Police arrested Paul Kasonkomona on April 7, 2013 as he left the private Muvi TV studios after saying in an interview that gay rights were like any other form of human rights, to be respected at all cost. He was charged the next day with “inciting the public to take part in indecent activities”.

Kasonkomona remains in police custody, despite his supporters warning that the health of the HIV-positive activist could deteriorate in jail.

The YouTube video below posted by Muvi TV shows plains-clothes officers arresting Kasonkomona:

Same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Zambia, punishable by up to 14 years in prison. An overwhelming 98 percent of the country disapproves of homosexual behavior, according to 2010 Pew Research Center poll.

Kasonkomona's arrest came a week after four all-male couples, four Zambians and four foreigners, attempted to get married in the Zambian capital city of Lusaka.

Gay and HIV activist Paul Kasonkomona (with raised hand). Photo courtesy of Zambian Watchdog.

The official in charge of the registry, Henry Kapata, told a local newspaper in a story republished by citizen media website Zambian Watchdog:

They were waiting on the queue and I didn’t know what they wanted until they entered my office. They were all men, dressed normally. [They told him point blank] We have come here specifically to register our marriages. […] I was shocked that such things can happen in Zambia. I told them that we don’t register gay marriages in Zambia. The Marriages Act Cap 50 of the Laws of Zambia and even the Constitution is very clear about that.

The attempted marriages attracted condemnation throughout the country. Home Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu, acting president at the time of President Michael Sata’s visit to China, reiterated at a church function the government's position on homosexuality, saying:

As a nation and government, we will not accept foreign misdemeanors because we have never known same marriages of man to man, or woman to woman and the bible does not allow. We would better remain poor as a nation than to accept some of these norms perpetuated by people with money who want to destroy our society.

Church officials also balked at the men. Zambia is officially a Christian nation, according to its 1996 national constitution.

Reverend Pukuta Mwanza of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia called homosexuality an “inhuman and unnatural practice” and urged the government not to bend on its hardline position, writing in a letter to the country's head of delegation of the European Union:

We urge our Zambian government not to succumb to your pressures in seeking to interfere with the internal affairs of our sovereign nation by promoting the so called ‘human’ rights that are contrary to our fundamental Christian values and our rich African and traditional beliefs and practices which abhor those practices you are seeking to promote.

One reader on Lusaka Times website, The Only Living Jay, reminded the now ruling Patriotic Front government that it had a more open stand on homosexuality when it was the opposition party before the 2011 elections, writing:

When in oppozition, the PF waz accuzed of habouring homosexual ideaz in the meetingz they had with some Western Diplomats. It would be interesting to hear what the oppozition will say this time around. Human rights violation??
This non-issue of homosexuality must be handled very carefully with a level-headed approach. To go on rampage arresting the so called gayz or pro-gay activists may have ghastly consequencez. Remember Zambia iz not an island. What exactly doez the constitution say or not say?

Commenter Panda used an anti-gay slur while encouraging Zambians not to give up their anti-homosexuality stance, even if it means losing out on aid from countries more accepting of the sexual orientation:

Hon Lungu has spoken very well. Please country men and women, lets all unit and speak with one voice on this matter. These “homos” might go to the extent of withholding their aid (Like Obama promised) and we wil be suffer a few consequences in our hospitals, schools etc; but let us fight for what we as a nation want. Problem will come in when some people are prepared to bow th these “homos” for a bowl of soup.

However, some Zambians have no problems with homosexuality. Commenter Mushota on Lusaka Times wondered why anti-gay campaigners want to impose their religious beliefs on everybody else. The main argument that Zambians use against homosexuality is that God created a man and a woman:

Mr Lungu [Home Affairs minister], Why victimise them the same argument can be made for homosexuals . Since the beliefs of religious conservatives (generally) are not their beliefs, doesn’t that violate homosexuals’ freedom of religion? We are all entitled to our own beliefs, but we should not expect everybody else to conform to them. Same sex marriage has no logical impact on the everyday lives of religious Zambians but You denying same sex couples the right to marry does have a direct impact on the everyday lives of homosexuals. Marriage may be a religious issue for many but the fact is, we also have civil marriage, which has absolutely nothing to do with religion. Religious groups and churches have every right to deny same sex marriage in their parish, but You have absolutely no right to deny it

Another commenter writing on Zambia Watchdog wrote (the site does not have permanent links for individual comments):

People are so quick to preach about what is right and wrong yet if we were to see the wrongs they have done, we would run away. Some people on this bolg [sic] have rapped [sic] children, men or women and yet they critisize [sic] gay people. Who is more wrong a child molester or a gay person who minds his or her own business. The bible says a lot of things such as thy shall not steal, thy shall not commit adultery, honour thy mother and father etc. Yes there is a right and wrong but who are we to say what is and what is not. [...] By the way I too have Gay friends like Mweemba and some not all, happen to be the nicest people you can ever meet. What they do in private should have nothing to do with how we perceive them.

Reacting to a story about the police's refusal to release the activist, commenter Counselor congratulated him for his courage:

very brave of you Mr Paul Kasonkomona… one day Gay Rights will be recognized even in Zambia and the whole world at large. Its takes more than bravery to come out as homosexual in African society.

Hitting back at the church for its stand on homosexuality, blogger Miss Bwalya (@missbwalya) wrote on Twitter:

@MissBwalya: Wake me up when Church bodies unite in their call to end the ungodly acts of rape, stripping of women and child molestation.

Another Twitter user, Lwanga Mwilu (@lwangamwilu), captured the polarization that goes on among Zambian netizens when discussing gay issues:

@lwangamwilu: The tensions between free speech and hate speech ever so magnified in the gay rights debate #Zambia

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Women in Zambia are often subjected in public to taunts and in some cases stripping if they are considered to be indecently dressed, a subject this article's writer blogged about more than five years ago.

