FROM PARLIAMENT TO PRISON: A Dishonourable Tale of Prideful ‘Honourable’ Munir Zulu.
After issuing very character damaging remarks against his parliament colleagues, and cabinet ministers, as well as RDA Board Chairman, Munir Zulu was given an opportunity to apologise and retract his defamatory remarks.
But out of pride and wrong legal advice, the youthful Lumezi Constituency Lawmaker maintained that what he said was nothing but the truth, and that he had EVIDENCE to support his claims, should the people he mentioned decide to institute legal proceedings.
Long story shortened, Munir was reported to the police, and the charge of libel was slapped on him. When he was put on defence after finding him with a case to answer, instead of relying on the defence of TRUTH and presenting the EVIDENCE he claimed to possess, Munir started pleading ‘Parliamentary Immunity’.
“Your Honour, pursuant to provisions of the Constitution and the Parliamentary Privileges Act, I am clothed with immunity from prosecution for any words I uttered within the Parliament premises, no matter how defamatory the words may be” argued Munir.
Immediately he started inviting the Court towards that direction, when the words he uttered were not said on the floor of parliament during Parliamentary business, any lawyer who did not skip Constitutional law during the study of their LLB programme knew the end: The talkative lawmaker had just booked bed space in our correctional facilities.
Munir Zulu should thank Allah that despite being found guilty on all the three counts, he has just been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour. On a bad day, he could have gone in untill TONSE alliance loses the August 12, 2026 elections.
TAKEAWAY:
When you have issued defamatory remarks against any individual, and you know that you have no EVIDENCE to support your statement (s), APOLOGISE and RETRACT immediately you are served a Letter of Demand, and negotiate the demanded damages. A stitch in time saves nine!
Munir could have avoided going to jail, by simply saying “I’m sorry, I said whatever I said under the influence of UKA spirit…I retract.”
Now because of Pride, he is taking a shameful walk from Parliament to Prison. What a tale!- Victor Mukungu