"It Is Not an Offence to Owe Government Money" – Mark Simuuwe

LUSAKA – UPND Media Director Mark Simuuwe has argued that owing money to a government institution does not, by itself, constitute a criminal offence or corruption, as he dismissed allegations circulating on social media linking him to unpaid debts involving the Zambia National Service (ZNS) and the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).

Speaking on Showstar's House Podcast on Monday, Simuuwe questioned the legal basis of the allegations, saying commercial transactions with government institutions should not automatically be treated as criminal matters.

"The first question we need to ask ourselves is: What is the offence? What is the crime?" Simuuwe said.

"There is no law in Zambia which stipulates that if one is owing Government, assuming it is true, it amounts to corruption. These are commercial transactions."

The UPND Media Director was responding to reports circulating online alleging that he failed to pay money allegedly owed to the Zambia National Service and that the outstanding amount exceeded K77 million.

Simuuwe dismissed the allegations as false and malicious, insisting they would be challenged through legal channels.

"Those allegations are malicious. Tomorrow we are reporting the matter to the police," he said.

During the interview, Simuuwe acknowledged that businesses can have commercial transactions with government institutions, including the Food Reserve Agency, but maintained that the existence of a commercial debt—if one existed—would not amount to a criminal offence.

He argued that commercial transactions leave documentary records and should be resolved through the appropriate legal and commercial processes rather than being portrayed as corruption.

Simuuwe further said those circulating the allegations would be required to substantiate their claims in court.

"The matter will be reported to the police so that people can justify these allegations in a court of law," he said.

He also suggested that individuals who obtained and published confidential commercial documents without authority could themselves face legal consequences under the Cyber Security Act.

The allegations against Simuuwe have been widely shared on social media in recent days, with some posts claiming he failed to settle obligations arising from transactions involving ZNS and FRA.

However, Simuuwe has rejected the claims, maintaining that they are defamatory and politically motivated.

At the time of publication, neither the Zambia National Service nor the Food Reserve Agency had publicly responded to Simuuwe's latest remarks.