Thursday, March 28, 2024

Zambia Police Confirm the Arrest and Detention of Opposition Party Leader Sean Tembo

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Police in Lusaka have confirmed apprehending and detaining Patriots for Economic Progress President Sean Tembo. According to Zambia Police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga, Zambia Police will issue a comprehensive statement as soon as they finish with formalities.

Reports emerged yesterday that Mr Tembo had been arrested for defaming the president of the Republic of Zambia, a move that drew condemnation from stakeholders.

Leading the criticism was Socialist Party President Fred M’membe who described the arrest and detention of Mr Sean Tembo as clearly an abuse of the laws of defamation of the President to stifle legitimate criticism, adding that the UPND regime beats all previous governments in the abuse of this law and that have arrested and prosecuted more people in one year than any of our governments have done in five or ten years.

Meanwhile, Police at Kabwata Police Station has formally charged and arrested Lawrence Bwalya Muchinda aged 35 of unmarked residence in Barlestone in Lusaka west for the offence of Defamation of the President Contrary to Section 69 of the Penal Code Act Chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia.

Brief facts of the matter are that the accused on 21st August, 2022 at unknown time in Lusaka City of the Lusaka Province of the Republic of Zambia did by way of using Tik Tok a social media application in his names publish defamatory remarks against the President of the Republic of Zambia and Commander-In-of the Defence Force, Mr Hakainde Hichilema.

According to Zambia Police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga, the accused is currently detained in custody and will appear in court soon.

Mr Hamoonga said that the Zambia Police Service would like to warn persons who are in the habit of committing criminal offences on the cyber space that gone are the days that they can commit offences and expect not to be traced and arrested.

40 COMMENTS

  1. Freedom if speech does not mean freedom to insult people in public………..

    Even in developt countries, you can’t do that, or you get arrested………

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    • Don’t be f00Iish. The same western developed countries that are keeping you wouldn’t not arrest anyone for swearing at a political leader. Stop showing your blind loyalty to another human. You will come to regret it when that son of a beech is out of office. Chi carla !

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  2. We would like to know what exactly he said to ka hh and when he said it. I am a keen follower of SET and never has he mentioned HH name in any of his posts.

    Regardless, is it not the same hh who was against the defamation laws? Yet today he gladly uses them to silence any one who opposes him. Pan yo pako hh. Now is that defamation?

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    • The only sin SEAN E. TEMBO atakati said was and I quote:

      “From 08:30 to 10:30. Praise singers who are still upset from Bally’s period pains should stay away”
      and
      Bally’s monthly mestruation is here again. Fuel prices to be revised tomorrow “

      This angered Remmy and Ray.
      Zambians what do you think? Was this an insult?
      Language yayavuta pa Zed. Next when you cough Remmy and Ray will be on your throat. Eish! Kaya. New yawn!

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    • The problem is Zambians have stigmatized menstruation. What’s wrong with menstruation? It’s a sign of God’s gift to creation. All women should be proud of menstruation and men should not use it to degrade women. Men who do so just envy the fact that a woman can do what they can’t. Carry a life into the world

  3. GET USED TO IT PEOPLE LAW AND ORDER HAS NOW COME INTO PLAY THIS CHAP JUST NEEDS TO PROVE HIMSELF AND ITS OVER
    WHATS ALL THE FUSS ABOUT ? APART FROM BEING SORE LOSERS

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    • Funny that when Sean was arrested for insulting the then president you all protested against the arrest. In short you have no standard but only support what favors you no matter how illogical it might be.

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  4. As the long as the s_t_u_p_i_d_ law is on the statutes, people will be arrested. It is a law that contradicts the constitution in a multi-party democracy. But spare a thought for the Tswanas where even defaming a member of Parliament is against the law! KK told Andrew Sardanis that the Public Order ACt was good for the Colonialists and so it would be good ‘for us too when we form government.’ This is how EVERY successivePresident has acted in Zambia since 1964. In opposition they talk but even Mmembe will even be worse if he became President. Collect 2.8 million signatures to change it!

