“NO LEADER HAS EVER DIED FROM INSULTS!” – MAKEBI ZULU BLASTS HICHILEMA OVER FREE SPEECH RESTRICTIONS
Prominent Lusaka lawyer Makebi Zulu has called on President Hakainde Hichilema to respect freedom of expression, arguing that no leader has ever died from being insulted by citizens.
Speaking in an interview, Zulu said leaders who believe in democracy must learn to tolerate criticism, even when it comes in the form of harsh language. He warned that using cyber laws to silence dissent undermines citizens’ constitutional rights and weakens democratic governance.
“Insults have never killed anyone,” Zulu said. “If I were President Hakainde Hichilema, I would allow people to express themselves freely in the manner that they wish to. Those who are insulted by their citizens don’t die from insults. It is part of public judgment and accountability.”
Zulu reminded Zambians that the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act, enacted during the late President Edgar Lungu’s administration, was initially intended to curb online harassment not to restrict free speech.
“Cyber law came about as a result of the lady who marched because she felt she was being cyber bullied, and she got a call from President Edgar Chagwa Lungu. He took a stand and said, ‘We’re going to stop cyber bullying,’” Zulu explained. “But now, there was a promise to get rid of it because it was perceived to be gagging people from expressing themselves on social media. And what has happened now?”
Zulu accused the Hichilema administration of hypocrisy, saying the President had failed to uphold his campaign pledge to repeal or review the law.
“The President failed to answer a question that related to cyber law when he was being asked by that international journalist,” he said. “He said these laws were necessary. Necessary for what when they’ve only been used to stifle dissent?”
He further emphasized that leaders must understand that serving citizens does not require universal agreement, but rather tolerance of differing opinions.
“You don’t necessarily have to have people agree with you for you to be able to serve them,” Zulu said. “People will disagree with you, and they will express themselves in the way they think is most effective. That is democracy it’s not always polite, but it’s necessary.”
Zulu argued that criminalizing dissent only exposes insecurity among those in power and erodes citizens’ trust in leadership.
“It is not for us to criminalize dissent because this person said something I disagree with, therefore they should go to jail,” he said. “Especially when I am in a position of power. Power is intended to serve, not to control.”
The outspoken lawyer said that while cyber laws are important for addressing genuine abuse, their selective enforcement against critics of the government shows a worrying pattern of intolerance.
“When laws are used to silence citizens, they stop being instruments of justice and become weapons of fear,” Zulu warned. “That is not what democracy stands for.”
His remarks come amid growing concerns from civil society and human rights advocates that Zambia’s Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act continues to be weaponized against activists, journalists, and online users critical of government performance.
Zulu urged the Head of State to lead by example and show that his administration values freedom of expression not just in words, but in action.
“Freedom of speech is not a privilege that leaders grant — it is a right that citizens own,” Zulu said. “Strong leaders are not afraid of criticism; they use it to grow. No one has ever died from being insulted.”
©️ KUMWESU | October 26, 2025
Hakainde is built differently. He arrests anyone that does not agree with him, what more anyone that insults him? Why do you think he introduced draconian cyber laws to silence opposition? He is the envy of even the most severe dictators on the planet. That is why we will vote him out of office next year.
KWENYU WABOZA.
REJECT TRIBALISM, CORRUPTION AND OPPRESSION.
VOTE FOR CHANGE IN 2026.
I think of those two young Chipata women..young mothers overcome by Grief over the death of Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu..and lamentations of grief become prisonable offences, and Hakainde puts them in Prison..I have never seen such a cold heart. Ichimutima Ububi.
Pany0 Pak0 HH is not a court to put people in prison.Congolese and Tanzanians your time is running out.Wait and we start tressing you.You will dance pelete.Lets hope you are oustide the country like Muamba/Mwama the Tanzanian masquerading as a Zambian for decades
Ba lawyer Sir, could you please distinguish the difference between expression and insulting.If someone insults you he is not expressing himself but he is simply undressing you.If he is expressing himself he is trying to drive the point home so that you may understand him.Don’t encourage lawlessness.
What nonsense from Makebi Zulu! Does someone have to die for Zulu to know that something is bad? What kind of myopic thinking is this. It just tells us that he has no manners. Makobili Zulu was brought up from a broken house. He thinks insults are normal. What kind of society would it be if everyone responded back with insults? Is that the kind of society he waz brought up? Those compound manners need to be exorcised from that idyot.
