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Zambian musician Chama
Fumba, also known as Pilato, arrives at Lusaka Central Police station on June
8, 2015 for questioning after police summoned him over a song he has released
©Chibala Zulu (AFP)
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A Zambian musician was arrested on Monday over a song he
composed that officials said defamed President Edgar Lungu by accusing him of
drinking too much and being incompetent.
Chama Fumba, 31, whose
stage name is Pilato, was detained in Lusaka and charged with conduct likely to
cause a breach of the peace, his lawyer told reporters at the capital's central
police station.
"The police declined
to grant us bail and we requested to them that in that case the matter should
quickly proceed to court," Marshall Muchende said.
AFP report continues:
Fumba faces a maximum
sentence of six months in prison or a fine if found guilty.
The song's lyrics tell
the story of a character named Lungu who grows up in a slum and becomes
president.
The Lungu in the song is
described as carrying a suitcase filled with bottles of Jameson Irish whiskey
and having no idea how to govern.
President Lungu, 58, who
took office in January, is a former defence minister.
He suffers from recurring
achalasia, a condition caused by narrowing of the oesophagus, and has been
regularly hospitalized for treatment.
His election victory
followed the death of predecessor Michael Sata.
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