UNITED Liberal Party (ULP) president Sakwiba Sikota has sued United Party for National Development (UPND) losing candidate in the Luena Parliamentary by-election Muyunda Ililonga for libel.
Mr Sikota has also sued UPND secretary-general Winston Chibwe on behalf of party members over an alleged defamatory leaflet that was published and circulated in Luena during campaigns for the August 5 by-election.
According to a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court, Mr Sikota says the leaflet entitled ‘Luena News’ was false and malicious.
He says the leaflet also alleged that President Banda had given him money to cause confusion in Luena Constituency before the by-election.
Mr Sikota says the defamatory and false campaign leaflet was widely circulated in Luena Constituency and Mongu district.
“The natural and ordinary meaning of the article is that the plaintiff [Mr Sikota] is a violent man who regularly beat up his father; that he is prepared to accept bribes from other political parties; and that he is a hypocrite who claims to be against domestic violence and corruption when in fact he engages in the same,” he says.
Mr Sikota argues that the leaflet also meant that he is not fit to be a political leader and that he is only bent on causing confusion.
He says none of the allegations were true because he never used to beat up his father nor received any money from President Banda or the MMD for use in the Luena by-election.
Mr Sikota says in consequence he has been seriously defamed and has suffered considerable hurt and embarrassment, including hate, scorn and ridicule from the public.
He says the leaflet was published in a sensational manner in spite of the fact that the defendants knew well that they were making unsubstantiated and false allegations.
“In publishing, printing, and circulating the said defamatory leaflet, the defendants did so with sole malicious aim of damaging the plaintiff’s political and personal reputation,” Mr Sikota says.
He is, therefore, claiming exemplary and punitive damages for libel, and an injunction restraining the defendants from further publishing the same or similar libel.
He is also claiming interest on any award that may be given at the current bank rate from the date of filing the writ of summons until payment.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Please,when are our politicians going to grow? That is utter nonsense,why waste the courts time on street gossip and cheap politics
iwe number 1 ch!kala wasting ime when sakwiba was being defamed,you are very stup!d wanvera atase uli chipuba sana iwe wine waba itole lyobe..
This Sakwiba thing is bringing the country backward now with his mediocre politics. Just accept that u are no longer fit to be political leader and only bent on causing confusion. This guy behaves the same way Nevers Mumba behaved when he was looking 4 job from R.B. These are desparate thugs ready do support anything R.B is doing cause of their job serach. Look at Nevers after yrs of cheating his poor followers at Victory Church of their moneys has even ditched that fake so called Zambia shall be saved thing.
Sir Wanzelu, you don’t call leaflet distribution street gossip – that is a publication aimed at propaganda to sway public opinion. If it is done in malice redress is in order. I am trying to restrain myself otherwise #2 is in order to lose it at this rate…
Iwe chi # 2 (zambian in diaspora) go to hell with yo rotten mouth of insults. This is a wrong fora 4 u. Grow up iwe kaponya atase.
Saki runs a successful law business and therefore does not need handouts from RB and his cronies.
For him to seek redress from the court of law means he has seen a clear opportunity to have his grievances addressed.
This will clearly send a message to these stone throwing cadres that some people still advocate for decent politics.
Saki Is a Job seeker, his law firm has crumbled.
But on the defarmation issue, I let it up to him and UPND to sort out. I know Saki has been bitter with his loss in UPND to HH, Rememebr thats why he left to form his one man party ULP. So there could be much more than meet the eye.
Accusing someone of beating his father on leaflets is unacceptable in today’s politics. These UPND cadres need to be taught a lesson. If they have no issues to tell the people of Zambia on development they should disband and join PF so that shikulu Michael can teach them real politics. In all fareness Saki is soft spoken fellow who could not harm a fly. Those who genuinely follow Zambian politics know that Saki is non-violent and his articles in the press are objective. The only problem with Saki is that he is too straight with his politics. Remember the late Tetamashimba said Saki could not have managed to get the UPND presidency because he is too honest with politics. The other problem is he likes support old finished madalas like RB and Sata. Try yourself Saki in 2011
@8, Trouble is you are LOZI & i will not waste my comments on you-six colocko-kwahaye! Saki will never be softspoken. Whether he is too staright, i wonder what he is doing with RB & KAFUPI-that in itself does make him dirtyhanded. Just yesturday-even before LAZ makes a comment on KUFPI’s acquitall-he rants first. Well-as if not enough-we saw how he rallied behind MMD last elcetions & abandoned his own party-self run one at that matter. We blame Sata for being as well meaning in disciplining his own ruthless MP’s but thats what ULP,MMD,UPND & FDD are doing. SAKI is just a distabliser.No normal,well educetd person would see MMD to be right unless he is scared of hus business. For your own information-He was chased from court by his own client -MOHAN for being of no use! SLEEPER!
The foul language by some bloggers is heartbreaking and unacceptable and unnecessary. Let’s face it, does anyone deserve these insults for expressing his views? Let us bear in mind that our own young Zambian children in primary schools read these things which in the long run corrupt their minds.