  5. Zakuna mbwasaukanga malasambwa lifelile, wa inyelela ka mulomo fa patelo kimotashwela hape usa inyeleli hala sicaba.

  6. What SET wrote was not defamation but a down right insult for which any injured person can sue. It’s unzambian what he wrote. He became careless.

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  7. HH needs to seat down with his IG privately and tell him to stop these arrests. I feel like the police think their job is pleasing the head of state by seemingly crushing down on political opponents. This mentality has existed since before independence when police were supposed quell any opposing views to white minority rule (which is now President and his elites, hence failure of police to arrest Nkombo for forcing alcohol consumption, failure of police to arrest Mary Chirwa, failure of police to arrest Mabumba then etc).
    IG should be a human rights lawyer. These arrests are tainting HH.

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  8. Useless government… cowards
    Turning police officers into useful idi.ots
    William Banda said bad things about the heritage party President was he arrested…the answer is no

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  9. The way the policed trace these people is very quick but i wonder why they cant use the same machinery to trace the kid nappers of our sister as it has taken take no update on the matter

  10. F**K the defamation lawsuit, a President is just like any other person but with the responsibility of leading. He can be criticized and challenged.. we need to be open about this.

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    • The mindset of most Zambians especially politicians is that the President is a King. They don’t know the difference between a republic and a kingdom

    • Politics is about kuvokavoka. Kuvokavoka is what all civilised societies use to avoid resorting to violence. Kuvokavoka should be encouraged by any civilised president.

  11. I dont see any reason to arrest ST but it was very careless of him as a prospective Presidential candidate to use such references…I am sure his wife, mother, and aunties are proud of him

  12. People like Mr S Tembo should not be arrested! It’s like fish inadvertently swallowing bait..if you know what I mean.

    #plant more trees please.

  13. What benefit is there for one hulling and saying unpalatables against the head of state. It does not benefit any one at all. Good conduct even at personal level against another individual is good, you lose nothing instead you earn respect and leave at peace with every body. Those who indulge in such activities do it deliberately to provoke the situation and dare the law. They feel good insulting others feelings while at the same time do not want their feeling heart or injured, what a contradiction. Such acts to some creates space for them to find room to be confrontational with those in power. Because they are going to say have you seen the person who says he upholds freedoms of speech now he is arresting people. What sort of government is this. Remember you reap what you sow. The…

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    • Awisi don’t preach. Tembo thinks the gallery will be impressed by whatever he let’s out. You can’t set the rules for how he should open his mouth. The people will judge and either flock to him or desert him.
      That is freedom of speech. As a politician he can let out any rubbish from his mouth and only politically suffer the consequences.

  14. HH insulted Lungu day in and day out and one arrested him. Set did not insult HH he just expressed himself. I think it’s time we got rid of this useless law.,Stop troubling people flee Set he hasn’t done anything.

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    • Police are getting instructions from Upnd cadres. While in PF the cadres were openly violent , these are silent burners

  15. If he is the most defamed president in one year, it will be the worst scenario in the next four years.
    The answer probably is the over promising narratives from the ruling class have propagated. A retrospective analysis is required.
    A hungry man is an angry man.

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  16. Defamation of the President is an archaic law that needs to be repealed ASAP. Countless presidents and overzealous cadres have been using this law to fix their opponents. Anyone vying for public office needs to have a thick skin and not a law to protect them as if they are as delicate as eggs which can easily Crack. If it’s too hot for you to handle then get out of the kitchen.

    • That the president can’t be litigated makes the Executive wield absolute power and so hard to get back at.

      One can sue the State, but the President would NEVER be sued. What a law!

  17. Kaizar Zulu or whoever you call your useless and worthless self,mind your your language you political imbecile!!!-You are just too bitter, the same way a thief gets bitter when something he/she stole from someone else also gets stolen from him/her!!!

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  18. Last I checked HHs legal name was not bally. Can someone explain to me how a case of defamation can be brought against someone without their name being stated at all

  19. Only 12 months and HH detains more citizens for defamation than any Zambian president. He seems to be happy about this as he issues no statement about how the law, which contradicts the constitution, is being used to imprison his political rivals. Our president definitely isn’t a Democrat. He could be an autocrat, fascist or kleptocrat

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