Binwell appears in court over social media post
By Esther Chisola
INDEPENDENT Nkana Member of Parliament Binwell Mpundu yesterday appeared in a Lusaka magistrates’ court to answer to the charge of seditious practices.
Mpundu, 42, is charged with one count of seditious practices.
When the case came up for plea, chief resident magistrate Davis Chibwili, who had earlier allocated the matter to himself, recused himself and re-allocated the matter to magistrate Webster Milumbe.
“Under the circumstances of this matter, I have re-allocated this matter. You are going to appear before Honourable Webster Milumbe,” Chibwili said.
And when he later appeared before Milumbe, Mpundu could not take plea because the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) has not yet given consent for prosecution.
The case comes up again on September 16 for possible plea.
Mpundu was accompanied by Patriotic Front (PF) secretary general Raphael Nakacinda and Kamfinsa Member of Parliament Christopher Kang’ombe, among others.
It is alleged that on December 20, 2024 in Lusaka, Mpundu published seditious words as follows:
“DEFEND YOURSELVES WITH EQUAL MEASURE. Fellow citizens I am out of the country and I have received this report of the attack on Mr Sean Tembo and team by Trevor Mwiinde and team with so much pain in my heart.
“Trevor Mwiinde is the man reported to have been behind the abduction of Hon Jay Jay Banda and walks free because the police cannot touch him and today he’s reported to have led an assault on Mr Tembo right in front of the Luapula Commisioner of Police Mr Yuyi Mwaya.
“I can only say this to my fellow politicians, one thing is very clear that we are on our own and it’s time we got ready to start defending ourselves with equal measure. I urge my fellow politicians to buy guns in readiness to defend yourselves.
“Look the law provides for self defence when you are attacked and so if the police will watch you being attacked and are prepared to even facilitate for that attack as being reported then only one thing remains.
BE READY TO DEFEND YOURSELVES. May God save Zambia” to incite violence or any offence prejudicial to public order or in disturbance of the public peace.
