A 36-year-old man, Sainani Nkhoma, has paid a fine of K200,000 after being convicted of insulting President Lazarus Chakwera through a WhatsApp post.
The incident occurred two weeks ago in a WhatsApp group called Mponera Hotspot, where Nkhoma shared a demeaning caricature of the President.
Although Nkhoma pleaded for forgiveness, claiming it was not a premeditated offense, First Grade Magistrate Talakwanji M’ndala imposed the fine as a warning to others.
Nkhoma has since paid the fine, avoiding a six-month jail term.
That shouldn’t be the case. Anyone in the world who chooses to hold a public office, and things get even worse when you get your monthly stipend from tax-payers, you must be prepared to be censored whenever you go out of bounds. To avoid public censorship, don’t go for public offices.