WITHDRAW CONTROVERSIAL CYBER LAWS, YOUTHS URGE HICHILEMA
…the legislation is stifling creativity, debate, and innovation, and shrinking the digital space says Sconel Lusambo
Lusaka… Saturday April 19, 2025 — Youths and digital content creators across Zambia have called on President Hakainde Hichilema to uphold the promises he made during his campaign by withdrawing the controversial Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act.
Speaking through a statement issued by Mr. Sconel Lusambo, the group reminded the Head of State that his rise to power had been built on pledges of transparency, accountability, and freedom.
Mr. Lusambo stated that when President Hichilema campaigned, he had inspired young people with his vision of a leadership style that would be inclusive, open, and protective of fundamental rights.
However, he said the reality on the ground had turned out to be the opposite, as the newly enacted Cyber Laws will now be used to silence the very voices that believed in the President’s message of change.
The youth representative argued that in their form and intent, the laws were not offering citizens protection, as initially promised, but were instead formulated in a manner that would only punish Zambians—especially young people—for exercising their right to free expression online.
According to the statement, the legislation was stifling creativity, debate, and innovation, and shrinking the digital space that should be a hub for new ideas and civic engagement.
Mr. Lusambo stressed that the appeal was not coming from adversaries of the state but from passionate young Zambians who loved their country and wished to shape its future through content creation, civic discourse, and digital innovation.
He warned that the Cyber Laws were criminalizing ordinary online activity, including social media posts, tweets, videos, and memes — actions which he believed should not be treated as crimes in a democratic society.
The statement went on to challenge President Hichilema to remember his campaign commitments and to align his leadership with the democratic principles he had once championed.
Mr Lusambo described the moment as a crucial test of the President’s commitment to freedom and youth empowerment.
Calling for the immediate withdrawal of the Cyber Laws, Mr. Lusambo urged the government to allow young people to express themselves without fear, and to give creators the freedom to work without censorship.
He insisted that a strong democracy depended on open expression and that Zambia’s future could not thrive under an atmosphere of silence and intimidation.
The statement concluded with a firm but respectful reminder to the President that Zambian youth were watching, waiting, and speaking out—not out of anger, but from a deep sense of responsibility for the country’s future.
