Sishuwa Sishuwa, The Law Has No Tribe- Stop Misleading Zambians

Sishuwa Sishuwa, The Law Has No Tribe- Stop Misleading Zambians

By Tobbius Chilembo Hamunkoyo-LLB

Sishuwa Sishuwa, your attempt to frame the tragic case of Maria Zaloumis in tribal terms is reckless, misleading, and an insult to the collective intelligence of Zambians.

This nation is built on constitutionalism, the rule of law, and the principle that justice is blind. Our criminal justice system does not look at whether one is Bemba, Tonga, Lozi, or Kaonde; it looks at the facts, the evidence, and the law.

The Constitution of Zambia 1996, under Bill of Rights makes it clear under Article 18 that every person is equal before the law and entitled to a fair hearing before an independent and impartial tribunal.

The Penal Code, Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia, criminalises offences such as murder, fraud, corruption, and assault, without attaching any ethnic or regional consideration.

Further, you may be aware that the Criminal Procedure Code, Chapter 88 of the Laws of Zambia, lays down the process of arrest, trial, and sentencing, again without reference to tribe.

These laws were enacted long before President Hakainde Hichilema assumed office; therefore, to suggest that he has “created” a tribal justice system is both false and malicious.

Let us remind you how the Zambia Police Service operates. Under Article 193  sub article (2) of the Constitution, and reinforced by the Zambia Police Act, Chapter 107 of the laws of Zambia, their mandate is to maintain law and order, detect and prevent crime, and enforce the law without fear or favour and without selecting tribes.

When an offence is suspected, the police investigate, collect evidence, and forward the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in line with Article 180 of the Constitution. The DPP, an independent office, decides whether to prosecute based on evidence, not tribe.

When a case goes to court, the Judiciary under Article 118 ensures independence, impartiality, and fairness. This is the system you are trying to undermine with cheap propaganda.

If indeed Maria Zaloumis (Zed Farmer) is found to have participated in the murder of Enoch Simfukwe, she will not escape justice. The law is patient, but it is firm. She will face the full force of the Penal Code like anyone else.

What is unacceptable is for you, Sishuwa, to reduce this serious matter to tribal name-calling. When Guntila Muleya was brutally murdered by people from different provinces and tribes, you did not rush to accuse the government of tribal bias. You remained silent. Your sudden outrage here exposes your hypocrisy.

Zambia will never be divided by tribe. We are one people, one nation. Intermarriages across Bemba, Lozi, Ngoni, Tonga, Kaonde, and other ethnic groups have made us stronger and united. Our Constitution in Article 4 affirms Zambia as “One, sovereign, unitary and multi-ethnic state.” To suggest otherwise is not just false, it is an attempt to drag us back into the divisive politics of the past, the same politics that Chishimba Kambwili once tried and failed.

Sishuwa, stop poisoning the minds of Zambians. The law does not see tribe; it sees justice. The Constitution, the Penal Code, and the Criminal Procedure Code apply to everyone equally. Zambia’s justice system may have challenges, yes, but tribal preference is not one of them. If you truly care about justice, call for evidence-based investigations, not tribal propaganda.