A political storm has erupted in Zambia following the circulation of an audio recording allegedly implicating President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration in a plot to bribe South African judges over the burial of late former president Edgar Lungu. The viral clip has sparked controversy over the role of artificial intelligence in political disinformation.
The scandal centers on long-standing tensions between Hichilema and the Lungu family. Lungu died in South Africa in early June, and a dispute has since escalated over the location and nature of his burial. While his family prefers a private funeral in South Africa, the Zambian government has filed a case in the Pretoria High Court seeking to repatriate Lungu’s body for a state burial in Lusaka.
The disputed audio features a voice alleged to be that of Robert Chabinga, a leader of a Patriotic Front (PF) faction said to be aligned with Hichilema’s United Party for National Development (UPND). In the recording, Chabinga appears to admit to playing a role in lobbying judges in South Africa and organizing protests in both countries aimed at swaying judicial opinion in favor of the Zambian government’s position.
However, Chabinga has strongly denied the authenticity of the recording, claiming it was artificially generated.
“I have noticed the AI audio mimicking me,” Chabinga said. “I have since reported the matter to the police and asked lawyers to start preparing for litigation against all those circulating it (an AI generated audio).”
He further accused Lungu’s former allies of producing and spreading the fake clip. “This is an offence as per the Cyber Security Act,” he noted.
In response, the UPND dismissed the allegations as a smear campaign, stating the government had the tools under the Cyber Security Act to identify AI-generated material.
“The AI-engineered audio about Chabinga is being circulated by finished politicians without any iota of political acumen to debate with Chabinga,” the party said in a statement. It warned Zambians: “Circulate offensive data at your own peril.”
The incident has deepened political divides in Zambia and raised broader concerns about the misuse of artificial intelligence in manipulating public opinion and undermining institutions.
