PUBLIC MUST TEST THE CYBER SECURITY LAW ON JITO, J.J LUNGU OVER THE 90 PERCENT CAMPAIGN PROMISES DELIVERY CLAIM
A KBN TV EDITORIAL
We have noticed public outrage about claims by two Presidential Advisors, Jito Kayumba and Joseph Lungu, claiming that the UPND Administration has achieved more than 90 percent of the 2021 campaign promises.
The public outrage seems to suggest that citizens are not in agreement with the research findings published by the two State House officials as the economic malaise, high cost of living and the general daily struggles fly in the face of such a record breaking milestone.
As a Lusaka based journalist, Mcpheson Mutale wrote on his social media page and we quote, “In approximately 270 days, what was done in the privacy of the main bedroom becomes a living being that can be seen by all. Why should politicians ask us to start researching their achievements in documents? Why can’t we just (feel it) and see it in plain sight?” * emphasis is ours.
This quote above raises a fundamental question. Could it be true the UPND Administration has achieved over 90 percent of their promises so far or is this information just about managing public perception over what doesn’t exist?
Now, one of the key characteristics of the Cyber Crimes Law of 2025, is to try and halt spreading of information deemed to be false with the intention of misleading the public.
According to the new law, anyone who publishes false or misleading information, is liable for imprisonment of upto 2 years. Given that the publication of the information in question by the two State House officials happened few days after the Act became operational on the 15th of April, 2025, makes the case plausible for interrogation under the new law.
Interestingly, the information published stems from an internal assessment of the UPND’s own performance. Others would argue that the UPND baked their own cake and ate it. It is therefore our considered view that the performance claims would have hit differently if the findings were published by an independent body like the Economic Association of Zambia or any reputable University to give the claim authentic validation.
Since members of the public don’t seem to be in agreement with the over 90 percent achievement claim, we are wondering whether the intention of publishing such information was merely to manage public perception and paint a picture that the UPND had performed wonders. If indeed this administration has performed magic as per their claim, they must be commended for alleviating poverty, reducing the high cost of living and lifting the standards of citizens from poverty.
By the same token, if the claims prove to be untrue, then the two Presidential Advisors could be liable under the Cyber crimes law for spreading false information with malice aforethought to mislead the public into believing a lie.
In our quest to hold those in power accountable, we call on private researchers, lawyers, economists and policy analysts, to team up and independently conduct a research that will verify and validate the 90 percent plus claim that they have published for public consumption.
While the Law Association of Zambia has resolved to petition the High Court to review the Constitutionality of some of the clauses contained in the widely condemned Cyber Crimes laws, we call for an independent team to test the efficacy of this law to ensure that Government is not feeding the public with propaganda, but the truth.
Far from a notion that has been created that the new law only targets private citizens, the media and those in opposition, this law is also for Government officials as well, to ensure they don’t publish falsehoods intended to mislead the public for political gain.
Our understanding is that if a politician promises certain things and posts them or publishes such misleading or false information which they completely fail to accomplish or completely U turn on their promises, they should be made to answer for such a misdemeanor under the Cyber crimes laws.
It is now incumbent upon citizens, legal bodies and advocacy groups to take keen interest and start compiling what is perceived to be misleading promises for possibe litigation and prosecution.
For those who have been asking why this law did not include a clause to punish lying politicians, be rest assured that this Cyber law actually captures lying politicians and it does so very very well.
There is no more room for lying politicians. This law has directly criminalized lying by politicians.
When you read it critically, drafters of this law aimed to criminalize every opinion that is different from the Government’s position, they didn’t see where it captures serving Government officials to be answerable for information they give out that might not be accurate to the public.
The big question which the Government should answer is: Who is going to be deciding what statements are misleading and what is not misleading?
Are we going to create a unit under the Zambia Police specifically dedicated to researching and analysing misleading and non misleading statements by the Government and the private sector?
Lastly and most importantly, it’s a fact that Presidents lie while in office but they have immunity. The question is, will citizens look away and allow them to continue lying simply because they have immunity? With this law in place, citizens can document lies by any President and propose to remove immunity from a former Head of State for every lie they told while in office in order to prosecute them.
We urge that if this law was not well thought out, it could come back to bite the UPND as a classic case of scoring your own goal. This has happened before to the PF who first enacted similar laws that have come back to haunt them while out of power.
You should also be arrested under the same cyber law for falsely claiming that I a bonafide citizen of this country is against this cyber law. You can’t publish that “member of the public” who do you think you are?
Even me I’m not against what the two government officials have said, so don’t include me in your foolish observation
Vote wisely vote for HH7 in 2026
The truth is that politicians do not lie. They only articulate possibilities and ways to run the economy.
The only politicians who laid in Zambia was ECL and his Cabinet who discussed expanding the Zambian embassy in Turkey, and sent a Minster who simply deviated the money in buying choppers.
Already this tells me that PEOPLE DON’T UNDERSTAND CYBER LAWS.
No wonder there is so much useless debate. How can CYBER LAWS be test on Jito and his colleague for saying UPND has score 90% of the promises?
Where is the Cyber insecurity or crime in this case?
Some logic some people use is very questionable…
Since when did holding an opinion become a criminal offence? These levels of mungulu from an alleged professional media house just show shameless malice and hatred. UPND has definitely scored some victories, major victories include renegotiating the kaloba PF got in our name. Kaloba that PF had no intention of paying back and defaulted on payment TWICE. You may not like HH, but that single victory saved us from becoming a failed nation with the kwacha faring worse than the Zimbabwe dollar. And key assets like Kafue Gorge power station and ZESCO at risk of being grabbed.
Free education has moved over 2 million children out of homes, the compounds, the streets and into class rooms. You must be a special kind of idiot to not recognise such life changing events.
Whether these and other victories amount to 80 or 90 % is an opinion. If these and other items that improve the quality of people’s lives compute to zero for you, you have no business being in service based leadership and politics. For you politics is filling yowa own belly. Not serving the people and improving their chances in life. Zambia does not need that expired breed of leadership.
You do not need to understand the law. All you need is to respect other peoples properties, premises and their information. Ask for permission to know their age, their education and many other things pertaining to them.
Law can be abstract or concrete at times. If a certain law, has formed a precedent then interpretation will be that way, wrong or right.
Long time ago their was a law against the fox. But another animal infringed the law and was arrested. A sensible Lawyer challenged the court that the law was written for fox!
Their is no perfect law. It is simply how you integrate and life goes on.
So these KBN jonalists are fake,they can’t gather information around the whole country in order to obtain the truth, out of all the promises that were promised by the upnd alot have been done,only that these lusaka based jonalists are contaminated with a stagnant mind only want development here in lusaka and not in rural areas ,move you KBN jonalists go round the country and see for yourself,just to remind you there is free education, mines reopened, no caderism, schools,clinics,free press,construction of roads, employing of more than 100 000 civil servants,just to mention but a few, this is what we call achievement if you don’t know you kbn jonalists
Very silly editorial.