Alliance for Better Zambia leader Father Frank Bwalya has pleaded not guilty to defaming President Michael Sata and proposing violence in the Kasama Magistrate Court.
And Principal Resident Magistrate Vincent Silota has granted Fr. Bwalya a K10, 000 cash bail in his own recognizance with two working sureties.
This is a case in which Fr. Bwalya, 45, is charged with two counts, namely defamation of the President and proposing violence contrary to the laws of Zambia.
Fr. Bwalya told Magistrate Silota in a fully-packed courtroom that he understood the charges before the court but denied them.
And Magistrate Silota has adjourned the matter to 21st January, 2014 for mention and 6th February as date for commencement of trial.
Particulars of the offence are that in the first count, Fr. Bwalya is accused of uttering defamatory words with intent to put the name of the President into ridicule, hatred and contempt contrary to section 69 Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
In the second count, Fr. Bwalya is accused of proposing violence through his utterances while featuring on a radio programme.
Yesterday, police in Kasama arrested Alliance for Better Zambia leader for defaming President Michael Sata while featuring on a live programme on Radio Mano Community Station.
Northern province Police Commissioner Mary Chikwanda confirmed the arrest of Fr. Bwalya to ZANIS and said the opposition leader has been charged with defamation of the President contrary to law.
Fr. Bwalya yesterday spent a night in police cells after being locked up at Kasama Central police station.
Earlier, Fr. Bwalya escaped lynching from irate Patriotic Front members and youths who accused him of talking ill of President Sata and government while appearing on Radio Mano.
However, quick action by the police rescued the Alliance for Better Zambia leader from being beaten as they whisked him away in a security vehicle.
ZANIS
CI SATA IS A CUMBU MUNSHOLOLWA NGAWAOLOLA CHILAKOMBOKA – IS A SWEET POTATO THAT ONE CANNOT BEND AS IT WILL BREAK- HE CANNOT LISTEN AND HE IS A ONE MAN KNOWS IT ALL STUBBORN MORON- HE IS LIKE A RUN AWAY TRAIN.
Father Bwalya, i have forgiven you for having given the pipo of Zambia this president. You look like u realize u made a mistake and u want to change it. But please apologize to the pipo of Zed b4 the whole country can 4give u.
Why is he called a Father?
This is why the backwardness starts from the media and is fed
to all you masses.
No sympathy from a man who is as relevant as my door bell in our cellar
Thanks
We all make mistakes. We were used by the media to project RB as a devil and Sata as a savior.
Father Bwalya is a good person but could not read the ‘Real’ Sata and hence the mistake of supporting SATAN.
Those who have realised their mistake and repenting will be accepted back as one of us, and those who are milking the cow knowing very well what Satan is all about and helping him in plunder and mayhem, will be prosecuted when new government takes over. No mercy this time.
MUSHOTA WABA ICHINYO NANGULA MAPULI YOBE. YOU ARE THE WORST IRRITANT ON THE CYBER SPACE, GET A LIFE MASO YOBE
I thought there was no case in the first place?
President Cumbu Mushololwa Sata, that’s what the initials in the name M.C. Sata stand for. Ngawacholola ninshi chasemuka!
SUGGESTION: No need for any “Red Card” campaign Fr. Bwalya – it’s seems we can do better with a SWEET POTATO DISPLAY campaign, a CUMBU MUSHOLOLWA campaign!!!
An opposition politician in Zambia has been arrested and charged with defamation after he compared the president to a potato.
Frank Bwalya allegedly described President Michael Sata as “chumbu mushololwa” on radio on Monday.
The Bemba language phrase refers to a sweet potato that breaks when it is bent and is used to describe someone who does not listen to advice.
Mr Bwalya faces a maximum jail term of five years if he is convicted.
@RB ulicipuba sana, why insult? Mushota is telling the truth, Bwalya is irrelevant and you know it. Get lost you son of a d.o.g.
How many people in the govt have not only proposed violence, but actually killing and stealing the dead body from the mortuary and burying secretly.
Days are numbered. Who knew that supper k could be turned to a cadre, voiced himself out SA, but remains quiet in his country.
Mushota, your reasoning capacity is really pathetic. You cannot consciously and credibly make sense of things, apply logic, for establishing and verifying facts, and change or justify practices, and beliefs based on the current information in Zambia.
As a woman, I believe you can transcend your current form of reasoning, understanding, aptitude in grasping truths, and meanings. Your reasoning is horrible girl to say the least. When I read your comments (sometimes) you make me appreciate the importance of education and wisdom.
Would you for once use your brains girl and demonstrate that as women we can also reason intelligently?
Silence Mushota is better than bull… and when you know you are full of bull…, keep your mouth shut!
Leave Fr Bwalya alone Where is freedom of speech in mother Zambia Thank God I dont live there
its cowards like you who want others to fight for you and the you just walk in and enjoy the fruits of other peoples’ sweat and blood.
I guess you don’t even understand what it took for Canada to get where it is today
you are even proud to say I don’t fyoto fyoto, ata, weshilu we!!