The order is allegedly an attempt to curb the problem, but some Zambians have accused the judge of indirectly blaming women for their own assaults.

The statement of Justice Rhoyda Kaoma, judge-in-charge of the Kitwe High Court, was first reported on the Facebook page of Flava FM 87.7 radio and immediately went viral:

[…] Supreme Court Judge Royda Kaoma has urged police officers to arrest anyone found indecently dressed to avoid escalating Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases.
Ms Justice Kaoma who is also Kitwe High Court Judge-in- charge said in response to a concern from one of the members of the public on what the police was doing about indecent dressing by some girls and women, that police should take up the role and arrest those found wanting.

So following calls by judge Royda Kaoma, the question is:
Should police start arresting women who are indecently exposed? […]

Madam Justice Rhoyda Kaoma, right, in the picture that appeared on James Mwape's Facebook page and used here with his permission.

Reaction in the wake of the judge's statement was fierce. Scott Davies commented on the radio station's Facebook report:

How moronic to blame the women for men who act!
This justice is so wrong.

This judge must be one hell of an i…t.
Why not making sure women are protected from call boys and other fools who think they are judge and jury and strippers of women.

Its close to rape as they grope and try and touch the women as well.

Another commenter, Kingsley King Kaluba, accused the judge of being dull:

The role of the judge to is merely interpret the law,clear ambiguities n pass sentece [sic] not directing police.that judge is dull.I can tell she got that position through..katwishi mwe (I have no idea).

But others such as Gerald Sandundu supported the judge’s directive:

if there is a precedent then the judge is ok and going through the zambian law reports the judge is very correct..at least we will be saved from these ladies who re [sic] walking almost naked in public [...] bravo madamjudge [sic].

James Mwape reported in a Facebook post that Justice Kaoma was speaking at a Catholic Women’s League luncheon where she said:

Police officers should do something about indecent exposure and under the law there should be nothing like parents would plead for their children because just like manslaughter or murder cases, an offence is an offence.

Police should take up the role and arrest culprits, they should take even one example

Commenting on Mwape’s publication, Caroline Nenguke Phiri criticized the judge for focusing on women's dress instead of men's behavior:

Seriously misdirected energies & instructions!! Instead of telling women how to dress, tell the men to stop raping them!! Will we now pay for the sins of men who can't control themselves?? Really, are you for real??

On Twitter, the converstation continued. Muleya Mwananyanda Muleya Mwananyand (@MuleyaM) wondered why Zambian jurisprudence is so backward:

@MuleyaM: @senzian #GBV you gotta be kidding me right? which judge? which case? honestly why is Zed [Zambia] jurisprudence so backward?

One tweet, however, stated a woman’s legal organization was not aware of the judge’s comments:

@Manyanyato: the organisation “Women in Law & Development” is unaware of comments made by Judge Roydahkaoma with regard to women's dress and #GBV

It will be surprising, however, Zambian women's movements take the judge's directive lying down.

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President Banda was the country’s head of state for three years, from 2008 when he took over from President Levy Mwanawasa for whom he had been vice president, up to 2011 when his party, the Movement for Multiparty Democracy was defeated in presidential and parliamentary elections.

Former President Banda whose immunity has been lifted by Parliament. Photo courtesy of zambianeye.com

It is not the first time a former president has had their immunity lifted. Zambia’s second president Frederick Chiluba, who died in 2011, spent most of his post-presidency retirement defending himself from both criminal and civil suits after his immunity was lifted on allegations of plundering national resources leveled at him by the late Mwanawasa, the man Chiluba personally anointed to take over for him.

Among the allegations presented to the 158-member National Assembly on March 15, 2013 by Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba, who is also secretary general for the ruling Patriotic Front party, were that Banda and his family in 2011 reportedly spent more than 20 billion kwacha (370 million US dollars) on the purchase of election campaign materials, a sum that was personally handled and disbursed in cash by Banda and his sons. Kabimba said:

The GJIT [Government Joint Investigations Team] has now established that K21,907,847,170 cash was personally disbursed by Mr. Rupiah Banda and his family and that the MMD [Movement for Multiparty Democracy] never had such sums of money in its bank account at any time. During the period, Mr. Banda purchased bicycle spares and accessories from Atlas Cycles and printed fabrics from India at declared value of K371,908,000 with duty at K81,076,292 while 42 Toyota Hilux Vigo from Western, a United Arab based firm with valued [sic] at K1,869,840,000 and K892,434,129 as duty.

Similarly, materials including branded candy lollypops, 40 used Bedford Trucks, branded T-shirts, caps, badges, hats, balloons, hand flags, and flags were bought from various suppliers in the Emirates, United Kingdom, and China.

Underpinning the allegations against the former head of state, Kabimba further said:

Mr. Banda’s personal handling of such large sums of moneys and his activities constitute acts of money laundering and, or the presumption that the funds in question came from the national treasury as public funds for which he is liable to prosecution.

President Banda’s international lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, was quoted by citizen media website Zambian Watchdog, saying:

The removal of former President Banda’s immunity fails to pass the litmus test for legitimacy. Keeping in mind that this is the same government that only days ago fired live rounds into crowds of voters, the same people that have repeatedly arrested opposition leaders on bogus grounds, and the very same Justice Minister, Wynter Kabimba, who himself defiantly refused to answer corruption questions before the authorities, there can be little doubt about where the PF stands on matters of justice.

At the time of writing this report, the Zambian Watchdog was reporting that President Banda had been summoned to appear before the JGIT [Government Joint Investigations Team] on March 18, 2013, barely two days after his immunity was lifted.

