Frank Mutubila Breaks Silence: “This Is Not Freedom – It’s a Crisis of Morals”
Veteran broadcaster and respected public figure Frank Mutubila has issued a heartfelt and uncompromising message on what he sees as the growing erosion of moral values in Zambia’s political and social discourse.
In a strongly worded statement, Mutubila said his concern goes beyond politics, describing the current atmosphere as a “moral breakdown” that threatens the very foundation of the nation’s decency. Without naming names, he pointed to the conduct of a young man whose online outbursts, vulgar language, and relentless insults toward national leaders have raised alarm. He warned that such behavior should not be mistaken for youthful boldness but rather identified for what it is: “a breakdown of basic respect.”
“This is not about politics,” Mutubila declared. “It’s about something far more fundamental… morals. We must learn to separate morality from politics.”
He emphasized that the problem lies not only in the words being used but in the wider culture being created ,one where rights are invoked without responsibility, and freedom of expression is abused as a shield for insults and defamation.
“Rights, especially those under the banner of freedom of expression, are not limitless,” Mutubila warned. “Freedom of speech does not entitle anyone to insult, defame, or destroy the dignity of others.”
He called on people of moral authority – in politics, the Church, civil society, and even within families – to draw a line before the nation slips further into a culture of disrespect and division. If nothing is done, he said, Zambia risks raising a generation that mistakes recklessness for liberty.
In a rare and pointed moment, Mutubila also addressed individuals in the diaspora who he believes stoke division from afar.
“To those who criticize and provoke from abroad, let me say this: nothing lasts forever. Time has a way of leveling all things. If you truly believe in your cause, speak your truth here at home. Real courage is not found in the distance, but in the presence,” he said.
Mutubila’s call is not merely a rebuke of bad behavior – it is a broader appeal to reclaim the country’s moral compass. He made it clear that morality is not a partisan issue but a national responsibility.
“If we fail to teach the next generation the difference between freedom and recklessness,” he concluded, “we will have failed not only as leaders but as a society.
