Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) president Eddie Mwitwa has sued Lusaka lawyer Tutwa Ngulube in the Lusaka High Court, claiming damages for defamation of character.

This was after Mr Ngulube accused Mr Mwitwa of being used by UPND to fight political battles adding that he has been promised to stand as an MP under the UPND in Lusaka Central in 2021.

Mr. Mwitwa is seeking aggravated and exemplary damages for libel and slander.

He is further seeking damages for inconvenience, mental stress and anguish, as well as, interest on any sums awarded from the date of writ to the date of full settlement, costs and any other relief the court might deem fit.

Mr. Ngulube, who is also Kabwe Central PF member of parliament, said in an audio recording on ZNBC main news, that he was supporting other lawyers who wanted to impeach Mr. Mwitwa for being used to fight political battles on behalf of UPND.

“I would like to support the calls of State Counsel Sakwiba Sikota and other learned State Counsel who have come out in the open and said they would like us to impeach the LAZ president Mr Eddie Mwitwa for dragging the name of the association into serious disrepute and also for being used to fight political battles on behalf of a named opposition political party, the UPND,” said Mr. Ngulube.

“It is very clear that Mr Mwitwa, whose term of office is coming to an end would like to leave a trail of destruction on behalf of the Law Association of Zambia…”

But in a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court, Thursday, Mr. Mwitwa stated that Ngulube’s words had been circulating on social media platforms like Facebook, Whatsapp and were reiterated and published on internet websites and newspapers such as the ‘Lusaka Times’ in an Article titled ‘Tutwa Leads Call for Impeachment of Current LAZ executive’ dated August 15, 2019, as well as, Zambian Observer and Zambia Reports.

He stated that in their natural meaning, the words uttered by Mr. Ngulube meant that he was an unethical and an unprofessional lawyer.

Mr. Mwitwa further stated that in an article published in the Daily Nation newspaper on August 17 this year, titled ‘643 lawyers nod Mwitwa impeachment’ Mr. Ngulube said ‘he had evidence that he (Mwitwa) was paid by the UPND to fight the Constitution Amendment Bill’.

He added that similar words were published in the News Digers newspaper dated August 20, where Mr. Ngulube said ‘he was ready to face the LAZ president in court because he was on firm ground that he was paid to fight the Constitution Amendment Bill’.

Mr. Mwitwa stated that Mr. Ngulube refused to apologise for the alleged defamatory words when he requested him to do so and instead dared him to institute court actions if he was man enough.

“By way of a letter, Mr. Mwitwa through his advocates, requested Mr. Ngulube to publicly apologise to him for the said defamatory words but Mr. Ngulube failed, neglected or refused to apologise but instead publicly dared Mr. Mwitwa to institute the present action against him stating that Mwitwa could only commence proceedings against him ‘if he was man enough’,” read the statement of claim.

He lamented that as a result, he had been severely injured in his profession, law practice and social standing, character, credibility and reputation and had suffered considerable distress and embarrassment, inconvenience and contempt from the general public and from members of LAZ.

Mwitwa is now claiming damages for slander and libel, among other claims.

Opposition UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema says youths in Zambia are capable of creating jobs and help grow the economy.

Mr Hichilema who undertook an impromptu visit around Lusaka on Friday to interact with young people said the youth are an integral part of any nation and their vibrancy steers growth in many areas of human endeavor.

Mr Hichilema said there is so much untapped potential among the youth in the Country that requires harnessing, for the benefit of our communities.

“This is why we will always work with them in order to grow our country’s economy and make lives better for the rest of the citizens. We therefore want to assure each one of them that our government will believe in them and will join hands with them in moving this country forward,” Mr Hichilema said.

“One of the greatest assets that God has blessed us with as a country is our youth but this resource is not fully realised by others because they lack the passion and the vision to do so.”

Mr Hichilema said in order to make the youth achieve their goals and live their dreams to the maximum, the UPND in government will ensure that it provides education for its people.

“Education for all regardless of their backgrounds, jobs for them in order for them to support each other and their families, and lastly but not the least, better conditions of service for all of them. This country’s economy largely depends on many youths who work in the informal sector and their own self initiated projects such as mending shoes, tyres, welding and many other jobs among them a youth selling airtime, a youth who takes up farming in order to raise school fees, and many others looking for an education and job opportunity.”

He added, “Our youths are capable and willing to participate in many economic activities in the country and this is why we will work with them by equipping them with necessary skills and opportunities at an early age.”

“We draw this vision from our own experience of creating self employment at the age of 26 years. We would therefore like to see more of our youths going that direction and then together we can develop this beautiful country. Our vision is that every youth must be supported with business opportunities and credit facilities which would then turn them into employers as opposed to being abused by those who do not value their skills and purpose in life.”

MMD Faction Leader Felix Mutati and two others was on Friday evacuated from Solwezi General Hospital to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka following a serious road accident in Mufumbwe on Thursday.