Castigating opposition members for walking out of the house during the motion, Sidique Abdullah Gondwe Geloo wrote on Facebook page Zambian Eye:

It was highly irresponsible of you and I should add shameful that you had to start playing politics over RB's immunity removal proposition by not attending Parliament. Opposing for the sake of opposing only makes you look like losers that are plain adamant. Corruption is the GREATEST evil in Zambia, and no matter how much you hate the party in power, you should always support any move against corruption regardless of the motives. Any leader, including RB (I love RB, we rarely chat but are in good fellowship with each other) should be happy to accept the immunity removal so that he can prove to the world he wasn't corrupt.

Commenting on a story on Zambian Watchdog about the lifting of Banda’s immunity, a reader calling himself Maverick stated [individual comments have no links]:

[...] I was never a fun [sic] of RB during his short lived presidency and I’m all for prosecuting him if he indeed abused that high office. But can someone tell me: what did the country gain or benefit from lifting FTJ’s immunity and subsequently prosecuting him? Why can’t opposition MPs ask the government to tell the nation the gains achieved from that long winding prosecution of Chiluba up to and until his death? Equally how much was lost by the country through the expenses that came with the prosecution?

My gut instinct tells me NOTHING was gained, apart from fattening the bank accounts of some now fat public officers and enriching a Fraud Member of the public who benefited from FTJ’s misfortunates. So are we that gullible to go through the same expensive route as a nation to prosecute RB until his death, and enriching the same individuals in the process and adding the 3rd Seasonal person to enrich them?

On Twitter, the debate was no less intense. Rocky Chisupa (@RockyChisupa) warned that current President Michael Sata would face the same fate after his tenure:

@RockyChisupa: We NOW know Sata's immunity will be lifted after his tenure. So, why not avoid future costs of time and investigations by lifting it now?

“IamCathyPhiri” (@cathyphiri79) simply asked:

@cathyphiri79: Who there is free from corruption really?

Zambian journalist Lwanga Mwilu (@lwangamwilu), who was live tweeting the proceedings, quoted one opposition member, writing:

@lwangamwilu: Hon Muntanga: If MMD campaign money came from state, where is PF's by-election money coming from? They are suddenly rich.

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President Sata as a victim of the Public Order Act when he was an opposition leader himself. Picture courtesy of Zambian watchdog.

Zambia’s opposition parties have called upon the Commonwealth to suspend the country amid claims of a deteriorating political environment. They accuse Michael Sata’s Patriotic Front (PF) government of using the Public Order Act to severely curtail opposition party activities. Ironically, the Public Order Act was a piece of legislation that the Zambian President had to contend with as an opposition leader. However, since coming to power, he has stated that he has now “fallen in love” with the Act.

Two opposition leaders – the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD)’s Nevers Mumba and United Party for National Development (UPND)’s Hakainde Hichilema – are currently on trial for various political offences covered by Public Order Act. Mumba and Hichilema also attended the recent gathering of opposition leaders in South Africa – known collectively as the Coalition for the Defence of Democratic Rights (CDDR) – that made the demand for Zambia’s suspension from the Commonwealth.
Hichilema said at the press briefing:

If you objectively look at the pattern of abuses committed by this government, not just against the opposition parties but also against civil society and business competitors of the allies, it is difficult not to conclude that we are on the road back towards the one-party state.

At the same briefing, Mumba explained why the CDDR had to issue its statement abroad:

If there were respect for human rights in Zambia, we would not be here […] We are here today because the signs on the ground are similar to those in Uganda under Idi Amin. We have refused to reverse the gains of independence and we are here to tell the international community.

President Sata publicly claimed that the opposition leaders were claiming asylum in South Africa, a request that the South African President Jacob Zumba turned down after Mumba’s and Hichilema’s return to Zambia. Even more embarrassing for the government was a claim made by the Chief Government Spokesman and Information and Broadcasting Minister, Kennedy Sakeni, that former President Rupiah Banda had also attended the press briefing. However, the former President’s office denied attending the event.

However, one opposition party, the National Restoration Party, criticized the CDDR for staging the meeting and press briefing on foreign soil. The party’s Youth League representative, Aquino Mutale, said:

At no time has any Opposition Political Party been denied their freedom to hold Press Conferences from their respective Secretariats – not even Dr Nevers Mumba from his Kabulonga Home! Today we ask, why South Africa!? […] If what their demands to the Commonwealth succeed, who would suffer the repercussions? Is it not the very people they claim to speak on behalf of? Is it not the ordinary Zambian struggling to survive[?]”

Writing on the Zambian Eye page on Facebook, Ray Panji Mwanza said:

It’s funny how people complain about results instead of targeting the cause….the press conference and all the complaints are simply fruits of which the root cause is Sata’s ancient style of governing…..if people don’t want our nation to end up another Zimbabwe, the solution is not in condemning Nevers & co, but condemning and standing up to PF’s old-fashioned dictatorial rule…

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Muyangana explained that BongoHive, which officially launched in May 2011, emerged from weekend sessions in which a group of IT experts volunteered to hold hands-on workshops for a recent group of IT graduates from the Lusaka-based Evelyn Hone College who were completing internships at VVOB Zambia. Encouraged by Erik Hersmann and Juliana Rotich of iHub Nairobi, the workshops was eventually formalized into an innovation hub.

An interesting aspect of this project is the rise and encouragement of the women's network called Asikana, which in one of the local languages means young women who appreciate information and communication technology.

Global Voices (GV): First and foremost, what is BongoHive (BH) and what are its core activities?

Simunza Muyangana (SM): BongoHive is a technology and innovation centre that provides space for technology enthusiasts in Lusaka to meet, swap experience and attend training, networking and geek events like hackathons, bar camps, etc.

