The Death of Justice: How Bail Has Become a Political Weapon- Thandiwe Ketis Ngoma
The Death of Justice: How Bail Has Become a Political Weapon
By Thandiwe Ketis Ngoma
I have learned with a deep sense of sadness and outrage that Pastor Duncan Simuchimba’s appeal for bail has been rejected by the Kitwe Magistrate Court. This is not just another case of judicial proceedings. It is a glaring example of how justice in Zambia has been hijacked and turned into a tool of oppression against those seen as political threats.
Pastor Duncan Simuchimba’s crime? Speaking out against the demolition of market stalls at Kitwe’s Chisokone Market. He dared to stand with the struggling marketeers whose livelihoods were being destroyed. He raised his voice against the injustice of a government that claims to care for the people but instead leaves them in deeper suffering. For this, he was charged with “unlawful assembly” and sentenced to nine months in prison with hard labor.
This forced me to ask a painful question. Why is it that every individual jailed for political reasons is systematically denied their constitutional right to bail?
We have seen this before. Honorable Bowman Lusambo, Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM), Nickson Chilangwa, and Ronald Chitotela, just to mention a few, have all suffered the same fate. These are not isolated incidents. They reveal a disturbing pattern where the right to bail is not determined by law but by the political preferences of those in power.
A Judiciary Under Siege
In any true democracy, the judiciary is expected to function independently, free from political pressure. However, what is happening in Zambia today is nothing short of executive capture of the judiciary.
Why is it that opposition figures and government critics struggle to access a basic constitutional right while others with the right political connections seem to walk free, even when accused of far more serious offenses?
Pastor Simuchimba was not leading an armed rebellion. He was not plotting a coup. He was simply defending the weak and oppressed, just as any true leader of faith should. Yet, instead of being respected for his courage, he has been treated like a criminal.
Justice should never be selective. It should never be dictated by political affiliation. Yet, under this government, the scales of justice have been tilted, and the law is now being applied as a weapon to silence, intimidate, and destroy those who refuse to bow to the ruling party.
A Dangerous Road to Dictatorship
When bail, a fundamental legal right, becomes a privilege reserved only for those favored by the ruling elite, democracy is dead. Today, it is Pastor Duncan Simuchimba, Lusambo, GBM, Chilangwa, and Chitotela. Tomorrow, it could be any ordinary Zambian who dares to express dissent.
A nation where the judiciary serves the interests of the executive is no longer a democracy. It is an authoritarian state in disguise.
The message is clear. If you challenge the government, you will pay the price. If you speak for the poor, you will be silenced. If you demand justice, you will be thrown in jail.
If this government continues down this road, soon no Zambian will be safe from politically motivated persecution. Anyone who speaks out will risk being thrown in jail, denied bail, and left to rot simply because they dared to challenge those in power.
Zambians Must Wake Up
No government should fear an independent judiciary. No political leader should feel entitled to manipulate the courts to settle political scores. No citizen should be denied their constitutional rights based on their political stance.
Pastor Simuchimba is in prison today for speaking out against injustice. If we do not stand up now, tomorrow it will be someone else. And one day, it could be you.
Zambians must wake up before it is too late. Justice is not a privilege for the chosen few. It is a right for all. If we do not defend it now, soon we will have no justice system left to protect us at all.
