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Police in Kabwe have charged and arrested former Finance Minister Dr. Katele Kalumba for alleged harassment under Section 22 of the Cyber Crimes Act No. 4 of 2025, police spokesperson Godfrey Chilabi said on Thursday.
Chilabi said the matter was reported at Kabwe Central Police Station on Sept. 10 by Albert Munjulunji, 29.
In a statement issued in Lusaka, he said Kalumba allegedly published and disseminated electronic content on Aug. 11 with the intent to humiliate President Hakainde Hichilema.
Police subsequently opened a docket and began investigations, Chilabi said.
“Dr Kalumba was apprehended on September 23, 2026, in Chienge District and was formally charged and arrested on September 24, 2026, at Kabwe Central Police Station,” Chilabi said.
Kalumba has since been released on police bond and is expected to appear in court.
“The Zambia Police Service wishes to remind members of the public to use social media responsibly and respectfully,” Chilabi stated.
He said while Article 20 of the Constitution provides for freedom of expression, the right should be exercised responsibly and with due regard for the rights, dignity and reputation of others, as well as public morality.
Chilabi said police would provide further updates in due course.
The arrest follows concerns raised by Kalumba’s wife, Lumba, who said on Wednesday that her husband had been picked up from their home in Chienge by a group of armed soldiers.
Read More: Soldiers reportedly abduct ex-Finance Minister, Kalumba, from Chienge home, wife alleges
In a Facebook livestream on Sept. 23, Lumba said Kalumba was taken at about 12:30 p.m. and driven to Chienge Police Station, where the soldiers initially told him they wanted to ask him some questions.
She said the soldiers later decided to take him to Mansa instead and that permission was sought for his medication to be brought to him.
Lumba said Kalumba was a known cardiac patient who had suffered heart failure last year. She also said he had spondylosis of the spine and was recovering from a serious fracture to his left ankle sustained last year.
“Unfortunately, the soldiers could not be bothered about his health and they drove off. I’m told they’ve gone to Mansa,” she said.
The police statement did not address Lumba’s account of how Kalumba was initially taken into custody.
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