Friday, March 29, 2024

President Sata takes witness stand in defamation case

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President Michael Sata is accompanied by Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba (left) and Lusaka Mayor Mulenga Sata as he left the Lusaka High Court
President Michael Sata is accompanied by Justice Minister Wynter
Kabimba (left) and Lusaka Mayor Mulenga Sata as he left the Lusaka
High Court

President Michael Sata this morning made a surprise appearance at the Lusaka High Court to attend trial in the matter in which he has sued the Daily Nation newspapers for defamation in his personal capacity.

This relate to an article published on 16th May 2012 in the Daily Nation alleged that the decision by the Development Bank of Zambia to cancel instructions of engagement of their lawyers Malambo and Company was a corrupt act done by the President. The Article alleged that the President’s decision was merely intended to protect his criminal friends namely Fred Mmembe,Mutembo Nchito and Nchima Nchito who owe DBZ more than K14 million.

Speaking when he took the witness stand this morning in a matter presided by Judge Florence Lengalenga, President Sata told the court how aggrieved he was by the article published by the newspaper which he said tarnished his image.

President Sata arrived at the High court at around 09:30 hours in the company of his Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations George Chellah took to the witness stand to testify in the matter.

The matter has been adjourned to the 24th and 26th June for continued trial.

This was after the Daily Nation indicated to the court that they intend to beef up their legal team ahead of president Sata’s cross examination.

President Sata is demanding Five hundred thousand Kwacha in damages from the Daily Nation newspapers and its proprietor Richard Sakala.

And scores of Patriotic Front cadres besieged the High Court grounds to give solidarity to President Sata as armed Police kept vigil.

Patriotic Front cadres try to catch a glimpse of President Michael Sata at the High Court in Lusaka
Patriotic Front cadres try to catch a glimpse of President Michael
Sata at the High Court in Lusaka
Police keep Patriotic Front cadres in check outside the Lusaka High Court
Police keep Patriotic Front cadres in check outside the Lusaka High
Court

103 COMMENTS

  1. I hope this does not backfire during cross examination. This can end up a very embarrassing move if not carefully managed.

    • Sata goes to court to prove that he can gather a larger crowd to support him than HH.

      What a way prove his popularity!

      Its obvious the case will keep on being postponed. Its just a stance to compete against HH.

    • This is ought to be a cautionary example to Zambians to vote for an educated president next time. The economy is tumbling,debt burden high ,Kwacha is becoming worthless and Sata is preoccupied with little ‘street fights’ #disgusted

    • Sad to see so many unemployed youth in the pictures. Think of all the money those people would generate if they were doing something productive and paying taxes instead of idling around and following disgruntled politicians to court.

    • It will be good to see his behaviour under cross examination by the legal team for the Daily Nation. He should be provoked and be pushed on the ropes and see how he will react during cross examination- he should be made vulnerable. This is a danger when a sitting President choose to be cross examined in Court and can backfire and make him look weak as a leader- I think he wont show up on 24 and 26 June- he just wanted to prove to HH that he can as well gather the cadres- share waste of time and space .

    • Lord have mercy upon us sinners, including Sata.
      Mr. Sata we like you, because you act like a common man, but when it come to suing, you not supposed to participate. Let Mulenga Sata take on Richard Sakala, by suing that he is going tarnishing image of your family.
      This is not the way Sata should go down, toooooooo low man!!

    • At least this assures me that the president is fit and walking contrary to Zambian watchdog reports.

    • Kekekekekekeke!!!!!!!!
      hahahahahahahah!!!!!!!

      Ati “little street fights” kekekekekekekek!

      Awe @Maharaj. Wandepula kunseko.
      Hihihihihihihihihhiih!!!!

    • @Mr big brains

      You should be ashamed of your self. Why are mocking the sick and dying man like that. Can you not see that his suit is hanging on a frail bony body.

      Shame on you shameless PF minions.

    • God has delivered Sata into Satans hands!

      Now he will be forced to answer under oath on the witness stand!

      This IDI0T will condemn himself from his own mouth!

      After two years of not giving a PRESS CONFERENCE and three SALARY INCREASES to the Zambian people, he will now have to justify his incompetence!

    • What A country, this is embarrassing?? So what will happen if found guilty?? Will he resign as president?? Sata is not serious.