According to doctors at Solwezi General Hospital, the trio which included Scorpion Kadobi and Samson Moyo were stable but needed further examination.

The trio was admitted to the Hospital on Thursday evening.

Minister of health Dr Chitalu Chilufya facilitated for the Former Works and Supply Minister to be flown by flying doctors to Lusaka on Friday morning.

Mr. Mutati complained of chest pains as he was being examined at the hospital on Thursday evening.

Mr. Mutati was involved in an accident around 15:30 hours Thursday.

Mr. Moyo who was driving the Toyota Hilux carrying Mutati and three other passengers hit a deep pothole, careered off the road and flew into Kashima Stream on the Mufumbwe-Kabompo Road in Kamazovu in Chief Chizela’s area.

Mr. Mutati was in North-Western Province to mobilize the MMD and was headed to Kabompo after addressing party members in Mufumbwe earlier.

Mr. Mutati’s personal assistant Edmond Miti said the former Finance Minister was doing well.

“Basically, the reason why he’s been evacuated is to ascertain whether or not there are any other injuries that may have not been detected using the equipment that was used at the hospital in Solwezi,” Miti said.

The UPND says reports that the Zambia Correctional Services has donated 10 animals to Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo are disturbing and amount to corruption.

UPND Chairperson Fisheries and Livestock Raphael Muyunda has asked Commissioner General of the Zambia Correctional Services Dr Chisela Chileshe to immediately withdraw the 10 herds of cattle donated to Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo as that amounts to abuse of authority and public resources.

Mr Muyunda has given the Correctional Services Commissioner General seven days in which to withdraw the cattle bought using public resources or UPND shall seek for a judicial review to ascertain the validity and legality of such a suspicious move.

He said the nation is aware of the poor and inhumane conditions in correctional facilities which Dr Chileshe and his team have failed to improve leaving everyone wondering what was the motivating factor behind such a corruption laced donation.

“What is so surprising is that at a time when most Zambians are starving and at the near-point-of-death due to hunger, the prisons service would resort to such a shameful and immoral act”, Mr Muyunda said.

He said a rough estimation indicates that the gesture is worth more than K 50,000 , money which would have gone a long way in improving the conditions and welfare of the prisoners in the country but given to a single individual for personal appeasement.

Mr Muyunda has further wondered what kind of a human being Mr.Kampyongo is who can accept such a personal gift instead of advising the correctional services to channel such resources towards improved services and diet for its inmates.

“The nation is still alive to allegations of Mr.Kampyongo receiving four Ford Ranger vehicles from the supplier of the infamous 42 fire engines and now he is receiving 10 cattle from the prisons”, he alleged.

He said Zambians are left to wonder what suspicious deal Dr Chileshe and the Minister are involved in this time around as such ‘humanitarian’ gesture is unprecedented in this country hence our demands on the CG to immediately withdraw that donation or personally be held liable.

Mr Muyunda said the insatiable appetite for plunder of public resources under the PF is reaching endemic levels at the price of Zambians that have continued to receive very poor services.

“We further call on President Edgar Lungu to discipline his ministers and senior public officials involved in such schemes of wantonly abusing public resources with impunity resulting into poor service delivery in public institutions”, Mr Muyunda added.

He said Seven days is all the UPND gives Dr Chisela to return the cattle or we seek court interpretation of this absurd administrative lapse for and on behalf of Zambians with whose resources those cattle were acquired

Justice Leicester Adams of the Gauteng Local Division, Johannesburg, of the High Court of South Africa has today denied ZCCM leave to appeal his judgement of 23rd July 2019, dismissing ZCCM’s application with costs.

The Johannesburg Court is recognised as a Court in the context of the International Arbitration Act. ZCCM’s application for leave to appeal was in the main against Justice Adams’ finding that the South Gauteng High Court has jurisdiction based on the arbitration clause in the KCM Shareholders Agreement, and that the KCM winding-up application instituted by ZCCM in Zambia amounted to a breach of the KCM Shareholders Agreement.

In his judgement, Justice Adams noted that his central reasons for refusing leave to appeal were that ZCCM raised nothing new in their application that had not already been dealt with in the initial judgement and that leave to appeal can only be granted when the judge is of the opinion that the appeal would have a reasonable prospect of success.

In Justice Adams’ view “there are no reasonable prospects of another court coming to different conclusions, be they on aspects of facts or law, to the ones reached by him.

Vedanta had argued that the original judgement of 23rd July 2019 should stand, both because the Court Order was interim in both form and effect and because the Court was properly empowered under the UN CITRAL Model Law to grant the Order.

It was and remains Vedanta’s view that the dispute with ZCCM has to be resolved through arbitration – as envisaged by the KCM Shareholders Agreement.

Vedanta served its notice of arbitration on ZCCM on 31st July 2019 and remains committed to engaging with the Government of Zambia in order to find an amicable solution.