Friday, March 29, 2024

GBM seeks K25 million from Fred M’membe and The Post newspapers

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Post Newspaper Editor in Chief Fred M'membe
Post Newspaper Editor in Chief Fred M’membe

Former Defence Minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba is demanding K25 million from Fred M’membe and The Post newspapers for publishing and peddling falsehoods and malicious stories aimed at injuring him.

According to instructions GBM has given to his lawyers Makebi Zulu Advocates, Mwamba wants M’membe and the Post to pay him K25 million.

He said that he wanted to be compensated for the pecuniary gains from the sale of the newspaper as a result of publishing false stories.

Mwamba said that failure by the Post and M’membe to apologise in a manner befitting an apology showed how malicious they were bent on.

“I had instructed my legal counsel to handle the matter and demand for a complete retraction of the lies he carried about me in his paper. But instead of apologising he is running a similar story in the manner that shows arrogance,” said Mwamba.

On January 31, 2014 in a letter addressed to M’membe, Mwamba through his lawyer Makebi Zulu demanded for an apology on the front page of the newspaper with similar prominence.

“The whole article is thus inaccurate in total and is demeaning of our client who has since suffered ridicule, odium and disrepute. We thus demand that you retract the whole article with the same prominence that you gave in your front page within 48 hours failing which we shall issue process against all the named participants in the said article in the High Court.”

In a letter M’membe apologised for malice and lies he had been peddling against GBM saying that there was no truth in the stories the newspaper published against him.

“After reading your letter and the concerned stories, I discussed the matter with the editors who were incharge of the story. I am not convinced that they fully got their story accurately. The source they quoted on record in the story, a Mr. Menyani Zulu, did not have direct contact with Mr. Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba. He was also merely acting on hearsay.

I am made a few phone calls to some people I know in within the Patriotic Front leadership in Luanshya. They, too, say they heard that Mr. Mwamba was on the Copperbelt but no one told them they had actually seen or met him,” the ready in part.

M’membe said that he had not heard anything convincing from anyone to make him believe that Mr. Mwamba was in Luanshya or indeed on the Copperbelt at the said time and said things he was reported to have said.

“I therefore apologise, on behalf of the newspaper and indeed on my own behalf, to Mr. Mwamba and to our leaders, for this story and whatever inconveniences this might have caused. And by copy of this letter, I will ask the managing editor and the news editor of the Post to make the necessary corrections and apologies,” signed M’membe.

59 COMMENTS

  1. The law is slowly catching up with the lying post. If only all those that have been offended by the post to sue so that the bill can go unmanageable levels.
    Mmembe cud be a gud guy but because of the debt and his zeal of being taken as a big guy in zed has made to scandalise pipo with impunity.

    • For a guy who can’t afford to pay back (ZMK14M + compounded interest which now seats at ZMK38M), owes Finance Bank HUGE Sums of Money, had to borrow from the Bank money to buy Trucks that do not have business anymore, ZMK25M is a hell lot of Money.

      Every dog has it’s day……….. The Past Toilet Paper will be Liquidated.

    • yayaayayayayaya GBM squeeze the 1diot. he had his hay days. he thinks he can continue charting our thoughts for ever. stupid 1diot. obliterate ka past paper with its hate reporting, swine.

    • M’membe didn’t see it coming because he thought that GBM’s attorneys were merely asking him or the Post Newspaper to apologise. Put differently, GBM’s attorneys were and are still aware that it is very lengthy and difficult to prove their case in a court of law, thus they initially requested M’membe to publicly apologise so as to implicate himself. Furthermore, with the trap (an apology) in the public domain it is very easy to sue for the legally acceptable amount in a given court. M’membe should have used the disclaimer in order to protect the Newspaper as opposed to issuing an apology. This is less than what he expected from GBM, and the implications flowing from his malicious thoughts have ripple effects on him and his newspaper empire.

    • GBM has made most his through litigations such as these ones. There is a huge chance for him recoup all of his money spend on PF and Sata.

      Viva GBM go for it , do not relent at all. Mmembe must pay over KR25million including legal fees.

    • All I say is Fred Mm’membe deceipt and lies are what has left Zambia in the mess we are in. And while, the death penalty remains on our statute books, a charge of treason should be considered for his treacherous soul at an appropriate time. And for all my sins, I would be prepared to cast the first stone….

    • You cannot ask someone to apologise publicly and then use the same apology to sue for damages.That is called Entrapment and surely must fail at Law.
      It is in the public domain that Mmembe and the Post appologised publicly and all mass media including LT reported the issue.

    • @Muzambian

      Where in the world have heard that a criminal was forgiven by the courts after apologising? Even police will tell you nichekeleko or uzakambila kusogolo after apologising.

      Remember GBM is not suing Mmembe as a person he is suing the Past paper as an entity.

      Any way you never know may be under PF, GBM’s case is considered as entrapment and the court will throw it out.

