Court orders PF Secretary-General Raphael Nakacinda to defend himself in sedition case over aflatoxin claim

The Lusaka Magistrates' Court has found that the state has made out a prima facie case against Patriotic Front Secretary-General Raphael Nakacinda, so he must now put up a defence on a charge of seditious practices. Magistrate Mwandu Nakazwe made the ruling on Monday. Mr Nakacinda faces one count. The state says he claimed the government was committing genocide by bringing in maize and mealie-meal that was allegedly contaminated with aflatoxins. A prima facie ruling means the prosecution has presented enough evidence that, if the accused offers no answer, a court could convict. It is not a finding of guilt, and Mr Nakacinda has not been convicted. His lawyer, Maluza Chongola, told the court that his client will give evidence on oath and call 10 witnesses. The magistrate adjourned the matter to 22 December 2026 for the defence to begin and directed that the defence close its case by February 2027. ## Background Police arrested Mr Nakacinda, then 46, in Lusaka in September 2024. Police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said the statement, made at a press conference and shared on social media, was believed to border on seditious practices, and cited sections 57(1)(b) and 60(1)(b) of the Penal Code. He was held pending police bond conditions and has been before the court since. Aflatoxins are poisons produced by mould that can grow on maize and groundnuts when they are stored badly, and maize meal is the staple food for most Zambians. ## Why it matters The case is one of several in which people have been charged over statements about the government, and its outcome will shape how far political speech can go before it is treated as sedition. For ordinary Zambians who depend on mealie-meal, the claim at the centre of the charge touches food they eat every day, but the charge is about what Mr Nakacinda said, and the court will decide whether the state has proved the offence. ## What happens next The defence begins on 22 December 2026, and the court expects the defence to fini