Tht why people do wrong thng is of media
What did he exactly say that defamed Sata? If Sata was in the US and listening to the Limbaugh’s of this world, I bet he might SH.IT his pants.
Or even face the ruthless British press he’d have mental trauma.
Unless you’re willing to be used and unquestioningly follow this dictator then he will find some bogus charges to slap on you.
The worst part of being cumbu musholowa in the mind is you’ll never have an open mind.Sata expects the world to fit him rather than him fitting the world.Cumbu musholowa = mental block built fed byone’s bias & pride.
I dont support Fr. Bwalya second revolutionary actions which are emanating from bitterness. Everybodies how he went head on with RB just to have MCS become president against all odds. he went to an extent of public chicken strangling just to show alligence to PF. I remember dismparaging him about his looks. What has change father?? you should ve exercised patience and that diplomatic job you wanted would ve been yours. the same applies to green party president.
What defamation? Is it not the President who has defamed the Bemba Royal Establishment?
Chumbumushololwa is a very innocent saying, referring to anyone who does not take good advice.
How many Zambian voices have been advising President Sata and our Government, while the Government has chosen to play deaf with us?
Only those who don’t know the Bemba saying, and don’t know the meaning of defamation will find fault with what Frank said.
This is supposed to be a democratic era, where people must not be muzzled, but allowed to express their opinion on matters of public interest.
One finds this action by Government shameful. It surprised me to hear the news first on BBC Radio at 3 pm.
Mmembe and Another v People; Fred Mmembe Masautso Phiri Goliath Mungonge v People (S.C.Z. Judgment No. 4 of 1996) [1996] ZMSC 8 (11 April 1996)
Sata v Post Newspaper Limited and Others (1992/HP/1325 AND 1804 AND 1993/HP/821) [1994] ZMHC 3 (11 October 1994)
Sata v The Post Newspapers Limited and Another 1992/HP/1385 & 1993/HP/821 (Unreported).
Resident Doctors Association of Zambia and Others v The Attorney-General (2003) ZR 88.
Section 69 provides; Any person who, with intent to bring the President into hatred, ridicule or contempt, publishes any defamatory or insulting matter, whether by writing, print, word of mouth or in any other manner, is guilty of an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years.
Remember Fred and the cabbage case?
Maybe translate it into Bisa, he will understand it
This is down-right embarrassing, even for the hard-core supporters of the President like M’membe and the cadres. This clatching at the proverbial straws after the ubwato has gone under. Fr Bwalya, for all his short comings, at least you will agree that his weaknesses does not include cowardice and double-tongued. A spade in Rupiah’s hand is still a spade in Sata’s. Good Fr, many well meaning Zambians are behind you on this. Keep the fire burning.
Freedom of speech does not entail defaming anybody. The same message he was trying to pass can be communicated in a more civil manner.
For those saying that the word is not offensive. Would you call your own father, mother, aunty, uncle, brother or sister chumbumunshololwa? If you would then fair enough
@Stirflow….i would not call my father Cumbu whatever. SATA is not my father, he’s the president elected by the pipo. He chose the office of the president, the office did not choose him. Citizens should never be referred to as children, they are the masters. 2016 is arround the corner, will see who are the children.
@ S-O-B. You clearly have not understood what I meant. What I meant to say is we all have people that are stubborn, do not listen to advice etc in our families. The question is would you use such a term to describe them in public and on air for that matter?
If you claim this word is offensive, then all desscriptions in our local language r offensive. He jst described MCS’ s attitude in our mother tonque. Imagine the interview was entirely in bebmba, what kind of words would we have heard?
Here is another pointless debate…why not debate about section 69 Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.
People GROW UP and WAKE UP!!
Stirflow,
I all fairness you are very myopic to say the least!
@Stirflow
Mr Sata swears at his subordinates in public calling them stupid. Does this kind of person deserve to be respected? Oh no! Respect is earned. Because you are head of state doesn’t empower you to abuse others. Actually Bwalya was merely stating a fact we all know, that the president is crude, obstinate, stubborn, impervious to reason (Chumbu munshololwa) Now don’t you agree that Chumbu Munshololwa is Sata’s middle name, going by the characteristics he exhibits daily?
What a bunch of so and so’s you are! The point Stirflow is trying to make is very simple! You should not disrespect another individual, regardless of how sad or upset, or even how intoxicated or sick, you are! Just because they do it does not mean you should do it as well! I bet 1d10ts like Zulu, Wantanshi, Nationalist, S-o-B walk around and pretend to be civilized. Guess what if you condone such language then you are very very far for being civilized.
@ Jay Jay. The chaps I’ve just mentioned above would insult you off the blog if you tried to be constructive
Jesus preached about Gods kingdom. They wanted to make him king but he refused knowing that only Gods kingdom will undo the effects of sin. Bushe uyuwine umupatili talaba nama verse. Lyonse ma politics. No one can serve two master’s at a time. So uyu alefwayafye money after that ninshi nika weddings. Hakainde best man. Mumba weed killer master of ceremony kabili cena kale cayamba ukubosabosa napa church.
