MFUWE Patriotic Front lawmaker Maureen Mabonga has denied uttering seditious words, arguing that she was only alerting law enforcers about some threats made by UPND cadres.
Ms Mabonga said the utterances she made were meant to alert authorities about other criminal elements that were happening.
“The words I uttered are not seditious and I didn’t intend to promote I’ll will. I intended to bring all these issues to the attention of the authorities and the law enforcement agencies and the nation,” she said. 
This is in a matter the Patriotic Front (PF) lawmaker was found with a case to answer in two counts of seditious practices after she allegedly incited civil unrest between May 25 and 28, 2024.
She is further alleged to have uttered statements that could be construed as inciting violence against a specific ethnic group.
Mabonga uttered the words after fugitive Petauke lawmaker Emmanuel Jay Jay Banda was purportedly abducted.
The accused denied the allegations but after several witnesses testified against her, Lusaka resident magistrate Trevor Kasanda found her with a case to answer and placed her on defence last October.
To consolidate her defence, the accused applied to tender a Facebook video evidence in which suspected United Party for National Development (UPND) carders were heard warning to deal with PF.
The alleged cadres also allegedly threatened injury former President Edgar Lungu by saying they would circumcize him.
Magistrate Trevor Kasanda granted the accused’s application to tender the clip as evidence.
She later told the court that the ruling party cadres threatened Mr Lungu using harsh words.
“He was told that he will be circumcised. The cadres said demeaning words towards PF. Jean Chisenga my fellow MP was burnt, Jay Jay Banda went missing and we decided to talk about it”.
She said it was agreed that a press conference would be held to discuss Mr Banda’s disappearance and other issues.
“It was at that press briefing where I spoke and that’s why am here today”.
Defence lawyer Norman Siwila then asked her to comment over allegations in the first count.
“I was responding to the threats that were issued by the cadres, the UPND cadres those from Western and Southern province.
“I said at the press briefing that ‘You can kill me but you cannot finish the Bembas and Easterners…”
“What I meant here is that we were being threatened, as for me, I wanted to bring these issues to the attention of the nation, authority so that these issues can come to conclusion”.
She denied allegations that the words were seditious and meant to incite violence.
“I didn’t intend to promote any violence. Am also a mother and a wife and there is no way I can promote violence or even incite people to fight”.
Meanwhile, Lusaka magistrate Kelvin Soma has adjourned to January 30, 2025 judgment in a case politician Chilufya Tayali is accused of inciting military personnel to raise against authorities.
The verdict was ready yesterday.
