GRASSROOTS MEDIA CHISHIMBA CONVICTED OVER STATEMENT THAT PRESIDENT HH IMPREGNATED CHIPO MWANAWASA, SENTENCING SET FOR MONDAY

GRASSROOTS MEDIA CHISHIMBA CONVICTED OVER STATEMENT THAT PRESIDENT HH IMPREGNATED CHIPO MWANAWASA, SENTENCING SET FOR MONDAY The Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has convicted vlogger Joseph Chishimba for publishing information containing allegations concerning Special Assistant to the President for Public Policy, Chipokota Mwanawasa, and President Hakainde Hichilema. Lusaka Principal Resident Magistrate Idah Phiri found Chishimba guilty as […]

GRASSROOTS MEDIA CHISHIMBA CONVICTED OVER STATEMENT THAT PRESIDENT HH IMPREGNATED CHIPO MWANAWASA, SENTENCING SET FOR MONDAY

The Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has convicted vlogger Joseph Chishimba for publishing information containing allegations concerning Special Assistant to the President for Public Policy, Chipokota Mwanawasa, and President Hakainde Hichilema.

Lusaka Principal Resident Magistrate Idah Phiri found Chishimba guilty as charged under Section 54 of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act Number 2 of 2021.
In delivering judgment today, September 11, 2026, Magistrate Phiri said evidence before the court established that material containing the allegations was received by Chishimba from Charles Kakula and was subsequently transferred from the accused’s mobile phone to a WhatsApp group.

The court heard that although a Cyber Security Analyst did not locate the specific post in the WhatsApp group during forensic analysis, other evidence established that the material had been disseminated from Chishimba’s phone.
Magistrate Phiri observed that the evidence linking Chishimba to the dissemination was largely circumstantial but was sufficient to support a finding that the material had been distributed.

The court further held that the relevant provision of the law criminalises the intention behind the act, and that such intention does not necessarily have to be established through direct evidence.
Chishimba, aged 47, of Jack Township in Lusaka, was facing one count of publication of information contrary to Section 54 of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act Number 2 of 2021.

It was alleged that between October 9 and October 14, 2024, in Lusaka, Chishimba used a mobile phone to post a screenshot from a Facebook page in a WhatsApp group known as “Zambia Politics”, accompanied by a caption containing allegations about Ms Mwanawasa’s relationship with President Hichilema and an alleged pregnancy.

During the trial, Ms Mwanawasa told the court that the allegations brought shame to her name, her family and the Presidency. She said she was shocked after learning about the claims while on official duty in Greece.

The State argued that the publication had the potential to compromise Ms Mwanawasa’s safety and security.

However, Chishimba denied publishing the material in his defence, telling the court that he had no knowledge of the screenshot or the WhatsApp group in question.

The matter has since been adjourned to Monday for mitigation and sentencing, after Chishimba’s lawyer was absent when the judgment was delivered.

By Sun Fm.