GV: Who is involved in it? Do people have to be “geeks” to get involved?

SM: There are a number of people involved in BongoHive. The management team consists of Lukonga Lindunda, Silumesii Maboshe, Bart Cornille, and I with Lukonga involved in the day-to-day management of the centre. He is assisted by Charles Mwanza and George Lupupa who are responsible for managing the centre and community outreach respectively. We also have various other members who spearhead initiatives that BongoHive is involved in like the Asikana Network, the Lusaka Google Developers Group, BarCamp Lusaka, and Mobile Monday Lusaka.

Even though most of the people that come through are either current students or recent graduates who studied Information Technology, BongoHive is an open community centre that welcomes even those that do not necessarily have a specialty in IT. We've been blessed with people who actively contribute to the centre as mentors that you wouldn't ordinarily call geeks.

GV: What demographic of people are involved in BH activities?

SM: I'd posit that most of the people that make use of the centre are between the ages of 20 and 26. Events that are held in the evening or over the weekends attract an older demographic only because that is when they are most likely to have time to come over. Our ladies have very definitely staked a claim in BongoHive by forming their own forum called the “Asikana Network” that uses the centre extensively.

GV: We have seen the release of two interesting apps either coming out of Zambia or dealing with Zambia. One is an app on the draft constitution and the second, an app that aggregates news about Zambia. Was BH involved in making those apps? What other apps have you developed or are in the midst of developing?

SM: Zambia News aggregator is quite handy but BongoHive was not involved in its development.

Gilbert Mwiinga, the developer of the Zambia Draft Constitution app is an active member of the BongoHive community. He conceptualized the idea in 2011 when we ran a workshop on Android App Development with Dale Zak of WhiteSpaces in Canada. Other mobile apps that have come from the community include Fist Drive, a file-sharing application developed by Daryl Lukas. Fist Drive was a semi-finalist in the last Google Apps Competition for the Sub-Saharan Africa region. Bantu Babel is a translation app that was developed by the community during the last Random Hacks of Kindness event for the US Peace Corp volunteers station in Zambia.

Late last year we ran a Pitch Night under the Mobile Monday Lusaka umbrella. It was encouraging to realize that there are a lot more mobile and web applications currently in development by individuals who use the Hive. However, I think most of them would prefer to have their apps announced after they have been launched. Look out for a lot more Zambian apps in 2013. Our Google Developers Group is currently running another course on Android App Development.

GV: What is your opinion of the Zambian government's actions against the website Zambian Watchdog? Do you think this type of crackdown could spread to others citizen news websites if it succeeds in shutting it down?

SM: Most, if not all, software development is about helping people access information. Some would even say that software development in itself is a form of self expression.  We support the right to freedom of expression. We also encourage responsibility in its use. I personally believe that people who feel that their right to dignity may have been violated should be allowed to address their concerns or seek some form of justifiable recourse.

GV: Recently ZICTA (Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority) embarked on SIM card registration for “security” reasons. Is that not threat to digital freedom?

It really depends on who holds that information and who will have access to it, doesn't it? ZICTA is supposed to be an independent agency. I have no problem with my service provider or the bank authority attaching my name to my number for transactional purposes. I cannot see why anybody else would need it. If it is required for purposes of criminal investigation, I'd prefer they first sought a court order allowing them to talk to my service provider.

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Chimba is charged with unlawful printing and publication and for being in “possession of property suspected of being proceeds from a crime.”

His critics call him a propagandist and his supporters an investigative journalist. Chimba's ”Stand Up For Zambia” documentaries portray negative attributes of Sata and prophesied what life would be like for Zambians if Sata was voted into office. The series aired on state-owned Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation TV in the months running up to the September 20, 2011 elections.

Once reviled, the documentaries are now hits on YouTube as most of the things that Chimba predicted, like the arrest of opposition leaders and preventing them from holding public meetings, are now a reality.

Chanda Chimba III, right, chatting with former Information Minister General Shikapwasha, seated centre and a security officer. Picture used with the permission of Mwebantu Media.

Chimba whom netizens have nicknamed the “Prophet” for his foresight, has been arrested along with the former Minister of Information and Broadcasting Lieutenant-General Ronnie Shikapwasha, former Zambia Daily Mail Deputy Managing Editor Davis Mataka and media consultant Ng'ande Mwanajiti for offences related to pre-election publications.

An introduction to one of the episodes of “Stand Up For Zambia” on YouTube uploaded by impeachsata reads:

Stand Up For Zambia was a documentary series produced by the investigative journalist Chanda Chimba for ZNBC in 2010-2011. Since the Patriotic Front government was elected into power last year, Mr. Chimba has faced arrests and constant harassment by the new government. His films predicted many of the authoritarian abuses of power now being practiced by the Sata regime of Zambia. For more info, please write to impeachsata@gmail.com.

There were numerous reactions to Chimba's arrest on various citizen media websites. On Zambia Peoples Pact, an open Facebook group, Nawa Mukwati Sibongo, writes:

I await to see Fred Meembe [Post Newspaper owner and editor] support Chanda Chimba III as a fellow scribe they may not agree in content and style but they should fight for the freedoms of speech by those in the media. I also await the media organisations to lend the young man support.

Responding to Sibongo, Emmanuel Khantafu Zulu gave a breakdown of what Chimba was arrested for:

Particulars of the offence are that Chanda Chimba III Unlawfully did cause to be printed or published newspapers called” Stand up for Zambia” and “News of our times” Which were not registered at the office of the Director National Archives of Zambia. He was found in possession or control of an accumulated total of K611, 440,433.12 money he paid for private media and printing services to Zambia National Broadcasting Services Corporation, Muvi Television and the Daily Mail limited respectively, which is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of a crime.

