BY ISAAC MWANZA
MILES SAMPA WINS LEGAL BATTLE OF PF PRESIDENCY, JUDGMENT DOES NOT ENDORSE ROBERT MUCHINTHA CHABINGA AS PRESIDENT.
I just dont know which judgment people are reading, but there appears to be a lack of comprehension…
The latest judgment by the Lusaka High Court has only brought renewed clarity to the leadership contest within the Patriotic Front as regards the 2023 Convention, affirming Miles Sampa as the legitimately elected President of the party, while offering no legal endorsement of Robert Chabinga as PF President.
At the center of the dispute is the PF convention held on 23rd October 2023, at which Miles Sampa emerged as the only candidate who was elected and elected to the office of party president.
Following his election, Sampa proceeded to appoint members of the Central Committee and installed Ng’ona as Secretary General.
However, on 28th June 2024, Sampa dismissed Ng’ona from that position. Two days later, on 30th June 2024, he went further to dissolve the entire Central Committee he had appointed.
In response, on 3rd July 2024, members of the dissolved Central Committee purported to expel Sampa from the party.
This action by Sampa triggered litigation with Ng’ona challenging both his removal and the dissolution of the Central Committee in the High Court. The Court, however, dismissed the matter, effectively allowing Sampa’s decisions to stand.
In the latest decision, the convention had been challenged in court by certain Members of Parliament aligned to opposing factions within the party. However, the Lusaka High Court has now upheld the legality of that convention, effectively validating Sampa’s presidency.
Importantly, the Court’s ruling was narrowly focused. It addressed the legitimacy of the October 2023 convention and did not pronounce itself on the leadership claims of Robert Chabinga or his ally Ng’ona. As such, any assertion that the Court has recognized Chabinga as PF President is not supported by the judgment.
The dismissal of the earlier matter in which Ng’ona had challenged the decision by Miles Sampa to dissolve the Central Committee, together with the latest decision, has significant legal consequences.
It means upto this day, that the dissolution of the Central Committee by Sampa remains valid, and any actions taken by that Committee after its dissolution, including the purported expulsion of Sampa, were rendered useless by the earlier decision of the Court.
Against this backdrop, the latest High Court ruling reinforces Sampa’s position. By confirming that the October 2023 convention was lawfully held, the Court has cemented the foundation of his presidency. Equally, by remaining silent on Chabinga’s claim to party presidency, the court has left those assertions without judicial backing.
Chabinga and Ng’ona’s recourse now lies with the Court of Appeal, where they seek to overturn the earlier High Court decision that dismissed their challenge. Until such a ruling is made, the legal standing remains clear: Miles Sampa is the duly elected president of the Patriotic Front.
In essence, the Court’s latest pronouncement does not introduce a new leadership dynamic but rather clarifies the existing one. It affirms Sampa’s legitimacy. The competing claims by Chabinga to the PF presidency remain unresolved, and he must continue with his appeal in the Court of Appeal.