The crisis currently rocking the Zambian National Assembly has taken a new dimension following a court order from the main opposition party, Patriotic Front (PF) led by former President Edgar Lungu, mandating the immediate reversal of changes to the leadership of the Parliament by Speaker Nelly Mutti.
The order, which was served on Mutti on Tuesday, branded the action of the Speaker as “extremely malicious as no changes had reportedly been effected to the list of office bearers at the Registrar of Societies.”
The order obtained by Makebi Zulu Advocates, which represents the PF, from a Lusaka High Court, states that the Zambian Registrar of Societies had released the current status of Office Bearers of the PF and the purported changes were not effected.
Part of the order which accused Mutti of executive recklessness reads:
“Had you been diligent and truthful in the discharge of your duties, you would not have disregarded the communication to you by the PF party, who stated in no uncertain terms that there had been no change of office bearers and that Morgan Ngona was not the Secretary General of the party.”
The lawyers noted that by their diligent inquiry which was granted by an order of the Court, they had reviewed that as of Tuesday, November 13, the office bearers had not changed.
They further confirmed that in view of the information gathered, Mutti’s actions in acknowledging the letter from Ngona were a nullity and should be abandoned forthwith.
The order stressed that during the sitting of parliament and subsequent communication, Mutti had claimed that she conducted a search at the Registrar of Societies which formed the basis for her changes at parliament.
“In light of the official information at the Registrar of Socities, Mutti had been advised to abandon the changes she made and reverse them immediately as they were illegal and malicious,” the lawyers said, while giving Mutti a 24-hour ultimatum to reverse the changes she made.
On November 1, Mutti had replaced the leader of opposition in parliament, Brian Mundubile with Robert Chabinga, an MP representing Mafinga Province, after she purportedly received a letter of instructions from Ngona.
In another shakeup, Mutti had also replaced Stephen Kampyongo, the Shiwangandu Member of Parliament, as Opposition Whip with Anthony Mumba, the MP for Kantanshi Province, which the PF believes were done to whittle down opposition in the Assembly.