Mbwantu, on the ZambianWatchdog [comments on this website do not have permanent links], writes:

A reader calling herself Margaret Thatcher writes:

Chanda Chimba was dutifully reminding people with short memory, of a man who always says things that he does not mean to. A man who will say this today and change when it suits him. A man who could tell a dangerous lie all in the name of gaining some political mileage. We are very cheap lot! really to say the least.

Wanzelu ku Choma writes in support of the arrests:

Doesn’t bother me. Man needs to account for his action when time comes.

On Lusaka Times, Rocky warned Patriotic Front leaders might meet the same fate:

Concerned about the political developments in Zambia, the Coalition for the Defence of Democratic Rights (CDDR), quotes a member and international lawyer, Robert Amsterdam on its website:

President Michael Sata and the Patriotic Front government of Zambia must immediately halt their unlawful arrests and prosecutions of journalists and opposition leaders, according to the Coalition for the Defence of Democratic Rights (CDDR).

“These politically motivated arrests represent a campaign of intimidation that violates the rights of all Zambian citizens to free and fair assembly and freedom of expression,” said Robert Amsterdam, international counsel to the CDDR. “It is absolutely unacceptable for any country calling itself a rule-of-law democracy to have the leadership behave with such impunity, violating both local and international law to persecute their opponents.”

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Zambian President Rupiah Banda. Photo released by Antonio Cruz/ABr under Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)

A YouTube video recently surfaced of an interview with Afrik Production TV during his stint at the Boston University in the United States last year. In the interview Mr Banda said:

[...] From the very beginning, it was very clear that I preached acceptance of the results of the elections. Of course, I must say that perhaps I was almost sure that I would win [...] It (the result) was very close I could have contested but, you know, the atmosphere was already very poisoned in the country. My opponent, the one who won the election, had already publicly stated that if they don't win, they are going to go to war and started sharpening knives in the streets, and things start that way. I did not want to be the one to be blamed for shedding the blood of the Zambian people.

One reaction to the video by katebebe1, reads:

Rupiah, had you been this focused and thoughtful in your public appearances, you would have been easily re-elected. But you allowed the sycophancy of your lieutenants define your public image. I blame your handlers as much as I blame you.

Mr Banda peacefully handed over office to the then newly elected President Sata a couple of days after the September 20, 2011 elections and has since been engaged in international assignments including a brief residency at Boston University in the United States where the above interview was conducted.

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President Michael Sata, Zambia's Commander-in-Chief. Photo courtesy of Zambian Watchdog.

It remains difficult to confirm the existence of the Barotse Liberation Army, the supposed paramilitary wing of various groups calling for the secession of Zambia’s Western Province. However, if President Michael Sata’s order to the army to kill the rebel activists is anything to go by, the organization is nevertheless considered a serious threat to Zambia’s national security.

The November 30, 2012 order came after it was reported that the rebels were recruiting former soldiers and policemen to serve in the Barotse Liberation Army. Speaking at a Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional Defence Command Staff College graduation ceremony, Sata said:

In Lukulu (Western Province) people have formed a group called Barotse Liberation Army, they are recruiting people. As of today, I am aware that they have recruited 276 people. They are recruiting former army officers, police officers and former poachers they want to rise against us and we have to be prepared… And you the Army Commander I have told you before that I need troop career planes because how can I transport troops to Lukuku?

In a veiled criticism of the army’s lack of preparedness and alleged toleration for unrest in the region, Sata said:

Our soldiers are graduating but some of them, they have never fired a gun since they joined the army until they retire… because it is different to train and to go and do the action. You need to be well trained in order to defend this country.

On a Facebook group, Zambian Voice, Isikanda Wamulwange expressed concern at President Sata’s call:

If military force will be used on the so called “rebels” in the Western province, might this not lead to civil war, is there no better way to resolve this issue.

Chileshe Tayali responded on the same thread:

Surely the President's outburst is not the best way to sort out BRE [Barotse Royal Establishment] conflict. He is declaring war in public. I find his directives very careless.

A local online publication, the Barotse Post, reported that the soldiers sent to the area pulled out after failing to find rebels:

The Zambian troops began their disgraced pull out from Lukulu on Sunday, 2nd December 2012, after failing to find the imagined Barotse Liberation Army activists. Four helicopters were seen flying out with some of the special forces who were sent on what has proved to be a wild goose chase. In order to save face, the disappointed and ashamed Minister of Defense has pleaded for information on BLA from the locals. This only shows how panicky the Zambian Government gets to be whenever it comes to the Barotseland issue.

The same publication accused the Zambian government of allegedly fabricating lies against against Barotse people:

Not so long ago the Zambian people were fed on a lie that the Barotseland Freedom Movement in Kaoma was recruiting retired military personnel. This claim was recently followed by another malicious one, in the wake of Mr Clement Sinyinda's resignation as Ngambela [Prime Minister] of Barotseland, that some Lozi people in Senanga and Sesheke were organizing to dethrone the Litunga [king].

Calls for the secession of Western Province have heated up in the last few years over allegations that successive Zambian governments have ignored the Batrotseland Agreement of 1964 which united the region with the rest of Zambia at independence in 1964.

As an opposition leader, Sata promised restoration of the agreement within 90 days of assuming office but, surprisingly, he has now taken a belligerent stance against it and it seems dialogue is not yet on the horizon.

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An unlikely challenger to Messi, who is a marvel to watch when he turns up for his Spanish la Liga team FC Barcelona, has emerged in Zambia – in the form of a footballer who died nearly 20 years ago.

