Police Arrest Man For Defaming Housing Minister

Police in Lusaka have arrested a man from Eastern Province for the alleged defamation of Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development Vincent Mwale. 

A police spokesperson said Maxson Nkhoma of Chipata is accused of two counts of criminal libel, having allegedly published defamatory remarks on social media against Mr Mwale. 

The arrest comes after the high-profile detainment of photographer Chellah Tukuta in June. Mr Tukuta was similarly accused of sharing defamatory statements about Information Minister Dora Siliya and other government officials. 

The Human Rights Commission said Tukuta’s imprisonment made ‘a mockery’ of Zambia’s legal system. 

Meanwhile, police in Siavonga have also arrested a former UPND Youth District Chairman, John Simweemba, for inciting violence against public officers.

Police say Mr Simweemba was plotting against government officials tasked with issuing National Registration Cards.

The cards have been the subject of heated controversy recently, with UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema storming the National Registration Office to demand answers about the preferential distribution of cards in PF strongholds. 

Mr Simweemba is currently detained in police custody and will likely be charged with unlawful assembly, along with four others who attended a meeting without notifying the police.