State bows to pressure, produces Why Me
By Esther Chisola
AFTER months of constant and intense public pressure amid speculation that it might have harmed the young socialite, the Zambian government yesterday finally produced Francis Kapwepwe, commonly known as Why Me, in Lusaka.
Kapwepwe yesterday appeared before a Lusaka magistrates’ court for hate speech.
His whereabouts had been unknown for some time after a rumour circulated that he had been abducted and spirited back to Zambia in a State operation.
Kapwepwe appeared before magistrate Peter Mungala facing three counts of hate speech amid tight security.
However, he could not take plea because the office of these Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has not yet given the consent to prosecute him.
The State applied for an adjournment, which the court granted.
“Your Honour, the accused person is before the court. However, we do not have a consent order from the DPP to allow for the prosecution of this matter. We ask that the court may adjourn the matter awaiting consent from the DPP,” the State.
The matter has since been adjourned to August 26.
Kapwepwe, 26, a businessman of Mufulira, is facing two counts of hate speech contrary to section 65 of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act Number 2 of 2021 of Zambia.
The allegation in the first count is that Kapwepwe, on March 31, 2025 in Zambia, using a computer system via his TikTok page called Why Me the Lion of the World, knowingly without lawful excuse used hate speech against the Tonga people that Nalumango is a foolish woman who has allowed President HH [Hakainde Hichilema]s to take Tongas to Kaputa District in her home area without saying a word, and that she is being used and has kept quiet like a dry grasshopper.
In count two, allegations are that Kapwepwe on the April 3, 2025 in Zambia, using a computer system via his TikTok page called Why Me the Lion of the World, knowingly without lawful excuse used hate speech against the people of Southern Province that the President wants to install his fellow Tonga Chief Mukuni as a king disregarding the four senior chiefs in the country, and that he should separate Southern Province from Zambia and give it another name.
And in the last count, Kapwepwe is facing a count of expressing or showing hatred, ridicule, or contempt for persons because of race, tribe, place of origin, or colour contrary to section 70(1) of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Law of Zambia.
It is alleged that Kapwepwe, on April 8, 2025, in Zambia, on his TikTok page called Why Me the Lion of the World, did utter words that did express, or showed hatred, ridicule, or contempt for the people of Southern Province that “they are testicles and they are ass holes”.
