By 
UPND Media Director, Mark Simuuwe, has told the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court that a Facebook post allegedly published by his former colleague, Kasebamashila Kaseba, falsely portrayed him as a “con artist” and “academic fraudster”, causing lasting damage to his reputation and professional credibility.
Simuuwe was testifying in a cyber harassment case in which Kaseba is accused of publishing offensive content on Facebook.
He told the court that on March 13, 2024, he logged into his Facebook account and found that he had been tagged in a post by a Facebook user identified as “BJ Kuba”. Upon opening the notification, he found a post from an account bearing the name “Kaseba Kaseba Mashila”, which he recognised because they had previously communicated through the same Facebook account while working together at Prime Television.
According to Simuuwe, the post featured his photograph and described him as a “con artist” and an “academic fraudster”, alleging that he had corruptly obtained payments from both Prime Television and the United Party for National Development (UPND).
He testified that the publication exposed him to ridicule, contempt and emotional distress and undermined the trust he had built with the public through his work as a media analyst and moderator of Prime Television’s The Introspection programme.
Simuuwe said his Facebook page had more than 33,000 followers at the time the post was published.
“The post made people question whether I could still be trusted,” Simuuwe told the court, adding that some members of the public continued to refer to the publication whenever he comments on national issues.
He also told the court that he had known the accused for more than 20 years and that the two had worked together at Prime Television, where Kaseba was a producer while he served as a presenter and analyst.
During cross-examination, Simuuwe confirmed that he did not seek medical or psychological treatment for the emotional distress he said he suffered.
He also testified that although he served as a media consultant to the UPND, he was not paid a salary and instead provided his services to the party on a pro bono basis.
Meanwhile, UPND Deputy Secretary, General Gertrude Imenda, testified that Simuuwe was appointed Special Assistant and Adviser to the party’s Secretary General in 2016 before later being appointed Media Director.
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