Zambia’s Mundubile and Zulu Face New Sedition Charges as Treason Case Drags On
Zambia’s political and legal drama around opposition leader Brian Mundubile deepened further this week. Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, appeared before the Solwezi Magistrates’ Court on September 25 facing seditious practices charges — a second case layered on top of the treason charge they’ve faced since late August. The sedition case stems from a Facebook post in which Mundubile claimed his NRPUP party was leading the vote count according to parallel tabulation, and called on the Electoral Commission to resume counting after it was suspended; Zulu is accused of a related post urging supporters to stay on standby. The matter was adjourned to October 5 for plea and possible trial commencement.
The pair remain detained at Mukobeko Maximum Security Prison, more than six weeks after the disputed August 13 election that returned President Hakainde Hichilema to office with roughly 60% of the vote against Mundubile’s 38%. Zambia’s Director of Public Prosecutions has publicly defended the slow pace of bringing the case to court, while Mundubile’s legal team and the Law Association of Zambia have criticised the delay as a rule-of-law concern. Three of the 18 co-accused have separately alleged they were offered incentives to testify against Mundubile and Zulu, a claim now before the Lusaka High Court alongside a broader petition challenging the legality of their detention.
Stacking a sedition charge over a Facebook post on top of an existing treason case, more than six weeks after arrest and still without a treason court date, is the kind of sequence that invites exactly the rule-of-law questions being raised. Whatever the merits of the underlying allegations, the optics of adding charges while the original case still hasn’t been heard are doing real damage to how this is being read internationally.
Quick facts:
- Mundubile and Zulu charged with seditious practices on Sept. 11, on top of an Aug. 30 treason charge
- Sedition case adjourned to Oct. 5 for plea and possible trial start
- Both remain detained at Mukobeko Maximum Security Prison
- 3 of 18 co-accused allege they were offered incentives to become state witnesses
Where’s the line between prosecuting a genuine security threat and using the courts to sideline a political opponent? Share your view.
