Joseph Chishimba Sentenced to Nine Months for Sharing Hichilema-Mwanawasa Pregnancy Claim

40 ViewsLUSAKA — Vlogger Joseph Chishimba has been sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment with hard labour after being convicted over the publication of a social media claim alleging that President Hakainde Hichilema had impregnated State House official Chipokota Mwanawasa. Chishimba was convicted by the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court under Section 54 of the Cyber Security and […]

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Chipo Mwanawasa and Joseph Chishimba. Photo credit – Crown TV

Chipo Mwanawasa with President Hichilema

LUSAKA — Vlogger Joseph Chishimba has been sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment with hard labour after being convicted over the publication of a social media claim alleging that President Hakainde Hichilema had impregnated State House official Chipokota Mwanawasa.

Chishimba was convicted by the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court under Section 54 of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act No. 2 of 2021 following a case arising from the circulation of a screenshot containing the allegations.

The court had earlier found that material containing the claims was transmitted from Chishimba’s mobile phone to a WhatsApp group known as “Zambia Politics.”

The prosecution’s case was that the material, originally appearing on a Facebook page, contained allegations concerning Mwanawasa’s alleged relationship with President Hichilema and an alleged pregnancy.

Mwanawasa, who serves as Special Assistant to the President for Public Policy, testified during the trial that the claims caused embarrassment, trauma and reputational damage to her, her family and the Presidency. The State also argued that the publication had the potential to compromise her safety and security.

Chishimba denied publishing the material and told the court during his defence that he had no knowledge of the screenshot or the WhatsApp group.

However, in delivering judgment, Principal Resident Magistrate Idah Phiri found the evidence sufficient to establish that the material had been disseminated from Chishimba’s phone.

The court noted that although the evidence linking him to the dissemination was largely circumstantial, it was sufficient to support a conviction.

Chishimba was arrested in October 2024, and the case subsequently went through a lengthy trial. ZNBC reported following his conviction that he faced one count of publication of information contrary to the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act.

The case has attracted considerable public attention because it touches on the increasingly important question of what constitutes unlawful publication of information on social media in Zambia, particularly where allegations concern senior public officials.

The bigger question

The sentence also puts renewed focus on the consequences of forwarding or republishing material received from another person on platforms such as WhatsApp.

For publishers, bloggers and ordinary social media users, the case is a reminder that forwarding information does not necessarily remove responsibility for its publication where the law is found to have been breached.

Zambian Eye will continue to follow the case and developments surrounding the application of Zambia’s cyber laws to social media publications.