Godfrey Chitalu was with 30 other team members and administrators when a plane carrying the Zambia National Team to a World Cup outing in Senegal crashed in Gabon on April 28, 1993.

Godfrey Chitalu was well known by his moniker Ucar, and at the time of his death was National team coach. Ucar which almost became like his middle name – originated from his boundless energy on the pitch like the battery UCAR (made by Union Carbide) which powered the two-band radio sets people listened to football commentaries on.

One website, the Bleacher Report, noted of Chitalu who is reputed to have scored 107 goals in the 1972 season:

Don't rewrite that record book just yet—unless the name Godfrey Chitalu is going in.

On Twitter, the name Godfrey Chitalu went viral after western media reported Messi’s supposed record breaking goal-scoaring.

‏@oluwashina Dear Messi, yes you've surpassed Gerd Muller's record but not Godfrey Chitalu's 107 goals in a calendar year 1972. *In MJ's voice – Beat it*

One tweep disputing Messi’s record and seemingly accusing western media of biasness, wrote:

@bishopskid14 @world_dream that goal record is held by godfrey chitalu another example of clear bias

UKZambians, a citizen media website based in the UK, quoted a Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) official:

Even as the world has been looking at Lionel Messi’s record, breaking Gerd Muller’s, the debate and discussion back here has been why Godfrey’s goals are not being recognized. What we are doing is, we have commissioned an independent team locally to go back into the archives and record minute-by-minute each of those goals. The team that we have put together is going to calculate all of those goals, recording which ever game or tournament they were scored in.

We will then send that to CAF [Confederation of African Football] and FIFA so that we can show that, while Messi’s record is there, while Muller’s record is there, the actual record holder in terms of goals per calendar year is actually an African. It’s actually Godfrey Chitalu.

Arguably, Zambia’s football at that time was not as professional as it is today, but football-loving Zambians can only hope that at least their record keeping improves from this story.

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Reporting on the riots, Zambian Reports wrote:

Ndola residents have taken to the streets damaging property, particularly those belonging to Somali nations following the shooting of a Zambian in a wage dispute.

Somali nationals are also being targeted for beatings as a sign of revenge.

The riots started early this morning in Northrise forcing Copperbelt riot police to descend on the city to quell the volatile situation. The situation was particularly worse in Masala and Ndeke township where majority of Somalians reside in Ndola.

The Zambian Eye also reported:

Zambians are rioting in Ndola the provincial capital of the Copperbelt.

The riot started this morning and by press time 9:30 am local time the residents were still rioting looting a shop of a Somalian in the Second Class area in the Central district. Zambian Eye reporter at the scene says there was no presence of the police yet.

Goods wealth millions of kwacha has been rooted [sic].

“The situation is tense here right now people are looting the shop grabbing assorted groceries such as sugar and cooking oil, Zambian Eye reporters said.

The riot follows the shooting of a Zambian who is reported to have been demanding for his money on Thursday by a Somalian

The story was also picked up by Somali news website, Hiiraan Online.

On Twitter Temwani Nkhata wrote:

@NkhataTemwani: @ caesarcognac yeah we good people bt nw its gettin outa hand…u knw nw they hv become disrespectful and arrogant to us as a peole,enuf!  [yeah, we are good people but now it is getting out of hand… you know now they have become disrespectiful and arrogant to us people, enough!]

Read the earlier tweet:

@caesarcognac @blistic_1 @ NkhataTemwani: @Kush_411 we tolerate so much  as Zambians these ppl  is [are] taking us for granted. Why do we give [th]em so much power?

On Facebook, netizens disagreed with someone who blamed the entire Somali community for the incident. Richard Banda Lcgi Meiz wrote:

A Zambian was shot dead yesterday by a Somalian national and it has sparked riots /looting in Ndola. The issue is that Zambia is going to be in trouble not many years or decades from now following the influx of Somalians. These are guys who are coming from a war-torn or failed state and came in Zambia without anything. They are bearing children who are sarcastically claiming to be Zambians and so they are considering the provisions of our citizenship clause.

[…] We must have control on the influx of Somalians in this country otherwise our great-grand children will curse us while we will be in our graves for the current failures to set things straight.

The Somalians have their own buses and schools and we dont know whether they are teaching those children of theirs hate for the non-Muslims or not.

Banda was criticized by Emmanuel Mulenga:

Damn you stereotypes! Just because one Somalian commits a crime, you condemn everyone of Somalian decent? Learn to embrace equality and diversity! Deal case by case not this rubbish racism you are posting!

There was no official statement from the police at the time of writing on whether there has been any arrests among looters apart from an earlier statement attributed to provincial police commissioner Mary Tembo on the arrest of the Somali suspected killer.

In July 2012, the Zambian Police thwarted a xenophobic attack on a national who was burnt to death in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. A number of Somali nationals are settled in and around Ndola where they run businesses ranging from transportation to supermarkets.

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A Centre for Trade Policy and Development official, Saviour Mwambwa, claims that one mining company cost the Zambian government an equivalent of £50m in unpaid taxes over one period of time, more money than the British government gave the country in aid.

Map of Zambia showing the copper mining area in Zambia. Image released by Wikipedia user Acntx under Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Said Mwambwa in the podcast:

The company that we have been following alone, just one company, over a period of two years, we believe not less than £50m (US$80m) was lost by the government of Zambia by that company avoiding to pay taxes… That is more than the British government gave to Zambia in aid over the same period.

Mwambwa reasons:

Most countries including Zambia would not actually need aid if companies were paying the kind of taxes they ought to pay. So it is also in the best interest of European countries and European citizens to make sure that their governments are doing everything possible they can if Europe is serious about its rhetoric against corruption, they should fight things like tax avoidance.