    • desperate acts calls for desperate measures. The President can also feel his pocket dwindling hence decides to take to the court to make some mula. ladies and gentlemen go into your memory lane. look for whosever called you hule, kawalala, nfwite and take them to court to make some money. he is showing leadership ….OH PLIZ BASHI MULENGA…….sure eko fyamitwala nomba

    • @2 Kwa fyonono,
      Don’t ever come back with that styupid Kalingalinga statement. In fact you not supposed to be on this website. There many for you out there.. e.g Tumfweko, Mwebantu, Kitwetimes.

    • Twende you are spot on, this is a good observation. My bro/sis this is typical of banana states you have such primitive laws that make even a mad man look like a king as long as you are in state house.

    • Where is SAULOSI & NDOBO? This the best news before World Cup starts….. Sata is suing. He should sue ZWD as well.

  2. Thats what happens when you have too much time on your hands on account of having no idea on how to do your job. Clueless president.

    • Sata has nothing to do, absolutely nothing. this is the same man who has no time to address the nation, because he is attending to important national duties. Sata is making himself and the rest of the citizens look like a bunch of fools.

    • YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH IN ZAMBIA. WAOW! THAT CONFIRMS THAT YOU ARE TOO YOUNG. CHIPIMO SNR HAD SUED KK TO COURT AND WON THE CASE FOR WHICH HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE COMPENSATED FOR. NOW I HAVE GIVEN YOU THE LEAD YOU FIND OUT MORE.

    • It is unfortunate that Lusaka Times have opted not to report all things said by Sata at court today. There was drama in court today. I feel sorry for the President. He should have withdrawn the case. It is now clear that the defendant’s lawyers will have a field day during cross examination. I can’t wait for that day.

  3. Lawyers will have a field day embarrass that chap who has cheapened the presidency in Zambia. Next time vote for a person who is educated.

  4. This is how it should be – when your president is at court, you go if you want to accompany him; but the opposing camp should also not mobilise its cadres for a matter that does not concern them. Good behaviour UPND Cadres; keep it, the peace, up!

  5. sata knows how to milk money from his enemies and he is a man who loves courts.i have been observing him since in opposition.

  6. This is rather strange. It is however a golden opportunity for the defence legal team to show all Zambians what an utterly worthless man they put at the helm of statecraft when they subject him to cross examination. I am doubtful though if he will ever make another appearance. This was merely the usual harebrained posturing and grandstanding that Sata is so well known for. Should he appear again however, what an opportunity! I liken this to the grilling that Francis Ndlovu as police IG received when he foolishly chose to give evidence in one of those infamous ‘treason’ trials of the nineties. The late Lucy Sichone and others tore him to pieces and I foresee the same happening to Sata.

  7. He has set a bad precedent,when was the immunity removed ,so we should sue him for cheating us.breach of constitution,I doubt if this man can handover power if he loses in 2016,only the military will force him out.thank God he was elected at an old age otherwise kaya….

  8. Really strange but I think it was just one of his harebrained posturing and grandstanding stunts. He won’t make another appearance but if he does, what an opportunity to tear him apart and show Zambians just what sort of man they put in State House through rigorous cross examination! Reminds me of the savaging Francis Ndlovu as IG then received from the likes of late Lucy Sichone when he foolishly chose to give evidence in one of those ‘treason’ trials of the 90s.

  9. Lawyers educate me! does that mean that immunity also means that the President can not sue even when he is injured? Is “not to sue” part of the President’s immunity?

  10. Am speechless,more of bewildered if you ask me! i have never heard anything like this in my lifetime.I mean this is amid a collapsing economy and people have the luxury to testify over tavern stories!

  11. I have no words for this….he has time for this…yet he has no time for a press conference.
    Priorities, Priorities, Priorities! !

  12. NOW FOR PRESIDENT SATA TO GO 2 COURT DOES IT MEAN HE HAS STRIPPED HIMSELF OFF HIS IMMUNITY IN A CIVIL CASE??????

    • Wena your President doesn’t have a functioning brain! He is soiling the Presidency.You do not need lawyers to tell you this.

  13. Defence Lawyer: Since we are on defamation, do you ever recall defaming anyone?
    Micahel Sata: Never
    DL: Do you recall calling people cabbages whose brains remained on a tarmac?
    MS: I do not recall any such instance
    DL: Do you recall calling someone ‘red lips’ as a result of illness?
    MS: No
    DL: Do you recall saying ‘calling someone a chiwelewele is not an insult’?
    MS: No
    DL: I put it to you that you are a liar and one who has defamed, vilified, insulted and been generally very disrespectful of others and therefore have no right to call others to account for what you have never been called to account. Your honour I pray that you dismiss this case for lack of merit!

