Police in Lukulu has formally charged and arrested Chilufya Tayali aged 47 of house number 38 Ngwezi road in Roma township of Lusaka for the offence of Defamation of the President Contrary to Section 69 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia.
According to Zambia Police Spokesperson, Rae Hamoonga, the brief facts of the matter are that the accused did publish defamatory remarks on his Facebook page on 13th May 2022. The suspect has been detained in Police custody and will appear in court soon.
Meanwhile, there has been outrage in the manner Zambia Police is dealing with United Party and National Development (UPND) cadres’ complaints against opposition leaders.
Jackson Silavwe, President of the Golden Party of Zambia (GPZ) said that the President, and Inspector General of Police will be held accountable should something tragic happen to any opposition political party leader.
Mr Silavwe said that the transferring of opposition political leaders by the Zambia Police to different parts of the Country where UPND members have lodged complaints is retrogressive, repugnant and nauseating and questioned if the UPND now following a colonial script in dealing with the opposition.
Mr Silavwe said that this action is reminiscent of the colonial days before our Country’s independence when our freedom fighters such as Dr Kaunda, Mr Kapwepwe and others were restricted to different parts of the Country by colonialists and wondered whether this is the UPND Government the new colonial replica in town.
“In an event where something tragic happens to any opposition political leader (God forbid), President HH, the IG and his Government will be held responsible. President HH and his IG are compromising the security of opposition political leaders in our Country.
” Any person who has a complaint against any opposition political party leader must travel to where they are domiciled and lodge a complaint period. This behaviour is sinister and borders on the infringement of human rights.
“This abuse of the police by the ruling party is appalling and regresses our democratic gains. I call on President HH and his IG to end this practice immediately. It does not make them look good in the minds of well-meaning Zambians and stakeholders, ” he concluded.
Adding his voice to the outrage, former Ambassador to Ethiopia Emmanuel Mwamba said that Zambia Police is struggling to patrol townships to curb the unprecedented high levels of crimes in townships and compounds because of a lack of vehicles and operational fuel, yet they are quick to execute a complaint by UPND cadres in Solwezi against Raphael Nakacinda or Lukulu districts against Chilufya Tayali.
Mr Mwamba said that there is now information that PEPE leader Sean Tembo will be taken to Ikelenge District.
Mr Mwamba said that despite established law and practice that persons are prosecuted from the area or jurisdiction where the crime was suspected to have been committed, the Police in close collaboration with the UPND are abusing the complaint process.
“Dictatorship is always bred by leadership but implemented by defence and security wings. Dictatorship doesn’t appear to be so because it appears to target other people, ” he concluded
Twanaka hearing the same things everyday. What has defamation got to do with building the economy they claim PF to have damaged.
I can remember how oval head literally insulted Edgar. He did not even recognise Edgar’s presidency but he was never arrested at all.
Rae HAMOONGA how did he survive the sunami that swept Kanganja and company? Does Chilufya Tayali reside in Lukulu. What nonsense. Cost of living is sky rocketing and you are expending your energies on this rubbish?
BMW in opposition was vicious with criticism, now he cannot handle the opposite. If you can’t take blows, don’t throw blows.
The same son of a beech hh criticised the defamation laws, and yet today here he is using it to revenge those that oppose him. Hh lit0Ie sana. Come get me for defamation too:
Hh is a mad lying f00Iish dog. He is a sadist who will burn in he’ll
KIKIKI OME AND GET ME ???
HOW 1POSTER ?? NOT UNTIL YOU ARE HACKED MAYBE
Deja Vu – If I file a compliant about you in Nakonde and docket is open …you will have to come to that area…when Romeo Kangombe was transported from NW Province to Northern Province I didnt see you complaining here. Who is Tayali?
When people have experienced a theft and request police to visit the crime scene they always don’t have transport. So when people talk about the invisible hand it is actually now visible. This is purely persecution. Make tangible efforts in bringing to book those who have stolen from the public not these petty crimes which wont add value to my stomach and that of the multitude.
Henry – Defamation has nothing do with building the economy but according to our constitution its a crime …now its starting to sink in..Lazy Lungu govt was King at such cases not even issuing bail…let’s not develop selective amnesia when it suits us. Tayali is very careless let him go and pay lawyers to travel to Lukulu district, he never learnt any lessons when he was summoned to appear in court in Livingston.
Tarino. You cousin was fighting cops in Northern Province that’s why he was taken there. He was not reported by a cadre
Kaiser Zulu, have you ever head of the adage drinking your own medicine.
This is the law the PF abused and used. Why didn’t you change the law on defamation when you were presidential adviser to ECL.
Until the law is changed on defamation of the president, people with mouth like tayali will be guests in police cells.
The law is very clear, you can only be tried where they case was reported it committed, so tayali committed it only and it was reported to lukulu police and if police try him in Lusaka then they will be breaching the law.
This defamation of the President law is unconstitutional, a fact that HH in opposition appreciated and said he would get ride of once elected as President.
Power does corrupt, and now he has opted to keep that law and is instructing LEAs to arrest certain people.
UPND is the same as PF. We had UPND clods swarming the courts and making threats.
Disappointing.
And ba LAZ Bali ndwii
Use a chopper to transport these people
Bally was transported in a chopper.
If Zambia police don’t have let’s borrow
From.the minister who has choppers.
I believed this sort of pettiness was over and done with! But, it’s beginning to sound & look very much like pre 2022 under PF, or am I just having a baseless deja vu episode?
