TONSE Alliance Blasts President Hichilema Over “Social Media Threats” at N’cwala Ceremony
The TONSE Alliance has launched a fierce attack on President Hakainde Hichilema, accusing him of blatant hypocrisy and fear-mongering following his remarks at the N’cwala Traditional Ceremony in Chipata on February 22, 2025.
The alliance claims the President’s warning against social media misuse was a calculated attempt to silence dissenting voices, branding it as a desperate move by a leader losing grip on public support.
In a strongly-worded statement issued by PeP President and TONSE Alliance spokesperson Sean E. Tembo, the opposition bloc dismissed President Hichilema’s warning to social media users as “empty threats” aimed at silencing public criticism. Tembo argued that the President lacks the moral authority to condemn social media abuse, claiming that Hichilema himself benefits from “rogue” social media platforms like Koswe, Zambian Bulletin, and Zambia Watchdog.
“The President cannot pretend to be a saint when his own affiliated social media pages continue to insult, defame, and spread malicious propaganda against his political opponents every single day,” Tembo said. “If Hichilema was genuinely concerned about online abuse, he would have taken action against these pages long ago. His silence speaks louder than his words.”
The TONSE Alliance accused Hichilema of using scare tactics to suppress dissent as his popularity plummets. Tembo dismissed the President’s remarks as the “rantings of an outgoing leader” who has realized, too late, that Zambians are disillusioned with his leadership. “These threats are nothing but a desperate attempt to gag the Zambian people from freely discussing the failures of the UPND government,” he added.
Tembo went further, warning Zambians not to be intimidated by what he described as the President’s “last-minute” attempts to salvage his fading political fortunes. “We advise the people of Zambia to continue using social media freely. If the President wants to set a standard for acceptable content, he should start by shutting down his own attack dogs Koswe, Zambian Bulletin, and Zambia Watchdog,” he charged.
The Alliance also took issue with the politicization of traditional events, accusing the UPND of hijacking the N’cwala ceremony to push its party agenda. “N’cwala is not a UPND event it belongs to all Ngonis, regardless of political affiliation. It’s disgraceful for the ruling party to use such a sacred occasion as a platform to prop up its dwindling support,” Tembo stated.
Concluding his fiery statement, Tembo assured President Hichilema that no amount of intimidation would change the will of the Zambian people. “Instead of threatening citizens, the President should focus on reconciling with the people he has betrayed. His time in office is coming to an end, and no amount of bluster or bullying will stop the inevitable — his defeat at the 2026 polls,” he declared.
February 24, 2025
©️ KUMWESU
TONSE Alliance Blasts President Hichilema Over “Social Media Threats” at N’cwala Ceremony
