THE Ndola High Court has acquitted former United Party for National Development (UPND) National Youth chairman Joe Kalusa of the offence of threatening violence against Forum for Democracy and Development President Edith Nawakwi.

High Court Judge Timothy Katenekwa quashed the conviction of Kalusa by the Ndola Magistrate Court.

Kalusa was in February, this year convicted and fined K10 million for making remarks that were published in the Post Newspaper in Septemeber 2012 that he would organise UPND cadres to ‘gun rape’ Nawakwi for allegedly insulting UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema.

Judge Katenekwa, however, ordered the state to pay back the fine of K10 million to the appellant.

In his Judgment, Judge Katenekwa stated that the accused was convicted on an incomplete offence which depended on evidence from the trial witness which was not certain.

He said it was established during trial, that witness number two Abigail Chaponda ,the author of the story in Post Newspaper told the court that the appellant said “Maybe he can organise UPND cadres to gun rape Nawakwi for insulting UPND leader”.

“Having assured that the words were recorded by Chaponda and they were brought to court, they were not support by the defence, I further found that word used was maybe.

“I agree with the defence that the offence was incomplete and had no sufficient evidence to base the conviction upon the appellant,” he said.

He also said witness number three, David Stimula, police officer took a casual approach with limited action in arresting the appellant.

FORMER University of Zambia Students’ Union president Solomon Ng’ambi has condemned the Decision by management at the institution to abolish the semester calendar for the term system.

He said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday, that the University was moving into an outdated methodology of learning at a time when most Universities were adopting the semester system.

“I believe world over international standards of Universities are moving from the yearly calendar to the semester system for various academic benefits,” he said.

Mr Ng’ambi said this was a sign that the University had run out of ideas of the 21st century as this move would not be good for the students adding that they would only be sitting for exams at the end of the year which would give the students work overload.

He advised the students’ movement to speak out as this would greatly affect their studies.

The decision to abolish the semester academic calendar for the term system which will be effective in October 2013, was arrived at on Sunday afternoon when the University management had a meeting to discuss which calendar was best for the institution.

FIVE United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres charged with disorderly conduct have accused a Lusaka magistrate Lameck Ng’ambi of total bias in the manner he is handling their case and have since asked him to transfer the matter to another magistrate.

Aaron Pumulo Sililo, 35, Joseph Mazonda, 48, Lemmy Mukoba 29, Patrick Ntalasha,28, and Newton Chisuntu, 30, yesterday made an application in the chambers requesting Mr Ng’ambi to transfer their case to another magistrate because he has shown bias towards them from the time they commenced trial.

It is alleged in this matter that the five on June 6, 2012 in Lusaka jointly and acting together with other persons unknown conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause the breach of peace by blocking the public roads at the junction at Lagos and Addis Ababa drive.

But the cadres have stated in their affidavit in support of summons to transfer their case pursuant to section 78 of the criminal procedure code (CPC) 88 of the Laws of Zambia that they have no doubt in their minds that their defence would be a mere formality as the court has already decided to convict them.

They said that being cadres of one of the opposition political parties did not warrant their being abused by the court of law to which they were supposed to seek justice.

The cadres further said that they were unable to make meaningful representation because the court was full of biasness and as such they were humbly requesting Mr Ng’ambi to transfer their matter to another court.

They said that they were victims of political intolerance by the ruling party and they were arrested on tramped-up charges when they were demonstrating peacefully.

Mr Ng’ambi has since adjourned the matter to Monday next week to enable the state study the cadres’ application and respond to it before he could make his ruling.

He had on Tuesday last week revoked the cadres’ bail for flouting bail conditions.

This was after one of the defence lawyers, Martha Mushipe, informed the court that one of the accused persons, Sililo, was absent But Mr Ng’ambi said Sililo, Muzonda, Mukoba, Ntalasha and Chisuntu had been abusing the court process by delaying in opening their defence.

He ordered that the five be held in custody until they finished giving their defence.