Miles Sampa dismantles PF makeshift leadership
MILES Sampa has dismantled the PF makeshift leadership of Given Lubinda and Nickson Chilangwa which suspended him last week.
The Matero PF lawmaker was suspended from the former ruling party on accusations of using insulting language against other party members who are seeking to replace Edgar Lungu as president.
But following the suspension, Sampa sued Lubinda and Chilangwa in their acting capacities as party president and secretary general respectively.
He argued that Lubinda and Chilangwa were illegally occupying their positions as their appointment by former president Lungu were not in accordance with the party constitution.
High Court judge Timothy Katanekwa has granted Sampa an ex-parte order for an interim injunction stopping Chilangwa and Lubinda from posing as PF bosses and ejecting him from the party which was founded by his late dear uncle Micheal Sata.
Judge Katanekwa has also prohibited the duo from assassinating Sampa’s character until the matter is determined or until he issues another directive.
The former deputy minister of commerce took issue with his technical knock out from from the PF presidential bout slated for March this year and escalated the brawl to the Lusaka High Court.
Sampa has sued Chilangwa and Lubinda seeking an order of injunction preventing the duo from temporarily hounding him out of the party until the matter relating to his suspension is determined.
He wants the Court to order the PF to expeditiously select leaders of their party by holding a convention which has been retarded by acting party president Given Lubinda and acting secretary general Nickson Chilangwa whom he says are illegally holding their positions.
The PF presidential aspirant stated that his suspension from the central committee has been made in bad faith as it is a ploy to prevent him from participating in the general conference slated for march 2023 were new office bearers of the party will be elected.
In his statement of claim Sampa who is the member of the central committee stated that following Edgar Lungu’s defeat in the 2021 general election on August 26 the latter relinquished his position as PF president and illegally appointed the defendants to run the affairs of the party.
He said at the time of Lungu’s resignation on September 6 Davies Mwila was occupying the position of party secretary general and was supposed to assume the position of acting party president pursuant pursuant to Article 53 of the party constitution.
Sampa stated that in breach of the party constitution Chilangwa and Lubinda have been making various irregular decisions to suspend him for six weeks effective January 30,2023.
He said his rights and privileges have been affected by Chilangwa and Lubinda’s actions as he is unable to participate in meetings convened by the party and campaign for himself.
Sampa claims that the duo defamed him during the announcement of his suspension, when they alleged that he does not champion unity in the party and the nation at large.
He said the words in their ordinary and natural meaning imply that he is disorderly and promotes confusion and anarchy in the party.
The fomer Lusaka mayor said he has incurred a loss in his personal business as a result of the defendants’ defamatory words and his political image has been dented as the words were maliciously uttered with intentions to disparage him and hinder him from contesting as a PF presidential candidate at the forthcoming general conference.
He wants the court to annul his suspension as Chilangwa and Lubinda have been illegally holding their positions.
He is further seeking damages for slander and libel among other reliefs.
The matter comes up for hearing on February 16,2023.
Kalemba