LAZ should be consistent with its defence of the Judiciary-Nakacinda

The MMD says the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) should be consistent with its defence of the Judiciary as opposed to selective condemnation of people who criticise it.

And Raphael Nakacinda, the MMD National Secretary says politicians should learn to take responsibility for the actions of their cadres and correct the wrongs before it deteriorates.

Speaking when he featured on Joy FM on Monday Mr Nakacinda said LAZ has exposed itself with the manner in which it comments in defence of the Judiciary as it has a bias towards certain people whom he said are not castigated when they take on the Judiciary.

Mr Nakacinda said the same LAZ which seem to raise up against any criticism of the Judiciary by anyone from the ruling party or perceived to be supporting them forgets to do the same when the opposition takes on the same institution.

He explained that after the Constitutional Court ruling on the presidential petition Mr Hakainde Hichilema, the UPND leader called the Judiciary all sorts names but that LAZ were nowhere to defend them.

“The Judiciary was thoroughly insulted was when the presidential petition did not succeed and the UPND president Hakainde Hichilema insulted the judges and called some of them not wealthy the gowns the wear but LAZ was quite yet when other people comment the same LAZ is quick to react and protect the Judiciary.”

Meanwhile Mr Nakacinda says there is no need for officials from the ruling party to attack LAZ and it’s President when the concerns can be debated on and resolved without threats.

“There is no need for the PF to start threatening Linda Kasonde or indeed LAZ. I think we can still be able to debate consistently and effectively, in this case if the issue is about about inconsistencies by LAZ in as far as protecting the Judiciary is concerned let’s argue it out and debate passionately. There is no need to start labelling one other enemies.”

He also said there was nothing strange about criticising the Judiciary because people doing so are offering checks and balances on one of the arms of government.

He said the courts are supposed to answer questions of law without attaching any emotions hence people have the right to question some of the decisions which they see to have emotions tied to the judgment.

He added that due to percieved emotional attachment by judges on some cases people are beginning to feel that judges from certain regions of the country gives favourable judgements to their tribes men even when that is not the case.

“Even in the high Court for example, people are beginning to feel that when judges are from a particular region, for example if they are from the Bantu Botatwe then they will give out judgement which is anti ruling party and that if the judges come from the Northern region then they will favour the ruling party, that political connotation needs to be defused by the Judiciary by ensuring that they pass judgement which is not seen to be advancing political agendas.

” Just within the MMD we have the case of Nevers Mumba who has lost all the cases, he had even announced on radio that his alliance with the UPND was only for the purpose of the elections but after hearing that Judge Siavwapa was allocated our case he quickly announced he was still in an alliance with the UPND. He did that because in his shallow way of thinking he thinks the judge will favour him because he comes from a region where UPND is dominate but we think that it is any insult to the judge as he seems to be associating the judgments of the honourable judge to tribe and not evidence and facts.”

And Mr Nakacinda said political leaders should be brave to correct the mistakes of their followers as opposed to dumping the blame on others.

Reacting to PF General Secretary Davis Mwila’s comment when he was asked on the illegal land allocation by his Party’s cadres during the Sunday Interview, the MMD National Secretary said it was irresponsible for Mr Mwila to claim that it was the MMD cadres who were illegally allocating land when in fact not.

He said leaders should be bold enough to accept the wrongs of their cadres and implement the correct measures to ensure that what ever wrong is committed in the name of the party does not repeat itself.

He said most of the members of the PF came from the MMD hence Mr Mwila who is a former MMD youth leader himself should take responsibility of the actions of his members rather than claiming that it is the cadres of the former ruling Party who have been involving themselves in illegal land allocation.