LINDA KASONDE: THE LAW CANNOT MATTER ONLY WHEN YOU ARE THE VICTIM
Linda Kasonde was reportedly defamed in a post on Twitter (X). She took a screenshot, threatened legal action, and the person responsible apologized.
That single incident was enough for her to recognize that words have consequences, that reputations deserve protection, and that the law must provide remedies to victims.
Yet I struggle to reconcile her reaction with her commentary surrounding Jay Jay Banda and the allegations of threats, intimidation, and abuse that many of us have endured over the years.
We have been insulted, threatened, defamed, and intimidated. In some instances, there is video evidence documenting the conduct in question.
It took just one Twitter statement for Linda Kasonde to feel aggrieved and demand accountability. Yet she appears unable to extend that same understanding to those of us who have endured far worse.
When she considers herself a victim, the law becomes an immediate instrument of protection. When we are the victims, suddenly the conversation shifts to procedures, technicalities, and endless questions about enforcement.
Of course, due process matters. Nobody should be denied their constitutional protections. But those protections must coexist with the rights of victims to seek justice.
What I find particularly troubling is the apparent inconsistency.
When she is the victim, she demands accountability. When we are the victims, she demands explanations.
I find it difficult to see how such an approach reflects a consistent commitment to jurisprudence, justice, or the rule of law.
The true test of one’s commitment to justice is not how vigorously one demands protection when personally offended. It is whether one is equally prepared to defend that protection when someone else is the victim.
The law cannot become urgent when it protects you and suddenly become complicated when it protects others.
Justice must be consistent. Otherwise, what we are defending is not principle, but selective outrage.
George N. Mtonga
