Munir Zulu Sentenced to 18 Months with Hard Labour for Seditious Remarks Against President

Former Lumezi Member of Parliament Munir Zulu, long considered one of the country’s most controversial and defiant political figures, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour by Lusaka Magistrate Trevor Kasanda. The conviction stems from a fiery social media statement posted on September 6, 2023, in which Zulu alleged that President Hakainde Hichilema planned to dissolve Parliament and call for early elections a claim prosecutors successfully argued had seditious intent capable of inciting national instability.

The courtroom was tense as the sentence was read, with Zulu showing little emotion, his defiance now meeting the full weight of the law. In addition to the prison term, he was slapped with a fine of 2,000 Kwacha penalty units. But the sentence was not merely about the utterance of one reckless remark; it marked the crescendo of a long-simmering political saga that has left both supporters and critics in stunned reflection.

Zulu’s rise and fall have been nothing short of sensational. Brash, vocal, and unapologetic, he made headlines in March 2023 by accusing Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane and Infrastructure Minister Charles Milupi of accepting a $250,000 bribe related to a major road contract,allegations he failed to back with evidence, yet which sent shockwaves through the political establishment. That episode ignited lawsuits and threats of legal action from senior government officials and drew sharp criticism from the Anti-Corruption Commission, which refuted Zulu’s claims and called his accusations dangerous and misleading.

As if guided by an unrelenting appetite for controversy, Zulu became a regular fixture in legal and political drama. In October 2023, he made front-page news once again when he accused Water Development Minister Mike Mposha of physically assaulting him inside the National Assembly. Parliament’s own Committee on Privileges later found no merit in the accusation and instead admonished Zulu for what they termed “unparliamentary behavior,” reinforcing an image of a man increasingly isolated by his peers.

His legal troubles only worsened from there. In May 2024, Zulu was arrested and detained on fresh charges of hate speech alongside veteran civil rights activist Brebnar Changala, marking yet another addition to his growing rap sheet. The charge sheet began to read more like a criminal record than the biography of a national lawmaker.

And then came the ultimate sign of his unraveling: in November 2024, his own lawyer, Mcqueen Zaza, dramatically abandoned his case mid-trial, citing professional reasons. With Zulu left unrepresented at one of the most critical junctures of his career, the trajectory was set. The man who once styled himself as the voice of the voiceless, the unfiltered truth-teller in a sea of political silence, now faces the cold walls of a Zambian prison.

Public opinion remains sharply divided. For some, Zulu is a political martyr, a victim of an administration unwilling to tolerate dissent. For others, he is a cautionary tale about the dangers of populism unchecked by responsibility. His imprisonment has fueled new debates on freedom of speech, political accountability, and the limits of parliamentary immunity.

As Zambia looks toward the 2026 elections, Zulu’s downfall sends a powerful message. In the arena of national leadership, where words can stir hope or upheaval, recklessness can be costly. The former MP who once challenged the president to “bring it on” now faces another 18 months behind bars on top of the othe 12monts jail term which he appealed, perhaps the loudest silence he will ever be forced to keep.