LUSAKA High Court judge Mwila Chitabo has ordered that the PF general conference slated for today in Kabwe goes ahead.
Mr Justice Chitabo made a ruling after he dismissed an application by PF Member Francis Fube Mulenga in which he was challenging that the conference does not proceed on grounds that the right procedure of passing through the central committee was not followed.
He said that the case of Mr Mulenga was fit and a proper case to maintain the status quo that the party goes ahead to choose a successor of a Party President so as to choose a candidate in the Presidential election poised for January 20, 2015.
Mr Justice Chitabo said that this would allow party members and other registered voters in Zambia to exercise their fundamental right to vote a particular preferred candidate amongst the various presidential aspirants.
Mr Justice Chitabo who gave 10 reasons among them that Mr Mulenga did not go to court with clean hands as he was bent at fueling confusion in the PF said there was nothing which would warrant him to block the conference.
He said that he has taken into consideration Mr Mulenga reference to mayhem and bloodbath threats should he be denied the injunction which statement he influenced to be published in the Post Newspaper under the headline ” there will be mayhem at conference, hears court blood she’d awaits PF conference”.
Mr Justice Chitabo said this was a serious attempt by Mr Mulenga to bring pressure on the court to grant him the injunction being sought, with an open threat of blood she’d so as to install fear, consternation and alarm on the part of the court and the members of public.
He said this has the effect of causing serious apprehension of threat of acts of violence on delegates traveling to the conference.
Mr Justice Chitabo said that the majority of the PF members would be de franchised as they would not have a candidate during the January 2014 because of the delay in resolving the issue.
“On the foregoing factors the 1st plaintiff, s application for an injunction is refused and accordingly dismissed” Mr Justice Chitabo said
He said that although Mr Mulenga had claimed that he and other member of the party will suffer irreparable damage if the conference proceeds tomorrow, he has not demonstrated how personally would be suffer the damages.
Mr Chitabo said that on the contrary, he was in agreement with PF Secretary General Bridget Atanga that it’s is the majority of the party members who will suffer inconvenience if the conference was stopped to elect their Presidential candidate.
He said that it was also worthy noting that the central committee is a handful of people while the delegates to the general conference that form the Electoral College would be more than 5000 which number was more democratically representatives than the central committee.
Mr Justice Chitabo, state counsel also ordered Mr Mulenga to meet the costs of the court proceedings.
Mr Mulenga’s lawyers Gilbert Phiri and Keith Mweemba have indicated they would immediate appeal to the Supreme Court and also ask Mr r Mr justice Chitabo to stay his ruling pending the outcome of theirclient’s appeal.
Waste of money.
We are waiting to watch more of PFs confusion and violence. Let them finish each other and maybe anarchy will lessen after their finale of divisions today.
The unfolding events in PF have been brewing for a long time and now it’s time to let the cut out of the bag.
The day of the Lord has come. EL in trouble again. Miles Sampa, you are the MAN.
Congratulations PF for the general conference, this is democracy at work not hand pick on tribal/blood line, we are a united party.
You are the one who is tribal and hateful. Shut up your unclean mouth.
Let it go ahead you shall be fisrt ones to complaim of intimidation and violence. This white pne is a folena and he has nothing to lose
It was Sata’s traits that has made PF so popular, he was such a person that its elther you like him so much or you hate him so much, there was no room for mixed feelings abot him or being leftin a position to doubte your feelings about him, NO, so people that liked PF, its almost impossible to change their mentality, and people like HH lack this kind of trait, people can like him but also find it so easy to dislike him even when already at a pulling station.
even if the pf chose their candidate a day b4 the voting day it will stil emerge victorious.oz pipo av no trust in HH and RB (balibasula) oz they run political parties like the way they run their business.as for UPND wen did they last went to a convention? ba RB nabena a shameless oldman with no principle atall.
‘Wen did they last went to a convention’…..seriously?
Your analysis is wrong! PF was Sata and Sata was PF. At the moment Sata is not there and therefore, PF is a complete new party and no one can claim that people are ready to choose anyone for as long as he or she comes from PF. Stop insulting the Zambia further than the insults that come along with the Don’t Kubeba(Lies….Liers….cheaters) This time around we shall not vote with our stomachs but our heads……..Again surely……Don’t Kubeba…..Again to be swindled…aaaaaaammmm Zambians.
You are wrong my friend on HH – the tide is changing, just watch the space as HH fills it!
May the best PF candidate win and God bless Zambia