#plant a tree please!
Chriwa – if the law says its a crime to peep against any wall in the street and a policeman sees you doing it…he will not ignore it. HH7 is not above the constitution to tell the police to ignore it but he can do it through his MPs in National Assembly. I detest these colonial laws then again PF enjoyed this oppressive law but you can change them as a people by lobbying your MPs.
@Tarino #14, I am aware that police have to enforce existing laws.
It remains a fact that defamation of a president as a criminal offence is unconstitutional. You cannot have a law that is tailored for one person in the Republic.
My earlier message was that HH, whilst in opposition, did promise he would get rid of that law (and of course this means going through a parliamentary procedure).
At this point, I do think HH is getting comfortable with the power he has, and the praise he is getting from dullards. He won’t effect any changes to that law. This is made more factual by the fact that our President is not only attacking opponents who speak against him but instructs LEAs to arrest and now is telling courts to find them guilty.
#6 Tarino…it doesn’t agree with what is happening. Tayali was in Lusaka when he expressed his opinion on the current leadership. All these show how callous Upnd is. These are the things you accused Lungu of. People insulted, accused him if forgery of a university degree who had stolen someone’s identity and each time these people were arrested HH and Upnd would all go to the police station to give solidarity to them.
By the way no docket was ever opened in a far flung place like Nakonde or Kaputa. Why are you opening dockets in anti Bemba districts.
Tarino…it doesn’t agree with what is happening. Tayali was in Lusaka when he expressed his opinion on the current leadership. All these show how callous Upnd is. These are the things you accused Lungu of.
#15 Chirwa Chiza infact the president is abusing the law of defamation by mentioning the names of the people he thinks are insulting him. In short he’s inciting cadres to report other people to the police stations in politically hostile places.
I wonder how many will be incarcerated by end 5 year term for defaming the president. Zambia calo cesu!!
BMW loathed over this sort of politics whilst in opposition and called those who defamed ECL as freedom fighters, what has changed? He promised to amend the law on cyber crime and defamation, now that tables have changed, he’s using the same piece of legislation to his fullest advantage. Stop taking suspects to your supposedly political strongholds, that’s intimidation and promoting tribalism.
Those chaps who filed a complaint in Lukulu against CT cannot even substantiate their claims in court let alone face the Margistrate. KK warned us against voting HH and many of you thought he was just bluffing. TEPAAPA NGO WAKU ROMA!!
Lukulu is anti Bemba and Chilufya is Bemba
Very good that the laws considered to be not friendly with the general Zambian public are now being used on politicians some of whom were in position to amend but embraced them under malicious cover of “Interpreting and following the Law as written.” Let those getting caught in the law being applied deal with it than complaining against its application! Reality that the cartoon caption depicting a man climbing a ladder is bringing to the fore! Everyone obey and follow the law….. period!
What has happened to Chilufya Tayali, we are waiting to hear more insults to the president, for that’s how Bembas are brought up – insults as ‘Amalumbo’ very insensitive to others for insults are always insults. Lets hear them more from Tayali with the freedom he is enjoying.
Yes………….
Take them away from centers of decision making and business………….
Take them to far flang corners………….
We have work to do……………
Let’s develop this country called zambia…………
What the police are doing is extremely bad and unacceptable. I am surprised that such a move is being supported by the likes of Tarino Orange and other UPND praise singers. The normal practice is that the suspect be tried where he is alleged to have committed the offence. If I live in Lusaka but commit an offence in Chama, the normal thing will be to try me in Chama although I live in the capital. Hon Roneo Kang’ombe, for example, was alleged to have committed an offence in Chinsali and that is why he had to go there to be tried, Even within a town itself, if a case is reported at police station A , police station B will refuse to handle it and refer you back to police station A. What more if you are dealing with different parts of the country?
We warned the president………..
You can not give monkeys in a field of maze absolute freedoms……….
Time to get tough with these tribal supremacists before it is too late.
Show them who is in charge………..
Even if it means brining in emergency measures……….
I hope this matter is quickly handled by the courts. Tayali can appeal to the high court while serving his prison sentence.
I have no problem with defamation law or cadre-ism as long its PF scum who are feeling the heat.
The PF did not change those laws cause they thought they will continue to oppress the opposition . But the August 2021 elections changed the political scene.
Now the hunter is being hunted.
What goes around…comes around
Defamation of the President law is archaic and was supposed to be removed immediately MMD came into power but even them nor PF after them had seen fit to remove it. Upnd now have a golden chance to do the rightful. REMOVE IT!!
#25Â Â RazorÂ
May 21, 2022 At 6:34 pm
“Defamation of the President law is archaic and was supposed to be removed immediately MMD came into power but even them nor PF after them had seen fit to remove it. Upnd now have a golden chance to do the rightful. REMOVE IT!!..”
Have you seen the insults and dirty language by PF caders in the run up to elections in 2021 ??????
Is that what you want to be on air and in newspapers and SM every day , instead of development debates ???
@ deja vu lets be responsible with the way we comment here…those are the kinds of comments that will deepen divisions..it does not matter where you are tried as long it is zambia.. your #1 8 contribution is extreme and careless how about the barotse activists that were jailed in the northern part of the country despite hailing from western?? Lets not add fuel to deepen divisions even further.
If you are a proud bemba and anti lozi or anti barotse keep that to yourself not every one thinks the way you do.. and for your own information human rights transcends tribe and all that sh**