George N. Mtonga Wrote;
My letter to you as I depart: Hakainde Hichilema .
His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema
President of the Republic of Zambia
State House
Lusaka, Zambia
Subject: A Plea from One Freedom Fighter to Another: Amend the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act to Protect the Zambia We Dreamed Of
Your Excellency,
I write this letter not merely as a citizen but as one who walked the long and painful road of hope alongside you.
I remember the days when your voice was silenced, when your rights were trampled, when the full machinery of the state was unleashed against you for daring to speak truth. I remember the indignities you suffered — arrested, humiliated, cast as a villain in a land you only sought to serve. I remember how we prayed for you, how we stood for you, because your suffering was not just yours — it was the suffering of every Zambian who longed to be free.
You taught us that injustice must never be tolerated. You taught us that power must serve the people, not enslave them.
Today, Mr. President, I am burdened by a deep fear — a fear that the very pain you once endured could return, not to you, but to others, under laws written in our time. The Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act of 2025, though crafted with good intentions, holds within it seeds of oppression — seeds that, if left unchecked, may one day grow into the same tree that once bore the bitter fruits you tasted.
Section 19 criminalizes “false information” without a clear standard, a tool that can silence the honest mistake as easily as it can silence the inconvenient truth.
Section 21 conceals government actions from the very citizens who entrusted you with power.
Section 23 punishes what is “offensive” — a word that tyranny always defines at its convenience.
Section 37, in its vastness, risks branding patriots as terrorists simply for raising their voices.
Sections 44, 56, and 60 grant powers that, in wrong hands, could turn Zambia into a surveillance state, where fear replaces freedom.
Mr. President, you of all people know: good leaders come and go, but bad laws endure. No democracy dies overnight — it withers slowly, law by law, silence by silence, until the spirit of a free people is broken.
You are the child of Zambia’s struggle, a man who refused to bow even when the weight of the state fell on your shoulders. You did not survive that fire so that we could build new chains with our own hands.
We believed in you because you showed us what courage looks like. I beg you now to summon that same courage — not for yourself, but for the Zambia that will exist long after we are gone.
Amend these sections. Protect the freedoms you fought for. Do not allow future leaders, less noble than you, to inherit weapons that could destroy everything you have sacrificed for.
History will ask of you: “When you had the power to protect the people, what did you do?”
Let the answer be: “He chose freedom.”
Let the answer be: “He trusted the people more than he trusted power.”
The future watches us. The young girl in Mansa who dreams of becoming a journalist. The young man in Mongu who dreams of leading his people. The farmer in Chinsali who dreams of being heard. They all depend on the decisions you make now.
I am not asking for a favor. I am pleading for the future.
May God guide your heart.
May God bless Zambia.
And may history remember you as the President who, even at the height of his power, chose restraint over control, freedom over fear, and love for country over love for power.
With hope and respect,
George N. Mtonga
Just go! Who cares? You thought people were going to plead for you? Zero!
You were just a Cader no position and so you ain’t resigning BUT LEAVING THE PARTY!
No need of writing letters, for what? Attention? Zero!
Go well don’t look back!
Mr Crab, The Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act of 2025, will come and hit you hard in future because today those celebrating and rejoicing are protected by those in the corridors of power Mtoonga is not my favourite guy but before Crab you fought for HH , Mtonga was there in thin and thick. Mtoonga may be your worst enemy in UPND Today you are the same people who turned against Gary when he was removed from ministerial position. We know Gary has not been demoted but doing elections mapping with ECZ.
Courage and integrity always create enemies who do not see beyond their nose
I was one of those that fought for Hakainde. But I saw his true colours just 3 months after he got elected. There are those sharper than me, like John Sangwa, saw these colours just one month after the elections. Veteran bloggers here can testify howband when I changed my tune. It was a disapointing day for me.
Vote for change in 2026.
V
That is not what cyber act was intended to do or does it say.
Mr. Mtonga stop playing God. A public display of letters when it could have been written to the addressee to convey the message you want to him NOT to us is just silly, immature and act of public display. Stop playing to the gallery or politiking. No one will eat your politiking or benefit fron your opportunistic infantal act. Move on and do Zambians a favour, dont even pretend your intent is service or stewardship. You sought office for yourself, got the gratuity and now are selling yourself to the next highest bidder to pay for your campaign when you have done nothing for the people that voted for you and insult the man whose coat tails you ascended into power and denegrate.
Lets call a spade a spade. If the cyber is meant to shut up us its wrong, which I doubt. Spreading fearmongering among us should then also be a crime and criminals arrested if that be the case.
