Court orders Nakacinda to pay K2,400 or face 3 months jail term for seditious remarks

Patriotic Front (PF) faction Secretary General, Raphael Nakacinda, has been fined K2,400 after being convicted of seditious practice over remarks linking President Hakainde Hichilema to a search at former President Edgar Lungu’s residence. High Court Judge Davis Chibwili, sitting as Chief Resident Magistrate, ordered Nakacinda to pay the fine or serve three months’ simple imprisonment in default. The case arose from a video recorded in September 2024 and later published on Kanele 97.7 FM’s Facebook page, in which Nakacinda alleged that President Hichilema had directed the Drug Enforcement Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission and Zambia Police Service to search Lungu’s Chifwema residence.

The prosecution called eight witnesses, including officers from the Zambia Police cyber forensics, anti-fraud and cybercrimes departments. Judge Chibwili said the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, adding that evidence from the police, DEC and ACC contradicted Nakacinda’s claim that the President had directed the agencies to search Lungu’s residence. The court further found that Nakacinda’s remarks had the potential to encourage PF cadres to converge at Chifwema to prevent a possible search.

In mitigation, Nakacinda’s lawyers asked the court to impose a non-custodial sentence, describing him as a first offender who was remorseful. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.