Indingo remember you are not the only Zambia if st all you are one . Zambia sits nyoko
Go back to Your motherland. You are the one who will be voted out ask Sean Tembo your friend
HaaTasila, what is it with you Bantustans claiming people are not Zambian when they disagree with your Herdman?
Zambia does not to Bantustans alone. Just because you arrived in this territory first does not mean you own it alone.
And what does “Zambia sits nyoko” mean? Your grammar is lacking. This is what we mean when we say the free education is useless because it has clearly not worked for you.
VOTE FOR CHANGE IN 2026.
You are dreaming indigol bwalya and NKUKU mulenga personally I know you were brought up with uncultured parents no wonder you are supporting the useless lawyer who can’t understand the constitution what it says on insults.
Lizard, was it not your messiah that insulted at a public rally when he said “chikala”? Should I post that video here so you can see how vile some people are with their hypocrisy. If he can insult others, let him accept to be insulted too. He is also just a human being that breathes the same air, eats, facts and goes to the toilet to answer the call of nature. There is nothing special about him. We are all the same.
VOTE FOR CHANGE IN 2026.
A congolese/Tanzanian trying to fit in as a Zambian.They are used to war these people. We gave them education and they think they can be Zambians.We know their violent behaviour,most of them are not normal just like this guy.Go home and fight M23 military guys
Are we saying , the young ones must insult the adults or express themselves with adults?
What dies our culture say about this?
No. We are saying that both Hakainde and citizens should not be insulting. If Hakainde insults in public, like at that event when he said “chikala”, he should not arrest anyone when that same blessing is ushered on him. He should lead by example and behave like the Elder he claims to be, not a Freemason.
VOTE FOR CHANGE IN 2026.
Hahaha my brother indigol bwalya you make me laugh otherwise without you in the community then that community is dead I wish one day we shall meet with you and sometimes if I don’t see your comments on the sit feel boiling. Bro let us not encourage the wrong things no need of sending those insults I remember people condemned him.We are not changing government bro in 2026 we can bet.
I would welcome that my brother, but on one condition, that you drink katata while I drink chibwantu. We can have a good laugh for sure.
Happy Saturday.
VOTE FOR CHANGE IN 2026.
My worry is the double standards. The cyber law was made by ECL. Used it to prosecute GBM and others.
ECL arrested HH 15 times. PF members harmed everyone from police to ordinary citizens. My car was destroyed by the fighting PF cadres from airport when GMB and group were fighting. The now fugitive JJ Banda insulted, beat police and urinated in a journalist mouth. How is this normal to you? Why do you think. 2.8m fired ECL? Do you really think it was the popularity of HH?
Take it from me, it was more to do with your conduct. Makebi Zulu can’t claim a leader can be insulted and go scort free. He is a lawyer and law maker. He and his could not remove this law but jailed people then. They could not champion democracy but they want HH is ignore the law? That is a big joke that will not make you bounce back. You should have been apologising first. This is free advise. You remember Kaizer Zulu?
Do you remember ECL promising to arrest HH and this time for good?
Do you even realise ECL immunity was never lifted but PF lifted that of RB? Get really really if you want to bounce back
Insults is not self expression. It is abuse of others. And any abuse is not normal in a functioning society.
Mr. Makebi Zulu is using very strange reasoning. So anything that does not kill is permissible? If I slap you in the face in public it would be alright with you, Mr. Zulu, because it wouldn’t kill you?
Respect is a cardinal pillar in any society. Insults is a sign of a mind that is unable to articulate its position through sound reasoning. It a way if venting one’s frustration.
That’s why no sane Zambian can vote for you Sir because you are already showing us that you are a wrong person for the presidency. Do you need to see someone dying of insults in order for you to see that insults are bad? What kind of thinking is that if at all it’s thinking. Have you already forgotten about those terrible insults we heard in the Pretoria Court following the unfavorable verdict for the Lungu family? If such insults are normal to you because they didn’t kill HH, then it’s you who is not normal and something is seriously wrong with you. And if this is how you will carry out your presidential campaign, my dear you have already lost even before you start.
Insults are bad, they demean, debase, humiliate and degrade not only the person you insult but his parents, family members and God who created the person in his own image. No wonder our society is so immoral now, you drop in town and within the next two or three minutes you hear people insulting heavily and carelessly. Zambia is a Christian nation, we therefore need to maintain, cherish and protect our Christian values and have a better Zambia.