The IDS has settled on the August 2026 General Elections. The democratic will of the Zambian people has been exercised, and President Hakainde Hichilema has been mandated to lead our republic.
Yet, the days following the declaration of results have revealed a troubling fracture in our national character.
While robust political debate is the lifeblood of our democracy, the toxic wave of crude insults and personal degradation aimed at the Head of State, and which have flooded various social media platforms, is entirely unacceptable.
We must draw a sharp line between legitimate political expression and outright malice. As highlighted in a recent stern warning by United Party for National Development (UPND) Copperbelt Chairman Elisha Matambo, this behavioural degradation has reached a new low.
Grown citizens are now actively recruiting minors to deliver abusive political tirades online. Exploiting innocent children for political mudslinging is not freedom of speech, but a moral failure and a direct violation of the Children’s Code Act.
The presidency is not merely a political office occupied by a single part. It is the ultimate symbol of our national sovereignty, unity, and collective identity.
To degrade the person holding that office, regardless of partisan alignment, is to degrade Zambia itself.
While the archaic law criminalising the defamation of the President was progressively repealed in 2022 to widen our civic space, it was never an invitation to lawlessness. The Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act and general laws of defamation remain fully active.
Freedom of speech demands the presence of personal responsibility. When accountability fails, the law must step in.
We commend the stance taken by leadership to explicitly reject vigilantism.
The directive to party structures to document and report these abuses directly to the Zambia Police Service, rather than taking the law into their own hands, is the correct, lawful path.
Mobs do not build a nation; the rule of law does. Law enforcement agencies must now act with absolute impartiality, ensuring that those who use digital spaces to incite hatred and abuse are held legally accountable.
However, legal prosecution is only a cure for the symptom. The true remedy lies in a cultural shift.
“One Zambia, One Nation” must transition from a convenient campaign slogan into a lived reality.
Winners must lead with humility, and those who came second must engage with constructive civility.
The elections are over. The urgent task of building our economy, strengthening our institutions, and uplifting the lives of ordinary citizens requires our undivided energy.
We call upon parents, civic leaders, religious bodies, and political parties across the spectrum to tone down the rhetoric.
Let us protect our children from political toxicity and teach them the value of respect. Let us disagree without being disagreeable.
For the sake of our democracy, our peace, and our future, digital lawlessness must stop now.
Let us grow up as a nation and accord the Office of the President the dignity it fundamentally deserves.
