THE Chipata Magistrates’ Court in Zambia has sentenced an evangelist to 15 months imprisonment with hard labour for defamation of the President.
Evangelist Benson Tembo defamed President Hakainde Hichilema at Vizenge clinic on May 19, 2022 when he called the Head of State a Satanist in his preaching.
The prosecution called three witnesses, Tembo also called three defense witnesses.
Tembo testified that he was preaching in the mountains after the advent of the pandemic.
He said he was informed by angel Gabriel to reveal the suffering of the people and thae pandemic was not real.
Tembo said he was guided by God and angel Gabriel to preach at Vizenge clinic grounds where he called the President a Satanist in his preaching which was captured on phone by onlookers.
One of the defense witnesses Stephen Tembo said he was there when the accused was preaching at Vizenge clinic and that he was preaching on the pandemic.
When asked by public prosecutor Jeff Mwanabeene whether he heard the accused calling the President a Satanist in his preaching, Tembo said he heard but maintained that he did not defame the President.
Another witness, Dorcas Tembo, said on the material day, the accused was preaching based on the readings of Revelation 13, 14-18.
“The accused was preaching about the pandemic and the last days. He said in the last days there will be a beast bearing [the mark] 666; he mentioned that the Bible forewarned us about the last days. We went to the hospitals, bars, schools and villages to preach and I am the one who was reading the Bible verses,” Dorcas said.
When asked in cross examination whether she was at Vizenge where the accused was even captured on video defaming the President, the witness answered in the affirmative.
Asked whether she heard him say the President sold the country to the Chinese and Americans and that he was a Satanist, the Dorcas said she did not pay attention to that part.
Another defense witness, Ruth Banda, said she was not there on the May 19 when Tembo was preaching at the clinic but only heard about the issue the following day after he was arrested.
When asked to mitigate by principal resident magistrate Boniface Mwala, Tembo said he was the first offender before repeating his defamatory statement.
In his judgment, magistrate Mwala said the convict appeared not to be remorseful as he continued to perpetuate his defamatory statement.
He said the 15-month sentence was with effect from August 30, 2022 which was the judgment day since he was on bail.