    • @MuZambian, Please get the right education. You are the type that is misleading the entire nation on many legal matters.

      In criminal law, entrapment is when a law enforcement agent induces a person to commit an offense that the person would have otherwise been unlikely to commit. It is a type of conduct that is generally frowned upon, and thus in many jurisdictions is a possible defense against criminal liability.

      The Past paper was never entrapped.

    • Has any of you celebrating this suit have any understanding at law? This case is going no where as it is called entrapment and the apology cannot be used in a court of law as evidence of guilty conscience.
      This is a total waste of time!

    • #2.1 MundiaM, the apology demanded by GBM had the condition, which POST did not consider, hence taking the legal action. so that fake apology is not accepted and wont be used in court . “We thus demand that you retract the whole article with the same prominence that you gave in your front page within 48 hours failing which we shall issue process against all the named participants in the said article in the High Court.”
      the apology was suppose to be headline in the paper, ” POST Apologize TO GMB FOR FAKE AND DAMAGING STORY”

    • #2.1 MundiaM, the apology demanded by GBM had the condition, which POST did not consider, hence taking the legal action. so that fake apology is not accepted and wont be used in court . “We thus demand that you retract the whole article with the same prominence that you gave in your front page within 48 hours failing which we shall issue process against all the named participants in the said article in the High Court.”
      the apology was suppose to be headline in the paper, ” POST Apologize TO GMB FOR FAKE AND DAMAGING STORY”

  2. The key conditions of apology was for the post paper to put a big front headline like,
    MEMBE ‘s LIES CATCH Up WITH HIM,
    as he apologize to Gbm.

  3. I can tell you the battle lines are drawn. Who will fall? Meembe or GBM? GBM needs to be very tactful here, he must build a lot of office blocks and houses so that people can simply rent them so he will not run broke. Meembe and govt are in league here and they will dig every skeleton in GBM’s closet – I can see the ending will be brutal for one these two people.

    The film writers should start developing a script for this – it will be a great movie to watch in 2016.

    • there is also option of coming to agreement. Like Mwanawasa did with POST , same as Sata. The time you will ever see, post writing something nice about GMB, just no that they have agreed on something with big man

  4. Mwebantu Mumembe has said sorry and he has promised never to Cover GBM in his future reporting!!! let the man be forgiven, take a leaf from the ADB’s K14million example were he went Scot free…

  5. I think Mwamba’s little education now clearly show the limits it is putting in his way of thinking. We all know that “The Past” Newspaper is not selling at all. All one needs to do is go to Bwinjimfumu road at 5pm and you will be amazed at the mountains of newspapers vendors are taking back. So to claim GMB WANTS to be compensated for the pecuniary gains from the sale of the newspaper as a result of publishing false stories is shooting oneself in the foot because the sales are nothing these days. He should have gone for unliquidated damages. But then, even so, what damage could this story have done to GMB’s soiled reputation?

    • Ngombala , If “little education” is what Mwamba is doing, My words may not describe what you have just posted. The kind of hatred you want to display is not healthy at all. By all standards Fred Membe has injured GBM and must be controlled whether GBM s reputation is spoilt or not.

    • @ Ngombala Muhapi wa Linaha its you who has very or no education at all this is pure hatred here , the POST are full of hate for GBM and their lies are catching up, what’s wrong for GBM to seek justice in this way or does it make you more educated to give us a sub standard analysis on this matter take time to read , analyse and understand the issue at hand….

  6. I hear that this ***** at the post has sued Richard sakala’s daily nation newspaper for k5m, bwana GBM double the claim to k50m so that you can help out daily nation in the event they are ordered to pay mumembe, the disgraced official spokesperson/defender of the pf government

  7. Namakando is too proud – filled with follish pride. He will not apologise the way GBM wants him to and the matter will go to court. He will assume his appointee InJustice Lombe Chibesakunda will assist him. However, this is where the **** hits the fan. This is where the cookie crumbles. The little man will suffer. All those times he sits crying alone in the shower about life will haunt him.

    Prison may just suit him well. There are no women in there – just men!

  8. HH sue also for being accused and depress this guy with legal bills and paymnets. Who knows, maybe he hasn’t bribed all judges in the high court?

    • @Tunkkubyu GBM to get broke!, you must be dreaming. All GBM haters have been dreaming since late 70s that he gets broke. He is an integration from wealth to riches as his upper limit tends infinite on conditions of Zambian economy.

    • Abena Chishinga, there is no rich Zambian yet. Those who claim to be rich are just comfortable. The businesses they run are just hand to mouth entities. If the government decided to terminate all contracts against GBM what will happen to him? If foot and mouth disease attacked hichilemas cows what will happen to him? Do really wonder why Forbes magazine does not list any Zambian even among among the last 500? Think again and don’t lead your brother into deeper waters.

