A Zambian-American social media influencer has been handed an 18-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to hate speech charges against Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema. Ethel Chisono Edwards, a 42-year-old real estate agent from New York who maintains dual citizenship, was convicted under Zambia’s recently enacted Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Acts for her persistent online criticisms of the head of state.
Known to her substantial following as ‘One Boss Lady,’ Edwards built her digital reputation through two years of vehement commentary targeting President Hichilema’s administration. Her case reached its climax when authorities detained her at Zambia’s primary airport three months ago during a visit to attend her grandmother’s funeral proceedings.
During proceedings at Lusaka’s magistrate court, Edwards admitted to unlawfully publishing content motivated by hatred toward the presidency. Magistrate Webster Milumbe emphasized the court’s obligation to issue a strong deterrent against the growing trend of hate speech, despite the defendant’s expression of remorse and direct apology to the president, his family, and the Zambian nation.
Defense attorney Joseph Katati portrayed his client as a contrite first-time offender with significant philanthropic contributions, including sponsorship of a girls’ football team that would suffer from her incarceration. The magistrate acknowledged these mitigating factors by backdating the sentence to her arrest date.
The sentencing has sparked vigorous debate within Zambia regarding free speech boundaries. While some citizens support the judicial outcome as necessary for maintaining respect for leadership, others perceive the punishment as disproportionately limiting expressive freedoms. This case emerges despite President Hichilema’s 2021 elimination of criminal defamation laws specifically targeting the presidency, indicating that other legislation remains applicable to criticism of government figures.
This prosecution follows another unusual case from September, where two individuals received two-year prison terms for allegedly attempting to use witchcraft against the president, demonstrating the ongoing legal complexities surrounding presidential protection in Zambia.