By Merlyn Mwanza
President Hakainde Hichilema has appointed Mumba Malila as Chief Justice, subject to ratification by the National Assembly.
In a statement by special assistant to the President for press and public relations, Anthony Bwalya stated that the Judicial Service Commission convened a meeting on November 12, 2021, during which it considered several candidates for appointment and made its recommendations to the President the same day.
The President wished Justice Malila all the best in his new role.
Justice Malila served as attorney general during the presidencies of the late Levy Mwanawasa and Rupiah Banda, who fired him only to be later re-appointed to the same position by late president Michael Sata, who also later appointed him as a justice to the Supreme Court.
The President also appointed Kondwa Emily Sakala Chibiya as a member of the JSC, and consequently terminated the appointment of Justice Mathew Ngulube as chairman of the JSC and replaced him with Mwikisa Louis Mukande.
The President further terminated the appointment of William Nyirenda as chairman of the Judicial Complaints Commission (JCC) JCC, and replaced him with Vincent Malambo, SC.
And President Hichilema has announced his intentions to realign Chirundu and Itezhi Tezhi districts from Lusaka Province back to Southern Province, while Chama district is to be realigned from Muchinga Province back to Eastern Province.