It is a mistake to call Hakainde a freedom fighter. The man is who takes away the freedom of his citizens can never be called that. We had a lot more freedom under ECL. Zambia has always been a peaceful country yet no one had ever been arrested for sedition.
Reject tribalism, corruption and oppression.
God bless Why Me and Captain Ibrahim Traore, the real freedom fighters.
Vote for change in 2026.
A-Mtonga just go in piece and good luck with your new found place in your heart. You now starting to write such like it’s coming from bachula makanta is making people wonder if your heart has ever been with the UPND. How else can you explain that the cyber law that was enacted in 2021 before elections was ok compared to the now revised in 2025?
Are you saying in 2021 you had nothing to say about this law but now you’re even cherry picking a number of clauses, we’re these not there in the 2021 enacted law? Maybe it’s true you’re now showing your true self otherwise tondolo musuma cause mwalaisokolola what you really are!
Liar you never voted for him.We know you people and we can never be blinded.Keep on dreaming until 2031.HH forward
You thought we were going to beg for you, please just go no needs of telling us, if you want you can write more than 1000 resignation letters we DON’T care bamtonga .
MR. MTONGA HAS HIS OWN RIGHTS OF OPINION AND HE IS MERELY EXPRESSING HIS OPINION.
THING IS, IF HE WAS THAT CLOSE TO THE PRESIDENT, HE SURELY MUST HAVE HIS EMAIL ADDRESS OR EVEN HIS PERSONAL NUMBER. HE COULD HAVE SOUGHT AUDIENCE WITH HIM, EVEN THROUGH THE PARTY SECRETARIAT’S HIERARCHY.
WRITING THROUGH NEWSPAPERS OR SOCIAL MEDIA MAY JUST BE REVEALING THE OTHER SIDE OF GEORGE MTONGA.
QUESTIONS LIKE, COULD ANY OF THE LAWS HAVE AFFECTED HIS CONFIDENTIAL JOB IN UPND?
COULD HE HAVE BEEN ONE OF THOSE WELL PLACED SNITCHES WHO PASSED SENSITIVE DOCUMENTS TO THE OPPOSITION?
HAS GEORGE BEEN HIRED TO ADD A VOICE TO THE OPPOSITION’S RESISTANCE TO THE LAW?
GEORGE HAS SAID SOME THINGS THAT FOR SURE COULD AFFECT CITIZENS IF A WRONG LEADERSHIP, BY MISFORTUNE , CAME INTO POWER.
BUT I WISH TO REMIND GEORGE THAT WHERE YOU HAVE A NEGATIVE CULTURE AFFECTING THE NORMAL WAY OF LIFE AS KNOWN IN AFRICAN TRADITION, WHERE, FOR INSTANCE, THE PRIVACY OF INDIVIDUALS IS INVADED AND THE THINGS THEY INTENDED TO BE BETWEEN THEMSELVES ARE THROWN ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THE NATION TO SEE, A STOP TO SUCH IS HIGHLY DESIRED.
IMAGINE CHILDREN BEING EXPOSED TO THE VULGAR LANGUAGE BREWED IN THE PF POT AND VOMITED ONTO SOCIAL MEDIA BY SELECTED TOXIC DELINQUENTS EVEN FOR CHILDREN TO SEE AND LISTEN TO. WHAT KIND OF CULTURE IS OUR FUTURE EXPECTED TO EMBRACE? SMART PHONES AND SOCIAL MEDIA CAN EITHER BUILD YOU OR DESTROY YOU DEPENDING ON THE STRENGTH OF YOUR MORALS- GOOD OR BAD. NOT EVERYONE IS WISE ENOUGH TO SEPARATE GOOD FROM BAD, A LOT OF PEOPLE GO BY THE WIND’S DIRECTION LIKE A FLAG.
AS AFRICANS, LET US NOT LOSE OUR CULTURE JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN TO AMERICA OR EUROPE.
NOT EVERYTHING WESTERN IS GOOD FOR AFRICA.
ONCE YOU LOSE YOUR CULTURE, YOU ARE NOTHING BUT MUPPET. ANY ONE CAN MAKE YOU INTO ANYTHING THEY DESIRE.
SO, TO BRING BACK OUR PRIDE AS ZAMBIANS, LET THE CYBER LAW HELP AS A GUIDE RAIL ON A VERY THIN LINE BETWEEN FREEDOM AND INDECENT BEHAVIOUR, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE CULTURE BREWED IN THE POT ON BOARD THE ‘TITANIC’. OH YES, THEY CAN GIVE YOU A DECENT LIFE FOR HAULING INSULTS ON THEIR PERCEIVED ENEMIES.
REMEMBER, SPARE THE ROD AND YOU SPOIL THE CHILD.
