Zambia Rights Body Warns Inflammatory Speech Threatens Election

The Human Rights Commission of Zambia is raising alarms about the tone of online discourse ahead of the country's elections. Dr. Pamela Sambo, the commission's chairperson, said Monday that inflammatory language, much of it directed at women and political opponents, is creating an unhealthy environment for the vote.

Speaking on a radio program, Sambo said the commission has seen a rise in hate speech, misinformation, and threats. She attributed part of the problem to a misconception that online anonymity shields users from accountability. "Most of this inflammatory language is targeted also at women and other political actors, which makes the whole political environment and electoral season very unhealthy," Sambo said.

The commission is also struggling to track accurate information. Sambo acknowledged that misinformation and disinformation have misled the commission itself at times, complicating its monitoring role. "We have also had a challenge monitoring some of the social media platforms because sometimes we also get misled by misinformation and disinformation," she said.