    • you are wise! very wise indeed! they should ask him those questions. this chap is no presidential material indeed.

  14. His picture is scaring. I never believed the ZWD story that he is sick but that picture seems to confirm it. He is just a pile of bones. No wonder Wynter is busy campaigning. Now I see.

  15. I hope Kabimba is not Sata’s lawyer as we hear that he has never won a case. Also, can the cross examination be televised please so that people are entertained?

  16. Is there a possibility of televising this case, especially during cross examination? This is unprecedented and bringing television camera’s to the courtroom will just be another step. We cannot wait for the cross examination!

  17. He has time for that bUT NO TIME FOR
    -dollar now trading @ 6.7 (Does he have an idea what that means?
    – Fuel and food prices alarming
    – Constitution , no wonder he is breachning it at will, where the legislatures? vigona vi ma MPS. SURELY this calls for impeachment. That is a national office he is holding not his personal feelings?

  18. I wait for a statement from the Police about banning cadres at the courts. What’s good for Sata is also good for HH… and good for their cadres!!

  19. If there ever was a case for the statement that this country is on autopilot, this is it. This man has the time to waste going to court for a worthless cause while the Kwacha is in free fall, prices have risen to unprecedented levels, fuel is above K10 a litre, reserves have dwindled to dangerous levels, anarchy reigns as PF cadres go on killing rampages, donors are withholding support, e.t.c. Someone please tell this man that he has a job to do instead of malingering at court premises!

  20. Can some of you avoid blogging when you have no clue of what is being discussed? The president has immunity against prosecution for any decision he makes in line of performing his duties. However, this is a civil suit and it has been brought before the court by Mr. Sata in his personal capacity just as he was attacked by the Daily Nation.
    Some of these gutter newspapers accuse, vilify and insult the person of the presidency as if he was not human. I assure you that the army of lawyers representing Mr. M. C. Sata are able to protect him from being mocked and waylaid by the defence lawyers.
    When the Daily Nation is declared banrupty after failing to pay the damages and legal fees, it will serve as a lesson to all gutter publications masquerading as sources of real information.

    • Spot on! Well said! Now do you see the reason why these chaps that spend their time blogging the whole day complain that they can’t get any jobs? Totally no capacity to read, analyze and understand a situation before spewing rubbish!

    • @ mundatelele

      Following your learned opinion, 40% of Zambians can start civil proceedings against Mr. Sata for misleading them on the issue of Constitution in order to obtain personal financial gain?

  21. Cadres at court again? Just when Kambwili thought he had successfuly delivered a lecture about the folly of bringing cadres to the court grounds, lo and behold, here comes the big boss himself with the largest horde of rowdy cadres ever seen. Mr Kambwili, you have shot your master in the foot. Watch your big mouth.

  22. Court is in session
    Defence Lawyer: What is your job description?
    Michael Sata: President of Zambia
    DL: I said job description NOT title!
    MS: I don’t know what that is
    DL: I will rephrase, what do you do for a living?
    MS: President
    DL: What does that involve?
    MS: Ruling, ninebo kateka
    DL: And what does that involve?
    MS: I don’t know
    DL (in exasperation): I have no further questions for this witness my Lord. He may stand down.

  23. Just in case we get lucky and this man shows up for cross examination, defence lawyers please document all the many defamatory statements he has and continues to make and put them to him just to show that if anyone deserves to be in the dock, it is Michael Sata!

    • Am sure the next session will also be adjourned because Mutembo the DPP will apply to be joined to these proceedings as the only persecutor in Zambia!

    • Deep Thinker. I can`t believe it that this is the man who branded RB as NYAMA SOTA A HEALTH ALTERNATIVE. He has hurt so many people with his tongue that he must be reminded of during the upcoming cross-examination.

  24. My president fit contrary to those assertion from some quarters like the watch dog. Long Live Sata and PF Government

    • He is a moving pile of bones who felt a bit fit today. You call that skeleton fit? I feel sorry for you chaps who always want to make yourselves feel better when defending li sata.

  25. Another big joke which one fails to understand the target audience. What if the witness, The president, in this case lies or is economic with the truth, knowingly or unknowingly while the trial is going and needs to be held in contempt with a possibility of prosecution, what happens the fact that he has immunity? Am not a legal person but this is some kind of a one-sided coin situation. Such jokes should not be entertained in this modern age. Or is it some kind of a show? Am in!!

  26. yes that my president , people of zambia leave micheal alone what wrong of goin to the court. let him go there that my president casme 2016 nyapafye pabwatooooo

    • Speak English iwe cadre! plus finshi ulechita pano? Isn’t there land you should be grabbing somewhere?

