Namugala takes case to High court

EXPELLED MMD chairperson for women’s affairs Catherine Namugala has soldiered on with her political battle and is now asking the Lusaka High Court to nullify her expulsion from the party.

The MMD on January 23, this year expelled Ms Namugala on grounds that she was being hostile to the interests and values of the party.

But Ms Namugala, who is Mafinga Member of Parliament (MP), amended her writ of summons asking the court to cancel out the expulsion.

Ms Namugala, who was in the earlier writ of summons expected to be heard today, asked the court to restrain the MMD from expelling her but the court could not grant her relief and instead asked for inter-parte hearing.

The MP wants the court to declare null and void the appointment of MMD Senga Hill MP Kapembwa Simbao as acting national secretary following the expulsion of Richard Kachingwe.

She sued Mr Simbao as a first defendant in his own capacity and as a second defendant on behalf of the MMD.

She wants the court to declare whether Mr Simbao’s appointment as acting national secretary was legitimately done and also nullify the proceedings of the meeting that appointed him.

Ms Namugala contested in an injunction filed before the principal registry that she was still a member of the opposition party.

Ms Justice Fulgence Chisanga, who is handling the matter, has since set today as the day for inter-parte hearing.

Meanwhile, MMD president Nevers Mumba yesterday appeared before a Lusaka magistrate’s court for mention in a matter in which he is charged with abuse of authority while he was Zambia’s High Commissioner to Canada.

Mumba, who was accompanied by a handful of his supporters, appeared before principal magistrate Aridah Chuulu because chief resident magistrate Joshua Banda, who is handling the matter, was indisposed.

Ms Chuulu informed Mumba that he would appear for another mention on February 25, 2013 but his defence lawyers requested for their client to be excused on that material day.

Ms Chuulu allowed the request but asked Mumba to be in court on March 25, 2013 for commencement of his trial.