Bringing the name of the president into ridicule!!! Who wrote that stupic article into our constitution? Criticism is not ridicule, but kaponyas have no way of differentiating the two. Omit that foolishness in our next constitution please. This man is not God, do not worship him!
Sata is not God, he is super God.
I’m not a lawyer but funny enough in the penal code that “appears” to the case to raise the president above everyone else this is found in section 53(1). This provision confers on the president absolute discretion to any publication or series of publication within or outside Zambia that he considers are contrary to public interest.
Read a UNZA paper by Nachimata Siwale
Title: Analysis of the Law on Defamation of the President (2009)
http://dspace.unza.zm:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/2395/Siwale.PDF?sequence=1
I’m not a lawyer but funny enough in the penal code that “appears” to be the case to raise the president above everyone else this is found in section 53(1). This provision confers on the president absolute discretion to any publication or series of publication within or outside Zambia that he considers are contrary to public interest.
Read a UNZA paper by Nachimata Siwale
Title: Analysis of the Law on Defamation of the President (2009)
Ba LT, mwayamba kupusa censoring my clean comment!
Does this fellow remember the innocent chicken he slaughtered?
Typical Zambians good at complaining when we tell you to debate issues and not personalities it falls on deaf ears. These laws have been there since the one party era and nobody feels the need to abolish them as we are busy debating utterly useless issues. Today an opposition leader is arrested and in two years time the same leader will be in power and the selfsame laws will work in his favour. When the constitution was awaiting contributions at Mulungushi Hall from the general public what were we doing last year? We were busy debating about homosexuality, events and the usual useless personalities.
Wake up people!!!
What did you do about it smart and alert Jay Jay?
what defamation? but Sata is already deformed can you see his face and teeth?
chalimikalipa sana ba opposition lekeni sata ateke PF will still win in 2016 as they have performed well embwawe chi father bwalya or former father
He called Sata “Chumbu Mushololwa” i.e a completely useless potato that falls apart under burning pressure. Icishinka awe sure ku mutila cilomfwisha icifukushi!
Ukwa Chumbu Mushololwa Chimbwi Ndwii No Plan Fokofokooo Wenye!
I now have respect for this little fellow. He has proved that he is not a hungry man but really principled. If Nevers left the pulpit for the Presidency, he too has the right to leave the altar for alliance for a better Zambia.
When Cumbu mushololwa was in opposition he used to insult mwanawasa day in out but was not arrested. RB was also not spared by misdirected cobra’s venom.
Chiwamene mbuzi kuluma galu.father bwalya should mind his language,Zambia is being ruled by king cobra.father bwalya should spent another night in cell.
JAY JAY YOU HAVE MADE A GOOD POINT MY BROTHER. GOD BLESS YOU . WE NEED GOOD AND BRILLIANT CONTRIBUTIONS NOT SOME CHAPS WHO ONLY CONTRIBUTE INSULTS.
This is a circus.
Bwalya calls Sata Kandolo.
Sata sends Bakaboke, because Bwalya called him Kandolo!
Ni kandolo shikulu.
Now in Zambia kandolo is an offence
Today’s post read, ” Police save Frank Bwalya from kasama PF lyching”. According to the story, police protect Bwalya from cadres and instead the police beat up ‘some’ cadre for unruly behavior. Who is lying between the LT and the post?
Both are lying.
The downside of Sata being cumbu musholowa is he’ll never be open minded.Approaching everything with his biases & putting his pride before rationality and objectivity are the building blocks of life’s failures.No wonder all he has are 7guns.
Eh, I now believe that metaphors sound more painful in Bemba than in any other language. Ummm, “icumbu mushololoka”.
Well Could it be that even the man of God ‘ Father ‘ Frank Bwalya is also a Cumbu Munshololwa? From his behaviour so far it also fits him squarely. We have a lot of Bitter Potatoes which cannot be straightened in this Country . There is one bitter Chumbu Munshololwa in UPND who has convinced himself that he is the only Intelligent Zambian who can be president ! All of us are Dull.
Then there is another Bitter Chumbu Munshololwa in PF who is busy hounding out hardworking members of the Party so that he becomes President . He can even destroy the PF if this wont happen. Then there is one Chumbu Munshololwa heading the Post News who supports this Bitter chumbu munshololwa’s ambition to become President. A lot of Bitter Potatoes around! At least my President is a Sweet Chumbu…
I knew Frank Bwalya from Secondary School. He is the correct definition of a Cumbu Munshololwa through and through.
Yebo Proffessor Chisushi .Indeed Zambia has gone potatoes.
May be lets look at the positive of this Bemba saying- I see a Cumbu Munshololwa as a principled , firm , and not easily moved person. Not all advice is good. Stand on your ground if you know that you are right. I thought this was a good attribute for a leader. No one wants a yoyo for a President ! We should infact put this good attribute as a qualification for one to be President. He/She should be a Cumbu Munshololwa!
This chisata is really mad what kind of a president is this who want to antagonise evryone? Zambia is really a banana state with a mad head of state what a shame
What do you expect … you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
#CumbuNoPlan