  27. The snake thinks he will regain a name like HH by appearing at court grounds. The man is an embarrassment to the African presidency. WHAT A CHILDISH OLD MAN.

  28. Immediately Mr. Sata walked into courtroom, accompanied by Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba, he started shouting on top of his voice asking where the Judge was.

    “You court marshal, where is your ka judge here. Go and call him or her. I cant be waiting here,” Mr. Sata shouted as his Lawyers tried to quietly remind him that he needed to be silent as there were court processes and etiquette that had to be followed.

    The court marshal went to the Judge’s chamber and came back, but Sata again shouted and ordered him to go back and come with the Judge, as the people that were in court all felt embarassed with the president’s public behavior.

    Eventually Judge Lengalenga entered the courtroom and ordered that Mr. Sata goes into the dock to start his testimony led by his lawyer Bonaventure…

  29. WHAT?!!! Are you kidding me?!! A president of a Country has time to go to court over DEFAMATION??!!!!! Oh we Zambians are in for it with this guy. He is going to take Zambia places it has NEVER been before, like civil law!!! This is ridiculous.

  30. As per court process, Sata took oath by lifting the Bible and was asked to tell the court his full names to which he asked his own lawyer and the Judge whether they did not know him.

    Judge: Please tell us your name, as per court procedure.

    Sata: You mean you don’t know me?

    Judge: This is for court records and procedure sir.

    Sata: My names are Michael Charles Katongo Chilufya Sata

    Judge: What is your age?

    Sata: I am 72 years (note that Mr. Sata here told a lie on oath, as his correct age is 77 years. Telling a lie on oath amounts to perjury and is a crime according to the laws of Zambia and someone can be jailed. If you check the affidavit he swore during the 2011 elections and last year’s newspapers wishing him happy birth day, they all show that he is now 77…

  31. This man will end up like Foday Sanko. Captured and dragged on the street naked and alive.

  32. Judge: Where do you reside sir?

    Sata: At State House Grounds.

    Sata’s Lawyers try to correct him here and says he resides at Kwanzi house inside State House not in the open ground, along independence avenue.

    Sata interjects and says “yes there is only one State House in the country unless he is not aware.’

    Sata’s lawyer: Please give your testimony now. Are you a friend to Fred Mmembe and Mutembo Nchito?

    Sata: No, I am a friend of all citizens including Fred Mmembe as along as they are not criminals like Richard Sakala.

    Sata: In fact I am a friend of DBZ (Development Bank of Zambia) because whoever borrows money must pay back.

    Sata: When they were borrowing this money, I was not aware. They were not consulting me.

    Sata (digresses from the court session): Madam judge,…

  33. SO WHEN IT COMES TO COURT THE PRESIDENT CAN BE SEEN PUBLICLY THAN WHEN PIPO WANT THE CONSTITUTION HAHAHAHAHAHA

  34. Sata (digresses from the court session): Madam judge, look at that policeman. I don’t like the shabby way he is dressed. His uniform is looking very shabby.

    Judge (tries to interject:) Your excellency, please can we concentrate on the matter at hand.

    Sata: Nooo! that policeman at the gate is looking shabby. He is embarrassing me. People will say I don’t dress policemen properly.

    Judge: Counsel Mutale, please tell your client to concentrate on the court process as there are procedures here. Please can you control your client. This is court.

    Mutale: Your excellency, please can we concentrate on the matter at hand.

    At that stage the policeman walks away from where he was standing.

    Sata (seeing another policeman): Madam Judge, there is another policeman there trying to…

  35. Sata (seeing another policeman): Madam Judge, there is another policeman there trying to embarrass me. I don’t like the way he is dressed as well.

    Sata’s Lawyer: Your excellency please lets move on.

    Sata: Me I don’t know anything about this DBZ thing. Richard Sakala told a lie.

    At that stage the matter was adjourned to 24th and 25th June 2014, when Mr. Sata will have to go through a rigorous cross-examination exercises from Richard Sakala’s team of lawyers.

    As the matter was being adjourned, Mr. Sata again shouted and openly insulted Sakala’s lawyer “you lipolo”, as Kabimba and the Judge just looked down in shame.

    According to the court procedures and laws of Zambia, The Daily Nation and Mr. Sakala’s lawyers will now have to ask Mr. Sata any questions in the open court,…

  36. am terribly confussed with mr sata’s action. does this country have the right advisors to the president? I wonder where we are going. a president leaving an office to attend court cases. first time in the history of this world. I stand to be corrected.