An Action Aid official is quoted in the same podcast as saying:

These are mines owned by major multi-national companies. They are making large amounts of money for shareholders in Switzerland and UK. Because they are able to shift their profits out of Zambia and elsewhere before they get taxed, often benefiting from the secrecy of tax havens as they do it…

Earlier in the podcast, a mining expert and former Zambian government minister, Dr Mathias Mpande, said:

They economist say this [Zambia] is the 10th fastest growing economy but this is the poorest country after Niger… The social indicators in Zambia are very poor. We have to create enough capital which we can invest in public utilities and services. See the amount of wealth that Sweden and Norway have created out of mining? That is where we should be going.

Introducing the podcast, Tax Research UK writes:

Have you heard about the miners in Zambia who pay more tax than the multi-national mining company they work for?

How do these corporations get away with it? And how does it affect life for ordinary Zambians?

This is a special report from the Taxcast, the monthly 15 minute podcast from the Tax Justice Network.

The Tax Justice Network is an independent organisation launched in the British Houses of Parliament in 2003. Their coalition of researchers and activists support transparency and openness around tax issues in developing countries arguing that tax havens cause poverty:

The Tax Justice Network promotes transparency in international finance and opposes secrecy. We support a level playing field on tax and we oppose loopholes and distortions in tax and regulation, and the abuses that flow from them. We promote tax compliance and we oppose tax evasion, tax avoidance, and all the mechanisms that enable owners and controllers of wealth to escape their responsibilities to the societies on which they and their wealth depend. Tax havens, or secrecy jurisdictions as we prefer to call them, lie at the centre of our concerns, and we oppose them.

This podcast comes on the heels of a documentary Zambia: Good Copper, Bad Copper which appeared on YouTube early this year.

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The summary of the Zambia News Daily on the Google Play website reads:

Dear Zambia News Reader! We know how important it is to be aware of the LATEST NEWS about the country. And we want you to be the first person to know these news. That's why our team has created this tool especially for you.

But that's not all. Just in case you are tourist who wants to find out more about the country of Zambia, or local who likes to see pictures of the country you will be able to view PHOTOS of Zambia just by using this application.

A screenshot of Zambia News Daily on a smartphone showing one of the stories that appeared on the Global Voices website.

So why use multiple sources of information while you can access all the info you need with this app? If for some reason you don't like this app, then you can simply uninstall it.

If on the other hand you love the application – simply enjoy and have a good time with it!

This app has been developed by Rangerapps, which has also developed similar apps for a number of countries like Nigeria, Ghana and other countries.

The Zambian, also on Google Play, describes itself in the following words:

The Zambian covers the latest news from Zambia. With our mobile application you can now stay connected with Zambian news on the go. We aim to make our mobile application the only one you'll ever need on Zambia [...]

With these apps on their phone, netizens will no longer need to surf a number of news websites to get news about Zambia.

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Netizens have weighed in on the massive project for which the Bank of Zambia has even proposed 31 December, 2012 to be a holiday to allow for the smooth transition from the currency in use to the new rebased notes and coins that will also be reintroduced.

New rebased Zambian Kwacha notes coming into effect on New Year's Day. Picture courtesy of the Zambian Watchdog.

The debate has been intense on the Zambia Economist blog where a number of people are either for or against the exercise. One anonymous contributor on the blog wrote:

The costs of rebasing the Kwacha on businesses are becoming more clear. The benefits will always be less tangible [...] Standard Chartered Bank Plc revealed early October that the rebasing will cost it K5 billion [nearly US$1 million] in terms of systems and infrastructure upgrade. Part of the money will also go towards staff training in order to ensure a smooth transition to the new kwacha.  National Savings and Credit Bank (NATSAVE) revealed late October that it has so far spent K1 billion on the initial preparation of the rebasing of the Kwacha. The money has gone on reconfiguration of the IT platform and general implementation of the rebasing preparation in its 27 branches across the country.

The contributor was even more critical of the move by the government:

It is sad that this was a purely political decision. No single economic assessment was done by GRZ!  This of course is largely due to the “blind faith” of ordinary Zambians in the ability of government to think through things. Too many Zambians are content with simply saying, “government has thought through it, so it must be true”. It is 2012, it is shocking posture to hold that can only be explained by the psychological effects of the colonial legacy.

A comment under the blog indicated who would end up bearing the cost of the rebasing:

its simple really.i spend i billion as a business as cost incured in kwacha rebasing,i will have to find a way to recover it and ofcourse i must fined a way of transfering my cost on the consumer”"”??what??did you think i would spend that much for free?it makes no business sence…….

Responding to the blog above in a separate write up, Francis Ilunga dismissed the anonymous writer’s argument, stating that he was an employee of the Bank of Zambia but writing in his personal capacity:

[…] The author has however neglected to mention the costs that most businesses incur in reconfiguring/ customizing standard packages (accounting/audit, etc), that they acquire from time to time. You will appreciate the fact that the packages used in Zambia are developed in jurisdictions where values, at a maximum, tend to be in millions. The present situation in Zambia, where some organizations, especially banks record values in billions or trillions of Kwacha, requires further customization of such packages in order to widen data fields, which tend to be very costly. With the rebasing of the Kwacha, businesses will no longer be spending money on the reconfiguration / customization of newly acquired packages.

Ilunga also gave the historical perspective of the decision to rebase the Kwacha, writing:

[…] The idea of rebasing of the Kwacha was conceived in 2003, but couldn’t be implemented because prevailing macroeconomic fundamentals at the time did not permit such. For instance, high levels of inflation, would have meant returning to higher value denominations within a short space of time, as was the case in Zimbabwe. In the recent past, inflation has slowed down and dropped to a single digit. This low level of inflation, coupled with favorable macroeconomic conditions, has provided an opportune time to rebase the Zambian currency. Therefore, the rebasing of the Kwacha has nothing to do with politics as the author alleges.