GEORGE, YOU CAN THINK AGAIN AND DO THE RIGHT THING, HELP TO SANITIZE THE POLITICAL SPACE. GOING FORWARD, A BACKGROUND CHECK ON CONTENDERS FOR POLITICAL OFFICE WILL HELP GETTING A DESIRED CROP OF LEADERS INTO VARIOUS OFFICES.
IT IS SO EMBARRASSING TO HAVE WHAT WE HAD IN PF AS LEADERS OF A GREAT COUNTRY SUCH AS ZAMBIA, SORRY TO SAY.
Most of us fought with UPND for sanity and order in our land. We did so with a clear conviction and resolve that we were doing all that for the good of everyone. Further more, we sacrificed not to be rewarded materially and have continued living our lives as ordinary citizens. The reward we got is however what we see today in the raised CDF, free education, peace in our public spaces… the list is endless. For those of you who were expecting positions in government you fought a wrong battle. Mr. Mtonga leave silently, unlike most of us you have access to the community house. Do yourself a favour go there.
Well said. The same goes for people like Gilbert Liswaniso who made an unpatriotic statement in Livingstone. When I vote for someone its not for them to pay me. Party elective positions are not a means for people to be rewarded. Its about service. Stewardship. What Liswaniso suggested is what led to the rot we have in PF, the debt, the thought that it was ok to steal, amass unexplained wealth as reward for serving Zambians. Where did that money come from? Zambia amassed an equally collossal debt as indivduals amassed money and wealth. Is there no corelation in that?
So Liswaniso is ok with that? Where will UPND get the money to finance that kind of mentality? Is that the political landscape we want to set for Zambia? That loot the treasury so that we can reward individuals that lead party structures? Work, we are aware that some well wishers invested in the party, we also aware the President invested in the Party, ask yourselves if there has been a return on that investment? We are told he is not taking a salary instead reinvesting it into areas where people need assistance. Liwsaniso the return on your investment is the leadership brand you have created. If it was a monetary return you sought, you are clearly in the wrong business. Get a job, start a business. It seems your mouth is your biggest asset, start giving lectures, but dont make demands that suggest criminal acts must be committed to reward you. You teach our youth and children the wrong perception about what is right and wrong. We have a generation who we want to learn how wrong such a notion is by sending them to prison. And you undermine that effort. Lusambo still doesnt understand the crime he comitted yet cant explain where he got the money or wealth to vindicate himself. Until he does, he will not be remorseful. You too dont understand that. Reward you how? Tell us.
Well written, George, very refreshing. For once in a long while we even have someone quoting what he is talking about (this is also akin to academic writing where you just don’t babble but give referencing). Those critical of George’s writing, why don’t you quote what he has quoted and then speak? Adhominem seems to be a Zambian pass time.
Contrast this and what KBF wrote.
Who debated this law and brought to HH to assent? Who wrote those clauses? So HH wrote this law and debated it and then signed? Boss stop insulting our intellegence. This man was one of those that debated this law, when it was still a bill. If he was so appauled by it why did he not resign in protest?
He says he has left UPND. Who has died from his move? No one. Now he wants to deflect and critic an act he helped craft and play devils advocate? And you also stop using semanics to lable other people. Be man enough to direct your criticism directly. Adhominem kuti? This is a man after getting his gratiuty now wants to call out and dustance himself from the people that he was suppose to serve. I maybe asserting alot, but that is the perception he has created on his own: an opportunist seeking the next band wangon he can jump on. Quoting acts doesnt negate the fact that he sat in Parliament, quiet never speaking out when this was being debated and allowed for the document to go from the floor to committee to 2nd and 3rd reading on the floor and today he wants to say the document is a mistake? What was he doing all that time? Wasting tax payer money pretending he was working for the people while he was quietly waiting to get paid then embarass HH with this write up? What a febble attempt at being noble both of you. We would have respect him alot more if he had been discreet about his insolence. Just a useless opportunists serving himself.
Our own behaviour caused this law to come.The order aspect.The rule of law has not been respected of late.What do we need to amend in there? What are we uncomfortable with? Is it it’s criminal procedure or we are crying to continue with the vices.Reducing the prescribed punishments may may not deter would be offenders.The experience with the new law will eventually dictate the way forward.It is not for the President to do something but nature will guide us as we move on.Honestly the conduct of some people was getting out of hand.We have to now understand our boundaries and care for the next person’ rights and privacy as well as integrity.
Well articulated Bo Muleta.
Bwana Mtonga, many leaders have been brutalized using the very laws they created. Remember the public order act which PF used at every turn, now the cry because of the same law