Government Should Drop Sedition Investigation Into Sishuwa – CPJ

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have urged Zambian authorities to drop the investigation into Sishuwa, and instead concentrate on reaffirming the right to media freedom.

The newspaper columnist and academic, Sishuwa Sishuwa, has been accused of sedition following an opinion piece which was published in News Diggers which explained why he believes unrest may occur after the elections.

In response to this, CPJ’s Africa programme coordinator, Angela Quintal, has said that following up the charges would be a waste of police time.

“Police should note waste taxpayers’ money by entertaining a complaint of alleged sedition against columnist and academic Sishuwa Sishuwa, who was simply exercising his fundamental right to freedom of speech,” she said.

She also warned the authorities against “inadvertently opening the floodgates for those close to the ruling Patriotic Front who may want to weaponise colonial-era sedition laws ahead of the August general elections.”

The attempt to charge Sishuwa with sedition as a result of the opinion piece appears to be a broader attempt by the authorities to suppress criticism ahead of the elections.

On speaking to CPJ, Sishuwa has said that “By accusing me of sedition, the government wants to intimidate an independent voice, one of the few remaining, seen as having an international audience.”

The call to drop these potential charges adds to almost 130 academics who have also commented that they are “deeply alarmed” at the government’s response to the article.

Photo: CPJ