What is worrying is that some of these people who are in the habit of insulting and name-calling others are university graduates in decent employment at home or abroad. I am sure LT never intended this site to be an insults exchange facility.
shut up all of you failures in life\:d/
Saki is one of the honourable politicians and emminent lawyers this country has. Even as he is suing these people i believe it is not for the money but to set the record straight. This is because he is a lawyer and knows his rights fully. Supporting or being in good books with RB doesnt make Saki a begger. Its his choice to mix with whoever he wants. You talk about Mohan as a client! My foot. I think a lot of people dont understand the role of lawyers (defence Counsel).They are there to set the record straight by advising the client accordingly and seeing that the client is fairly treated in court. But if a client doesnt understand legal issues, he might take the lawyer to be irrelevant.
:x Sorry, I love you all, keep talking/blogging!!!!:((
BA Saki has really sank very low
SAKI is just another use.less and finished mmd cadre trying to satisfy his big stomach through yes bwana, yes bwana. Its gud he was never given the leadership of UPND. HH is maybe 100 times even more intelligent than that begger who is not even worth to be a lawyer.
On “UNITED Liberal Party (ULP) [self-appointed leader so-called] president Sakwiba Sikota has sued United Party for National Development (UPND) losing candidate in the Luena Parliamentary by-election Muyunda Ililonga for libe” this is good from MP Hon Sakwiba Sikota but “He is also claiming interest on any award that may be given at the current bank rate from the date of filing the writ of summons until payment” probably tells that Hon Sakwiba Sikota is broke and now hoping to milk UPND’s HH and Illilonga in terms of money.
What a way of doing things in a bitter manner after losing a UPND convention election to UPND elected president HH in 2006.
I hope the UPND will sue ULP for libel in ULP’s lie publication that HH said “only a Tonga for president”…
Look i dont have time for losers.Saki is just bitter that he was whitewashed by UPND in Luena,His political life is almost extinct with the emergence of Milupi
Milupi has taken the game to him and has dislodged him from that area almost completely. He’s clearly out of his depth and getting very frustrated at the turn of events. If he can no longer stand the heat maybe its time to call it a day and concentrate on signing affidavids because sueing his competitors won’t do, infact i doubt he’ll even retain his Livingstone seat. The moment he thought carrying mineral water for RB that was the moment his political career died.
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Respect the rights of your colleagues. In this case let Chibwe and Ililonga deserve to be given judicial cleansing. What sort of people do we have in this country who are no good at anything but mudslinging?When they are not hacking people and/or policemen, they are insulting everybody including the head of state, chiefs, the judiciary and just about every important institution in the land. They are almost bringing the country down (you know them all), it is only held up by a few well meaning Zambians. I urge the judiciary to make this 2010 the year of justice so that the country is cleansed of vagabonds and thugs, and so far so good well done……..
…..and next sort out the thugs and vagabonds on LT blog, I don’t know how but do it. Can someone start the process by suing a few kaponyas here please?
chi number 5 MMD advisoryou are another low thinking stup!d mother fuker get lost!
#7. Mpangula Mputyu If you want to be taken seriously try at least to give a proper record of history. The two Vice Presidents of UPND i.e Sakwiba and Sichinga left the UPND together with Patrick Chisanga, late Henry Mutonga and Given Lubinda before the UPND convention at which HH was conferred the Presidency of UPND. All these people I have mentioned never went to this particular convention so it is wrong to imply that anyone of these individuals had lost to HH. The Tongas seriously threatened and they really meant to ‘jaya anyone who got in the way of a ‘Tonga Presidency’
#9 George Bush Why do you want everyone to rally behind Sata? Isnt Sata the same snake that gave rise to the ugliness of the MMD. Chiluba and Sata created this monster after hijacking the foundations laid down by late King Arthur Wina and Aka. The Feb 1991 MMD convention ushered into office a cabal of criminals and half literates. This is when Zambia was lost to crooks. Sata may be your tribesmate however he is a destructive uneducated functional illiterate lacking in social skills. Anyway I may also not waste a lot of time on you since you are Bemba!
Saki has every right to seek legal redress. It is better than throwing stones and pangas like a kaponya. atleast he believes in the rule of law. Illilonga and co should not have published propaganda they cannot justify or defend legally. Saki’s political star may be dim at the moment but that does not mean he has no right to participate in the affairs of the nation neither does it mean he will never amount to anything politically. Politics is unpredictable and full of many twists and turns. If Sata is presidential material than anything and everything has a right to participate in the affairs of our beloved nation because now the standards have been lowered to below dung levels(pig dung).
should read
…..then anything and everything has a right to participate …….
Let us have better quality leaders(govt and opposition), debate and indeed bloggers. We have fed on mediocrity for too long. The citizens of zambia have to demand for better. They have been taken for a ride for too long. Chaps think it is all about gimmicks and money and just literally nonsensical political innuendos and agendas
Iwe chi # 2 & # 22 (zambian in diaspora) its like u have nothing 2 contribute other than insulting yo friends. Everytime u open yo beak its just insults that come out. U need prayers u son of the devil, atase
#23 Princess: which planet do you come from? you always get your facts wrong. Saki attended the UPND convention and lost pants down to HH. He was the acting UPND president at the time and the convention was attended by equal number of delegates from all provinces, not tongas only. If you don’t know the facts go to the Post archieves of 2006 and you will find the detailed stories of what went on at the convention. Sichinga left after his buddy Saki lost. Mtonga & Lubinda left some days later after striking a deal with Sata. Patrick Chisanga was the last to leave and he resigned weeks after the convention.