By Agness Changala
Home Affairs permanent secretary Dickson Matembo says the government already received new names of PF office bearers, but has faced challenges in completing the process, saying once the process is completed, the nation will be informed.
And Home Affairs minister Jack Mwiimbu questioned what motivated ‘redeployed’ former Registrar of Societies Thandiwe Mhende to give the documents bearing PF office bearers to PF lawyer Makebi Zulu.
On Monday, PF from the Edgar Lungu led group said they sought a court order that compelled the Registrar of Societies to give them a printout showing names of office bearers who have not been changed as purported by the Miles Sampa led group.
After PF obtained a print out of ‘old’ office bearers, Daily Revelation received information that Matembo had instructed the chief Register of Societies to immediately effect the changes or she will be viewed to be working against the government.
When contacted by Daily Revelation to respond to this allegation, Matembo said he could not respond to a fake document.
He said according to the said document, president Lungu was appointed in 2002 which he said is not correct.
“When did Edgar Lungu become the president of the PF? That document shows Edgar Lungu was appointed on 17th February 2002. Was he appointed in 2002 as president of PF? That’s a fake document,” Matembo said. “Did he become president of the PF in 2002? Even the address where he was staying in 2002…Yes so how do you get that document to be authentic?”
Asked about the demand notice addressed to the Speaker of National Assembly Nelly Mutti, Matembo said, “That demand notice is the thing that led to somebody producing a wrong document so whoever gave them, we don’t know where it came from because there is president there…Edgar Lungu president for 2002,” he said.
Asked what the correct position is since Lungu’s group had brought out information showing that the office bearers had not changed while Sampa’s group was also saying the Registrar of Societies had changed the office bearers with new ones, Matembo said: “The correct position is that the names were received. We only had challenges completing the process of updating and the nation will be informed. But the official names of the political leaders were received. We have them, yes.”
The PF said they went with a court order to the Register of Societies and obtained a print out that revealed that office bearers have not been changed.
The party then through its lawyer Makebi Zulu gave Mutti 24 hours to reverse her decision to replace Mporokoso Member of Parliament Brian Mundubile as leader of the opposition with Mafinga Member of Parliament Robert Chabinga.
In a demand notice before court action dated November 13, 2023, lawyer Zulu stated that since the office bearers have not been changed, Mutti’s actions to acknowledge the letter from Morgan Ng’ona were a nullity and should be abandoned forthwith.
He stated that in her address to the House, on November 01, 2023, and media briefing signed by the Clerk of the National Assembly dated November 07, 2023, Mutti deliberately and or negligently misled the House and the nation at large, by maliciously and mischievously suggesting that her search at the Registrar of Societies reviewed there had been a change of office bearers.
“Had you been diligent and truthful in the discharge of your duties, you would not have disregarded the communication to you by Patriotic Front Party who stated in no uncertain terms that there had been no change of office bearers and that Mr. Morgan Ngo’na was NOT the Secretary General of the Party, especially that this was communicated to you way before you announced the change in Parliament, making your announcement malicious, unreasonable and illegal.” Makebi stated. “Our diligent inquiry, by an order of the court, has reviewed that as of today, the 13th November, 2023, the office bearers have not changed as per the attached copy. In view of this information, your actions in acknowledging the letter from Mr. Ng’ona were a nullity and should be abandoned forthwith,” he stated.
“You thus have 24 hours to reverse your decision failing which we shall be left with no option but to commence proceedings against you. Kindly oblige to avoid the rigmarole of court process,” stated Makebi.
On November 1, 2023, Mutti announced Chabinga as new leader of the opposition in Parliament, replacing Mundubile.
She told Parliament that on October 31, the National Assembly received a letter from PF Secretary General Ng’ona announcing the appointment of Chabinga following the holding of the convention where Sampa was elected as PF president.
And addressing the media yesterday, Minister Jack Mwiimbu despite insisting that Mhende had not been fired, proceeded to give indication that there was something more to the ‘redeployment’ than meets the eye.
He said as opposed to word that there was a court order mandating Mhende to provide the names of the office holders to Makebi, what was there was a subpoena.
“What motivated her to give the purported documents to Makebi Zulu instead of bringing out those documents in court?” Mwiimbu asked. “Further, when you are requested to produce documents in court, they become court documents. The other parties are entitled to interrogate the documents and cross examine the one producing the documents.”
On the document circulating around, Mwiimbu said it was his considered view that the document was fake, as it states that former president Edgar Lungu was residing at Lewanika close, where ministers stay.
He said the PF president in 2002 was the late Michael Chilufya Sata, with Guy Scott as his vice-president. However, those in PF have argued that 2002 was the year Lungu was appointed as an office bearer and not necessarily as PF president.
But Mwiimbu said Lungu was a member of UPND at that time.
“If the document is factually incorrect, what would you deduce as members of the press and members of the public? Is it a genuine document or it’s a fake document? That’s why the court wanted the document to be produced in court so that the Registrar would be cross examined concerning the authenticity of the document,” Mwiimbu said.
But asked on the fact that Mhende had conspicuously been ‘redeployed’ on the heels of the list of PF office bearers being released, and why there was heavy presence of police with reports indicating that some of her personal items had been seized, Mwiimbu described the happenings as a coincidence, saying the Ministry has to redeem itself when allegations of compromise were being raised against its officers.
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