Kasama High Court upholds Kambwili’s hate speech judgement

The Kasama High Court has upheld the judgment in which Patriotic Front (PF) Member of the Central Committee, Chishimba Kambwili was convicted for hate speech.

This was in a matter in which the defense team had appealed against the five months sentence that was given to Mr Kambwili by the Kasama Magistrate Court.

Kasama Resident Magistrate, Samson Mumba sentenced Mr Kambwili to five months with hard labour on November 30, 2023 after finding him guilty of the offense.

 

The matter was based on remarks he made during the 2021 elections when he appeared on Radio Mano in Kasama district which were deemed to express hatred and ridicule towards the Tonga speaking people.

 

The state had also appealed against the sentence, considering it too lenient, given the maximum sentence for hate speech is two years imprisonment.

 

However, a panel of three High Court Judges sitting in Kasama High Court, comprising Mathew Zulu, Twaambo Musonda, and Daniel Musonda, threw out both appeals, finding no fault with the lower court’s judgment.

 

Mr Kambwili was arrested by police in Kasama on 21st June 2022 and charged with the offense of expressing or showing hatred, ridicule or contempt for persons because of race, tribe or place of origin.

He has since been sent to Milima Correctional Facility in Kasama District.