  9. GBM go for it. We shall all march to supreme ocwe shall all escort you to the courts so that there will be no corruption in this case. M’membe admitted so let him pay that 25 + 14bn = 39bn….UKO BAISA. uzidelela bene HH kwamene uko NOT GBM..ur r in soup

    • HH can you sue now! what are you waiting for? ndefwaya umutwale ku cilye ca milandu uyu mmembe! We can’t afford to continue with a pathological liar mmembe, a serious psychopath! a past paper worth a gutter! I stopped subscribing to his past paper just like I stopped listening to KK!

  10. Sorry yena naumfwa – kanye nomba naisa kulibaule pali sorry wampela! Pumbavu!! (I hear your sorry, but now let me sort you out for this sorry you have given me! Id1ot!)

  11. I hope M’membe has not been put in charge of the country by the authority that was given mandate.
    I think that God gave a chance to SATA at this time to rule the country and not M’membe. Yes it was God who allowed SATA to be in authority at this time. Whether it pleased God or it was because of our hard heartedness is another issue which no one knows because that knowledge belongs to God Almighty.
    The FACT we KNOW is that God allowed SATA to rule, because nothing happens without God allowing it. Whether is ruling according to God’s plan or not – again that knowledge belongs to God.

  12. Also what we do know is that M’membe was not given mandate by the people of Zambia to rule this country. If God allowed SATA to govern through people’s vote then it followed that God did not at any time allow M’membe to rule the country.
    Now, if M’membe is using his power (if he has, just as he seems to think he has) to displace or overturn what God allowed and putting what he (M’membe) has allowed, he could be trading on dangerous grounds.
    Who is M’membe to overrule the people vote, and viz God’s hand? I cant warn him of any consequences as God alone reserves the right. He better be pleasing God in his actions because if God is not pleased with him – It is a fearful thing to fall in the hands of God.

  13. To the president, we may not agree with the way he governs the country, but we remind him that whether we are in pain at his rule or not, the fact is the mantle is currently with him. If he decides to sale his ‘birth right’ he must reflect on what happened to Esau when he sold his birth right to Jacob.
    The consequences for Mr president are grave if ever he did such a thing. The president must remember that not everybody is celebrating his RULE the way they celebrated his WIN. Many are already unhappy with his rule and unhappy that they voted for him. That is enough, than to add selling the mandate and mantle to M’membe.
    This is friendly advice; if I were him I would take note.

  14. GBM K25M??? Are you sure with your wits, you can stand a fight will with Fred, we all know how he frustrated your efforts in your bid to throw out WK from PF. And what came out of it? You lost and resigned why?Now you want to start with Fred and you expect to win what? K25M? shame! whist you are on suspension please put yourself together because at the rate you going, Fred is going to sort you out. Just too full of yourself!! 1doit.

  15. I am wondering whether Mmembe planned this or not as he studied law too, if he planed he might be playing tricks on GBM to finish him by unleashing some information. I hope Mwamba knows his clean to make such a move. Membe could be secretly working with Sata to finish him. he must be careful.

    • @Trigo, musiyeni mufela, he will learn the hard way. Let’s hope he has no ugly skeletons in his huge wardrobe.

  16. Reading all the above postings against M’membe, it’s clear that online bloggers have been terribly hurt by the man – no kind words for him – the only consoling thing to Membe is that Zambians online blogging wouldn’t number even up to a hundred – Keep smiling Fred – I admire your humility and media ethics – ZWD is far behind you.

  17. What’s beginning to unravel is a lesson to us all. Mmembe lost sight of what made his business successful, and consciously or otherwise, or perhaps by nature’s sleight of hand got drunk on power and figured he was Zambia’s magical puppet master. A failed project guaranteed. Some free advice. It pays to stick to the knitting. He should have handed over the Post to professional journalists to run, and through a Board with independents provide policy. That is the way you run sustainable businesses. In fact there is nothing to stop him from setting up in television, radio and other media. Once the Post lost its independence it was doomed to fail. Like political parties do.

  18. GBM I LOVE YOU BUT YOU CAN NOT WIN THIS ONE. MEMBE FRED AND THE POST IS A GOVERNMENT OWN ITS OWN AND YOU CAN NOT FIGHT THE GOVERNMENT. I LOVE THE POST AND PLEASE VERIFY YOUR STORIES BEFORE YOU PUBLISH THEM. YOU LIED ABOUT GBM AND 2 DAYS LATER AGAIN YOU LIED THAT IN LUANSHYA A 2 MONTHS OLD BABY DIED OF SUFFOCATION WHEN POLICE TEARGASSED PEOPLE WHO WERE RIOTING.PLEASE DONT BEHAVE LIKE ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL AND TIMES OF ZAMBIA YOU WILL SOON LOOSE MARKET.

  19. M’membe will not only win the case he will finish GBM before the end of 2014. No body strikes the Empire and go scotfree. The music has just started, story has to unfold.
    VIVA PF, VIVA SATA, VIVA Kabimba, VIVA M’MEMBE

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