Press Statement For Immediate Release
10/03/25
JUDICIARY TO BLAME FOR WEAKENING THE OPPOSITION AND DEMOCRACY.
As a party, we are very concerned and disappointed that the judiciary appears to be directly participating in the weakening of the opposition parties in Zambia and democracy.
The judiciary has been inactive and silent in the face of the illegalities taking place in the country. The judiciary has been acting reluctantly in cases involving the opposition political parties and other citizens and bodies while those involving the ruling UPND and government have been expeditedly dealt with
As FDD we are concerned that the cases involving the former ruling Patriotic Front and private citizens like those perceived to be aligned with politics have not been given the urgency they deserve. Remember justice delayed is justice denied. And of concern to us is that the issues sorrounding the PF are not novel to the judiciary especially that this PF issues is on all falls similar to the issues which involved Mr Felix Mutati and Mr Never Mumba involving the rusle for the the MMD which the current chief justice Dr Mumba Malila presided over as senior judge.
It is therefore very worrying that the judiciary has tolerated all the nonsense surrounding the PF fiasco. It is not right to treat the PF wrangles as an intra party issue. The judiciary has both a legal and moral duty to set straight the political environment in the country. As a country we are tired of the nonsense surrounding PF and it’s time that the judiciary should take interest in resolving the issue.
Facts involving the PF are so notorious and inescapable and that the UPND is behind the illegal change of names at the registrar of society which fact was confirmed by the UPND member Cornelius Mweetwa that UPND was sponsoring confusion in PF.
The Zambian judiciary must take a leaf from the United States judiciary especially the supreme court which has always defended democracy and human rights when under threat from the politicians. The US supreme court has shown the world that in America the law matters more than politics.
The US supreme court demonstrated before when it allowed an indicted Donald Trump to run for President when his political enemies wanted to Barr him from standing as president. Today, the same supreme court has blocked most of the chaotic executive order signed by President Trump including blocking his curtailing the USAID programs and Migration control measures.
The Court has acted to defend the legal and moral issues of the American system. The court has acted above board in assuring the American people and the world that the laws is there to offer standards beyond politics.
As FDD, we are even perplexed to this day that the Constitutional Court, overturned the ECL eligibility in the reasoning that defied all logic. The Constitutional Court went round to borrow from other systems but deliberately avoided the Namibian situation where a similar position with the Zambians situation exist and a term was defined. And more disturbing was the fact that the Concourt President Professor Magrate Munalula Before her appointment as judge worked in Namibian and she is very conversant with the Namibian legal system.
Therefore , we challenge the Chief Justice Dr Mumba Malila to ensure that the cases involving the PF and other opposition political parties are expedited. Failure to which the public will continue perceiving the judiciary has been compromised which is unfortunate.
Dr Malila and our Lords and Ladies must protect the sanctity of the law as opposed to politics. The judiciary remains the only hope for people from an oppressive regime like the UPND. Failure to protect the private citizens and bodies like the PF is a direct assault on democracy and the law.
Issued by
Anthony Chibuye
FDD Chairperson for International Relations and Member of the Tonse Alliance.