Ex-Zambian information minister sentenced to 5 months in prison for hate speech

LUSAKA, Zambia

Former Zambian Information Minister Chishimba Kambwili was sentenced to five months in prison with hard labor on Thursday for hate speech.

Kambwili, who served in the portfolio between 2015 and 2016, received his sentence from a magistrate in Kasama in the north of the country.

In the case, Kambwili, 54, who is currently a Central Committee member of the former ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party, was charged with the offence of expressing hatred and ridicule of the people of Southern Province based on tribe and place of origin.

Kasama Resident Magistrate Samson Mumba found Kambwili guilty after the prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

In mitigation, Kambwili, who spoke through his lawyer, told the court he was a first offender, a family man and a person who previously served the nation as a Cabinet minister.

He also urged the court to take into consideration his health, which had in the recent past been known for episodes of ailments such as hypertension.

In sentencing Kambwili, Mumba said he took into account the mitigation but opted for the sentence to deter would-be offenders.

However, after judgement was passed, Kambwili’s lawyer Kaizara Tembo told reporters his client will appeal against the verdict.

“Currently we are making efforts to lodge in an application for bail pending appeal,” he said.