HH Scrapped the Law Against Defaming the President. Now He Says Zambia's Environment Is "Toxic"

**LUSAKA, 15 October 2026.** President Hakainde Hichilema denied online claims that he received medical treatment during his trip to the United Arab Emirates at the end of September. The President was in the UAE from 28 to 30 September. After the trip, some opposition figures, most notably former Petauke Central MP Emmanuel "Jay Jay" Banda, posted claims on Facebook that he had gone to hospital there for stage four cancer. Speaking on his arrival at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport on Thursday, 1 October, President Hichilema said he had gone to the UAE to work, not for treatment. He also urged Zambians to buy into the Grow Zambia Agenda, saying the country had lost valuable time through squabbles. ## Calls for a different approach On 11 October, political commentator Chilufya Tayali urged the ruling UPND to drive its own agenda rather than react to opposition allegations. He questioned how Banda and former ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba manage to capture public attention while government rebuttals lag behind public opinion. ## The law Hichilema scrapped Until December 2022, defaming the President was a crime in Zambia. Section 69 of the Penal Code made it a crime to publish defamatory or insulting material about the President with the intent of bringing him into hatred, ridicule or contempt. Those convicted faced up to three years in prison. The offence dated back to 1965, when founding President Kenneth Kaunda introduced it. For decades it was used to prosecute journalists and government critics. On 23 December 2022, President Hichilema signed the Penal Code (Amendment) Act No. 25 of 2022. It repealed section 69 and, in the same law, abolished the death penalty. Before signing, the President said he was ready to be a guinea pig and did not mind what people would say about him. He had said the offence held back democracy and basic freedoms. Presidential spokesperson Anthony Bwalya confirmed at the time that the offence of criminal defamation of the Presiden