FORMER United Party for National Development (UPND) vice-president for administration Richard Kapita has sued four senior party members for defamation of character and is demanding K1 million compensation from each of them for libel.
Mr Kapita, a businessman and member of the Patriotic Front (PF), has sued Watson Lumba, Mark Kalemba, Grandson Katambi and Mulondwe Muzungu for alleging that he is a thief and was lured with money to join the ruling party.
He says Mr Muzungu uttered the alleged defamatory words on a Mwinilungu Radio programme while Mr Lumba, Mr Kalemba and Mr Katambi issued the libelous words in Solwezi during a live phone-in programme on North-Western Television on May 23, 2015.
This is contained in writ of summons filed in the Lusaka High Court registry yesterday.
“The plaintiff claims for an injunction restraining the defendants by themselves, their servants or agents or otherwise from further publishing the said or any similar libel concerning the plaintiff,” Mr Kapita said.
He is also claiming any other relief the court will deem fit and costs incidental to the proceedings.
In the statement of claim, Mr Kapita says Mr Muzungu allegedly said those that are leaving the UPND to join the PF are thieves who are afraid of prosecution; that they have stolen and are looking for help from the government.
Mr Muzungu is also alleged to have said people leaving the UPND are thieves who have stolen from their previous parties and are joining their fellow thieves to continue stealing.
But Mr Kapita says the words in their natural and ordinary meaning meant that he was a thief who had resigned from the UPND with improper base and sordid motives of running away from prosecution.
He said Mr Muzungu’s words also imply that he joined the PF to seek protection for criminal activities, including that of theft which he committed while he was a UPND member.
Mr Kapita said the statements were defamatory and calculated to vilify and ridicule him in his professional office and bring him into hatred, odium and contempt.
He says the words are meant to lower him in right estimation of right-thinking citizens.
Mr Kapita said the words of Mr Lumba, Mr Katambi and Mr Kalemba that he left UPND in unclear circumstances and joined the PF for financial gains imputed criminal activity, theft, impropriety and base motives for leaving the opposition party by running away from prosecution
Hehehehe I guess he is already broke thus why he wants K1M, wonders shall never end in this world
LT, please address people with correct credentials. Kapita is not a businessman. He is a big loser. He earns his life living off people, first it was HH and now it is Edgar.
Those in grass thatched houses should not throw stones is an adage worthy pondering upon. If we may ask how about the RICE scandal in M/lunga?
Kamba, that’s a new one I suppose? “Those in grass thatched houses should not throw stones”?
those in grass houses can afford to through stones but can not afford to start a fire
Why no make money from other people’s stupidity. Stupidity costs money. Kapita, it is time to make money. Make them fools dance pay for their stupidity.
The guilty are always afraid.
This man has realised that his reisgnation from UPND has not affacted the party and so he is trying by all means to make himself usefull in PF. But i can assure you that very soon he will be a rejected stone in PF because he will not be adding any value to the party. If they want to try his influence let him contest on the Solwezi West ticket.
Soon UPND will see the impact of his resignation.
Kapita will lose the case because mr Muzungu did not mention his name he only said those who left UPND and joined PF.Kapita is not the only one who left UPND ,why is he guilt maybe its true he stole money meant for PVT.
It doesn’t matter the status, but defaming a person is not a civilised way. If you have facts you just take that person to court not shouting from an ant hill that someone is a thief.
Zambian politicians are all foul-mouthed. This is the way they all talk.
Just like sata used to do. Thats how he earned title king cobra.
UPND has a lot of outstanding imprest which this man has not retired. Just imprest alone is adequate to prove Kapita’s dishonesty. It will run in millions!
Ba Kalui Mwambwa Kalunda Mwambwa so soon you have drunk all the bottles of jemason you were paid by chief Jemason and you are now broke. Mr. Kapita us westerners are hard workers, there is nothing like natolele fye.
Trying to make himself relevant to pfools.
Am I seing former upnd president heading or what?some one help.
Kikikikiki maybe he acted in the absence of HH
Only God is the solution to all this noted scandalous Zambian way of life. Our God is ever able. I urge all serious Christians to commit Zambia under the blood of Jesus.
@SIDO MARKis one claptrap of a upnd tool! People leaving upnd (specifics) is Kapita not a people? Hasn’t he left upnd? Just hold your peace, courts have their function! Mulondwe & the gang should just man up and pinpoint who stole and what they stole! They are generalities coz of cowardice. Nothing to throw at Kapita.
Awe mwandi!
LT’s reporting is pathetic to say the least. Can you please make your mind up on what you want to call Kapita.
As if that wasn’t bad enough we have some UPND cadres above who cant string a sentence together without childish errors.
Defamation is so difficult to prove in the highly charged political kitchen our colleagues spar in…..to be held in low esteem by right thinking members of society is difficult for a public figure to prove on the balance of probability for this tort.
Anyway, good luck to the protagonists as there is a plethora of case law for defamation arsenal on offence and defence – see the classic Judge Matibini SC judgments on the famous Sata v Chanda Chimba III cases.
Let our jurisprudence get further refinement!!!
He is just ashmd of himself,he thought he would leave with some people but alas he just left alone.wasnt he warning that very soon we will see mass exdus of people from upnd but up now we haven’t seen that instead the party is growing from strength to strength.