats against former President Edgar Lungu as examples requiring urgent attention.

Meanwhile, in a separate case, the court has adjourned the matter involving PF faction Information and Publicity Chairperson, Emmanuel Mwamba to May 7, 2025.

Mwamba, who is reportedly in the United States, faces a charge of assaulting a police officer.

The court extended an existing bench warrant after he failed to appear for proceedings.

According to the charge, Mwamba is accused of assaulting Detective Inspector Steven Simwenda on June 14, 2023, while the officer was on duty.

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