TheEditorZambia
Matero Member of Parliament Miles Sampa should not cry political persecution, he should take responsibility for his social media comments on poll day in the Chawama by-election on January 15, 2026.
The former Mayor for city of Lusaka and Boba Tv boss should take responsibility for transmitting unsolicited and deceptive information contrary to section 19 of the cybercrimes Act 
Miles Sampa criminal intent by publishing those alarming statements on voting day was to disturbilise peace during the by elections in Chawama.
Such reckless and criminal remarks, especially in a general election, have a potential to seriously disturbilise the country if claims are being made at wider levels in multiple places around.
If such reckless statement by high profile politician goes unpunished, the country will be doing unjust and promoting lawlessness.
Sampa has 876,000 followers on his Facebook page. His Facebook postings claiming the ECZ voter register for Chawama was false and alleging that a fake polling station had been opened along Lilayi Road in Lusaka could have easily caused public disorder.
Sampa put the lives of voters, polling staff, monitors from various organisations, police manning the polling stations, and members of the public at risk. People in Chawama could have easily descended on innocent people and destroyed public property.
Sampa’s careless statement could have easily turned into uncontrollable turmoil and chaos.
If property and lives were lost, was Miles Sampa going to take responsibility? Would an apology have been sufficient? Why didn’t Miles Sampa simply call the ECZ to verify the allegations?
Sampa should face consequences for the crime of spreading false information, alleging that there was a secret polling station to aid the ruling party candidate Morgan Muunda in the Chawama parliamentary by-elections.
It’s worth noting that Miles Sampa commands a huge following on his Facebook platform and Boba TV page. As a public figure who once served as Mayor of Lusaka, Sampa has a responsibility to be mindful of the impact of his words.
The country is going into a general election in the next 6 months. Sampa should be an example that publication of false information using electronic means is an offence.
An excuse that on voting day, at around 10:00 hours, residents alerted him to what they described as a suspicious tent polling station, where voters were allegedly being ferried from Chilanga is not enough to keep him out of the hook.
Sampa had the duty and responsibility to verify the said information to given to him by the unknown voter. The responsibility to verify the information falls on him. ECZ officials were patrolling in Chawama why didn’t he make an effort at least to verify before going to social media?
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) should be commended for lodging a complaint at Lusaka Central Police Station.
We sympathize we with him but we do not subscribe to such careless and criminal remarks towards a sensitive institution like the Electoral Commission of Zambia. Let the law take its cause.
Electoral Commission of Zambia ECZ is too sensitive and creating doubts around it can caused irreparable damage to a country.