  37. bakateka you are really reducing yourself to a child, this is not worth it considering you will have to be cross examined, the moment you enter that court you become sata and not President sata and abide by court etiquettes, your own words will be used against you

  38. I can’t wait to see our Great Leader stand before Florence Lengalenga and address her as my lady in court!!!! Silly isn’t it?!

  39. Kanshi chachine mune Sata nupwa. Washa abantu balefwa mufipatala waya ku nsaka yamilandu? Chinshi cha kwishila. Did we vote for you to come and damage a well set system of governance?

    Chachine nulwala fileke fye.

  40. Sata’s mellow drama aside I would like to hear Mouthful Kambwili and others of his kind condemn the taking of cadres to court as he did on the UPND cadres going to court to give solidarity to their President. Chiwamila galu ka?

  41. When I lightheartedly blogged at #17 and 26, I hadn’t any idea of what transpired in court, but after reading the watchdog account, carried on this site as #35, 37, 39, 41 and 42 of this story, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Countrymen, we are in serious trouble. The person in charge of all our law enforcement and defence institutions is totally schizophrenic and this is no longer a joke. This man will soon do something very very nasty like killing people. Can our churches, judiciary (or what’s left of it), LAZ, Parliament please convene a meeting to seek an examination of this man’s mental health with a view of asking him to step aside before he plunges us into war? Forget the law, something needs to be done for this country before this man destroys it.

  42. LT report on the stand up comedy by the president, you have chosen to up-play the cadre attendance, really.

  43. If the account of the watchdog is the true reflection of what happened in court – am so scared for 2016. This country will be a blood bath. People will kill each other like in Kenya during the elections. God help us.

    • Don’t worry about 2016. It shall be well with us; the Lord is in control. Sata won’t be there. See how his body is wasting away!

  44. Sata is always 1 step ahead. Homohabilis sub humans who think like Wnzelu, gay gay or jay jay, dudelove, matipa, etc are sadist who are piling up curses for themselves for hating the president for nothing. I call you sub human because a normal human being will see something good about somebody no matters how pathetic a person might be. Having said that I really wonder the real core of their being to hanour such hatred for a person. To them Sata has never done anything good. It is only them who are righteous, who can foretell the future. Don’t get me wrong am non partisan individual who has the right to comment on anything. The more you hate an innocent presido, the more we like him becoz it is unnatural to hate a person like the way the others do towards Sata.

  45. President Satais treading along a path that traverses through a wild terrain. He ventured into a thick forest infested with Gaboon vipers without carrying an anti-venom snake-bite Kit. One needs 3 minutes of treatment if beaten by a Gaboon Viper.

    Ba Sata should have known that accepting the position of Republican Presidency carries a lot of responsibility. Exposing himself to Courts just in defence of his careless style of managing this Republic is a deaming feat. Wynter Kabimba, who is expected to understand basic principles of managing the Government and the Justice System has succeeded in subjecting his “President” to ridicule in this part of Africa.

    Sata has just taken over his project of INTIMIDATING THE JUDGES. Why did God deliver this kind of President in this country?

  46. Saulosi where are you? Please give us you intelligent and learned impartial “take” of this Shakespearean tragic comedy in progress.

  47. ICHISUSHI ICHITUNTULU, the defence lawyers will have a field day! Its a rare opportunity “to make a name”. Defense lawyers can begin to brush up on the antics and potray him for the clown that he has always been. This is a case that will be quoted for years to come!

  48. I am appalled and deeply troubled that people appear to be “entertained” by this display of erratic and undignified conduct by our head of state. First question, where was his wife when he went out in public looking as gravely ill and ungroomed as he appears? Second where are his advisers when he makes such an attrocious public spectacle of himself and his distinguished office and what purpose will this serve for him and the nation? Finally, why did Judge Lengalenga allow the dignity of the court over which she has a constitutional obligation to preside for the purpose only of upholding justice to be brought into such public contempt. I never thought I would live to see the day that such a total collapse of common sense, good order and decorum would be celebrated in the manner seen.

  49. sata ndi galu wamchila, he should concetrate on inproving the kwacha and not going to court. Sata ni chimbwi no plan

  50. Zambians must think, coz choosing the president was not from God,he jst said let the wil of pipo c wht they want. c now were in world prsdent in cot.

  51. Dear country men and women, It is not what president Sata did to others but what Mr Sakala and the daily nation has done, lets comment at the issue at hand, I see president Sata winning this matter

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