COURT ORDERS CHANGALA TO OPEN DEFENCE ON MARCH 23 IN SEDITIOUS PRACTICES CASE
THE Lusaka Magistrate Court has ordered Civil Rights Activist Brebner Changala to open his defense on March 23 in a matter he faces one count of seditious practices contrary to section 57 (1)(b) as read together with section 60(1) (b) of the penal code.
When the matter came up for mention and setting of trial dates before Lusaka Chief Resident Magistrate Davies Chibwili, Mr. Changala’s Lawyer Kabamba Simukonda informed the court that the defense was not ready to proceed, stating that they had only appeared to verify information circulating on social media following the dismissal of an application to halt the proceedings by court of appeal Judge Cathrine Makungu in march last year.
Mr. Simukonda indicated that the defense had since confirmed the dismissal and was prepared to proceed, but proposed that trial dates be set for May and intends to call 15 witnesses because March and April are already committed to High Court matters, including a constitutional challenge relating to the same case and an elective conference.
However, Magistrate Chibwili said the matter had remained dormant for over a year and that the notice of dismissal by the court of appeal had not been formally brought to his attention.
He said sufficient time was allocated for the defense to prepare and rejected the proposal to commence proceedings in May, directing instead that the defense opens its case on 23rd March.
Despite objections from the defense that Mr. Changala is scheduled to appear before the High Court on 23 March in relation to the constitutional challenge, the court ordered that the defense hearing proceeds from 23rd to 26th March 2026, citing the absence of proof of any conflicting engagements.
Mr. Changala is alleged to have made seditious utterances in May 2024 in connection with comments on the disappearance of then Petauke Central Member of Parliament Emmanuel Jay Banda.
Mr. Changala was found with a case to answer on 10th September 2024, but the matter was stayed following an order by Court of Appeal Judge Cathrine Makungu in November 2024 before the stay was later dismissed this year.
PN