Bangwe Navilley Picked Up, Detained
Lusaka-30th August 2024
As the government continues into a crackdown of social-media, a group of six police officers allegedly from Lusaka Service Headquarters abducted former diplomat and former ZNBC reporter, Bangwe Navilley.
His brother, Lewis, expressed fear for the life of Bangwe Naville as the men didn’t identify themselves and took him away to an unknown place.
Other sources reported that his fellow journalists reported him to State House Media Specialist, Clayson Hamasaka that Bangwe was allegedly running a Facebook Page called; “Hadodi Hachisanga” that was allegedly issuing inflamatory statements.
Apparently, when confronted about these false assertions, Bangwe is said to have challenged Hamasaka to use the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) to verify and debunk the false assertions.
Bangwe’s phone has remained unanswered since yesterday, and his whereabouts remain unkown.
The arrest of Bangwe follows the arrest of others this week alone.
Police have also picked former Kafue Council Chairperson and former First Secretary at the Kenyan Embassy, Thomas Zulu, GenZ National Coordinator, Jason Mwanza and his colleague, and Chanda Chikwakwa
The trio are detained at Lusaka Central Police Station.
Minister of Home Affairs and Interior Security, Jack Mwiimbu says Government has invoked section 54 of the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act number two of 2021 to deal with people practicing online hate speech, propaganda, defamation and abuse of children online.
And Technology and Science Permanent Secretary, BRILLIANT HABEENZU says section 54 of the law provides five years imprisonment and those being picked up will if convicted for such crimes, will face the temerity of the law.
