Nakacinda Begins Jail Term as Court Upholds Defamation Conviction

Raphael Nakacinda has surrendered to authorities to begin an 18-month prison sentence for defaming President Hakainde Hichilema, making him the latest senior Patriotic Front official to be incarcerated.

The PF faction Secretary General handed himself over to police on Tuesday after the Lusaka High Court dismissed his appeal and upheld the conviction handed down by magistrates last year.

Nakacinda was found guilty of making false statements in December 2021, when he publicly claimed that President Hichilema had summoned judges to his private residence to influence court cases involving the opposition party.

High Court Judge Anne Malata-Ononuju ruled that the original conviction was sound, emphasising the constitutional protections afforded to the presidency.

"The President, by virtue of the office that he holds, is immune from all prosecutions, civil and criminal," Justice Malata-Ononuju stated in her judgment. She noted that such cases must be handled by the Director of Public Prosecutions rather than the President personally.

The judge dismissed the defence's arguments entirely, declaring the appeal "without merit" and ordering the sentence to take effect immediately.

Before surrendering, Nakacinda struck a defiant tone, vowing to continue his political activism from behind bars.

"We will continue to speak even in detention," he told supporters. "The challenge remains with you, who have a bit of freedom... It's up to you to summon courage and continue to fight for mother Zambia."

His imprisonment means he is likely to miss the 2026 general elections, though he would be eligible to vote as an inmate.