US-Based Zambian Influencer Jailed 18 Months For Insulting President Hichilema After Flying Home For Grandma’s Funeral

A US-based Zambian influencer has been sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for insulting the nation’s president, in a case that began when she flew home to attend her grandmother’s funeral. Ethel Chisono Edwards, the estate agent known to her thousands of followers as “One Boss Lady”, was convicted under Zambia’s controversial new cyber laws, sparking a fierce national debate.

The 42-year-old dual citizen was arrested three months ago upon arrival at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka. According to the BBC, she had travelled from her home in New York to attend her grandmother’s funeral. She later pleaded guilty in a magistrate’s court to hate speech for her online remarks about President Hakainde Hichilema.

“I want to unreservedly apologise to the president, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, his family, and the nation of Zambia for the words that I uttered against the president,” stated a public apology delivered on her behalf by her lawyer, Joseph Katati.

Magistrate Webster Milumbe stated the court had a duty to send a strong message, noting that hate speech had become too common. Edwards was convicted under the Cyber Security Act and the Cyber Crimes Act, legislation which came into force earlier this year.

A Plea For Mercy Falls On Deaf Ears

In a bid for leniency, her lawyer painted a picture of Edwards as a contrite breadwinner and philanthropist. He detailed how her imprisonment would impact those who depend on her.

“She is a philanthropist who has been sponsoring a girls’ football team in Zambia… The girls will be affected because their sponsor is in jail,” Katati told the court, as reported by the BBC.

The magistrate acknowledged the mitigation but imposed the 18-month sentence, effective from the date of her arrest. Edwards, who has remained in custody since being detained at the airport, appeared subdued in court—a stark contrast to her bold online persona.

A Law That Prompted A US Warning

The legislation used to secure her conviction has been a major point of international contention. President Hichilema signed the Cyber Security Act into law on 8 April 2025. Just over a week later, on 17 April 2025, the US embassy in Zambia issued a stark alert to its citizens.

According to a separate BBC report, the embassy warning described the law as “intrusive.” It stated the law mandates the interception and surveillance of all electronic communications to check for “critical information,” a term defined so broadly it “could apply to almost any activity.”

“As this new law introduces an intrusive surveillance ecosystem significantly different from privacy protection provisions that prevail in many countries, the embassy of the United States encourages Americans… to carefully assess the implications,” the US embassy statement said.

Zambia’s government defended the law as a necessary tool against online fraud and child pornography, asserting that any surveillance requires a court warrant.

The U-Turn Accusation

The case has ignited accusations of a presidential reversal. In 2021, while leading the opposition, Hichilema criticised a similar cyber bill, writing on social media that it was “about clamping down on freedom of expression and spying on citizens.”

Opposition lawmaker Miles Sampa directly challenged this change in stance following the new law’s enactment.

“My question is when did you change this stance to now sign a law that almost 100% prohibits us citizens from expressing ourselves on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, etc., without being jailed,” Sampa wrote on Facebook in April.

The jailing of “One Boss Lady” has divided public opinion in Zambia. Some view it as a necessary check on hateful rhetoric, while others see it as a severe suppression of speech under expansive new digital powers. Her lawyer stated he had not yet received instructions on a potential appeal.