He explained what the Central Bank has been doing to prepare for the rebasing:

You will be pleased to note that the last 3 zeros on the current K50000 , K20000 , K10000 , K5000 , K1000 notes (in red), are all small and raised, and the reason for this is simple, the BOZ had in mind the idea of rubbing off these small raised zeros at an opportune moment, and that opportune moment is now.

Commenting on Ilunga’s blog, an anonymous contributor wrote:

bravo, you are indeed and economist, we need such express information so that people are not lead to believe that rebasing of the Kwacha is just an acamedic [sic] & costly exercise meant to benefit a few individuals and institutions.

A reader on the Lusaka Times website, Enka Rasha, slammed the changes as cosmetic:

The costs of this artificial dressing up of the kwacha could’ve built a few schools.Afterall countries like Vietnam got an exchange of 1 dollar to 20,000,Bolivia has 1 dollar to 7000 and 1 US dollar =25000 Cuban pesos yet these countries aren’t in a hurry to do cosmetic changes like zambia.Make the economy better with improved earnings and livelyhoods before you rush for cosmetic changes.

Zambians are waiting for the new currency to come into effect which is just a matter of time as the government has already taken the bill to parliament.

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A story on the Zambian Watchdog website which normally receives tips from a variety of sources, most of which turn to be true, quotes a leaked monthly intelligence report saying that its popularity is due to the critical stance it takes on the current government and the up-to-the-minute latest news coverage found on the website.  The leaked report cannot be verified.

Zambian Watchdog logo

The website, which has been embroiled in a war of words with the Patriotic Front (PF) government, in office since September 2011, was once hacked, allegedly by government agents. The story reads:

The report shows that the Watchdog is usually the first to break news on any event in Zambia and that the news reaches the four corners of the country within minutes of being published on the site due to internet on mobile phones.

The story also says:

MPs are said to be using the Watchdog as a research facility. The MPs sit and read each and every comment passed on the site and some of them use the comments they see on the site to go and debate in parliament. They adopt the comments as their own thoughts. A number of MPs have assigned assistants, in some cases their children to read and summarise the comments on the Watchdog for them.

As to who accesses the website, it says:

The survey further shows that most civil servants and other workers in government offices start their working day by checking what is on the Watchdog. A lot of people are said to be printing articles from the site and giving tho[s]e who have no access to the Internet or those with slow internet, print to go and read at home. The report says that almost every government computer from State House to Luwingu that has internet shows on its browser history that someone was on the Watchdog.

Quoting Google Analytics, a tool that measures website accessibility statistics, the story said:

For example, of the 1,264,690 people who visited the Watchdog in the last five days, 831 478 were browsing from Zambia while 88,430 were from UK, 76,818 from USA, 40,478 from South Africa, 20,317 from Namibia, 18,360 from Israel, 10,963 from Australia, 9,368 from Canada, 8,071 from Botswana. Other statistic are: Germany 6,919, China 6,328, Nigeria 6,248, Russia 5,610, Kenya 5,01, Netherlands 4,051, Denmark 3,566, Italy 3,411, France 3,385, Switzerland 3,291, Tanzania3,181, Norway 3,083, India 3,036, Belgium 2,652, Zimbabwe 2,441, Japan 2,300, Malaysia, 2,244, Ethiopia2,061, United Arab Emirates 1,976 Congo [DRC] 1,921

Readers’ comments varied from praise to ridicule. Pankolobwato had this to say [the site does not have permanent links for individual comments]:

I’m proud of these stats and growing. Guys keep printing these for your relatives. We need our fellow citizens literate or not to KNOW who’s who in the zoo. lastly a suggestion to ZWD, please have atleast three of your leading articles in 3 or 4 languages so my grand mother in the village can also be informed. Viva Watchdog for filling the space left by[the Post owner, Fred] mmembe

A contrary view by a reader calling himself Bronze read:

most useless online publication in the History of Zambia ZWD….Sata has collapsed in Nalolo, Fisher to become [Central Bank] Governor, Zambia will not sell the Euro-Bond because of poor governance record……and many more uselessness. jst ask me i will tell u more. 20% facts…yes yes we do read ZWD every second hour to laugh about your lies and foolishness……

Zambian Watchdog has faced threats of closure from the government. Two government ministers were recently caught on camera browsing the site during an official meeting.

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The clip “Zambia: Good Copper, Bad Copper” was first reported in the blogosphere by the Zambian Economist. Chola Mukanga, the creator of the blog, wrote:

A powerful documentary on the economic plunder of copper mining in Zambia and the associated environmental damage. These are issues we have discussed many times on this website but it is good to see them brought together in this video. The video was produced April 2012. Sadly, it takes non-Zambian journalists to put a documentary like this together. Where are our investigative journalists?

A number of netizens have reacted to the clip. George Chisenga responded:

i really do not even know what to say but all i can say is that i feel so disgusted and i really do not know what we can do and what we shall do to make the dice fall in our favor as zambians one day

TheJosok bemoaned:

Cry our beloved country.
Why should we remain poor when a coveted product is plenty and mined at the expense of the locals’ health

Map of Zambia showing the copper mining area in Zambia. Image released by Wikipedia user Acntx under Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

gogohasme2 wrote:

[…] i am zambian too and after watching this i think we need to come up together and try to fight for our country and not just watch the video and let go we need to come up with something,we are not going to say MMD OR PF HAVE DONE THIS ,,we can stand up and let our voices be heard ..

The least Zambians can hope for is that political leaders in the country not only get to watch the documentary but do something about it as well.

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