THE Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a 25-year-old man to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour for insulting President Edgar Lungu.

This is a matter in which Steven Phiri, a former employee of Zambeef Woodlands outlet, was charged with defamation of the President contrary to the Laws of Zambia.

Particulars of the offence were that on October 24, 2018, Phiri with intent to bring the name of the President into ridicule and disrepute, allegedly published insulting matter by word of mouth in Nyanja, which words were deemed insulting to the Head of State.

The accused person was found with a case to answer in the matter and placed on his defence.

He was however, later convicted.

And when the matter came up for judgement, Monday, Magistrate Nthandose Chabala told Phiri that it was unnecessary to insult the President and further said that the insults uttered by him were hard for her to read.

Magistrate Chabala further told the convict that in order to help him transform, she would put him in custody and therefore sentenced him to 12 months.