Fri, 14 Jul 2017 10:46:11 +0000
By AARON CHIYANZO
THE UPND should stop yapping through the media and lodge their complaint with the Judicial Complaints Authority if they feel that the treason case involving their leader Hakainde Hichilema is being unnecessarily delayed by the judiciary, Justice Minister Given Lubinda has charged.
Mr Lubinda said that UPND secretary general Stephen Katuka should stop complaining that Mr Hichilema’s treason case was being deliberately delayed when there were institutions mandated to handle such complaints.
He said that the UPND had the right to report to the Judicial Complaints Authority if they felt that the matter involving their leader was being unfairly handled. Mr Lubinda, who is Kabwata Member of Parliament, explained that besides having the three arms of Government, the constitution had also established commissions that oversaw the performance of specific government institutions.
He pointed out that the Judicial Complaints Authority was created to handle matters where people felt that the courts were being biased.
Mr Lubinda charged that making noise through the media was not going to solve anything as there were laid down procedures to handle such matters.
“Katuka and the UPND lawyers know of the grievance mechanisms that have been put in place when you think that the judiciary is not acting in good faith. We have a Judicial Complaints Authority, they can go to the Authority and complain if they think that there is somebody in the judiciary unduly delaying the commencement of their case,” he said.
Mr Lubinda reiterated that Government was doing everything within its means to ensure that the dispensation of justice in Zambia was done efficiently and effectively for every citizen.
He said that it was Government’s desire to see to it that cases of all nature were disposed of within the shortest period of time.
Meanwhile, Mr Katuka said in a statement that Mr Hichilema’s lawyers were not to blame for his continued incarceration.
He claimed that the Judiciary was to blame for Mr Hichilema’s prolonged stay in incarceration as it was deliberately delaying to hear the matter.
“It has now been over 30 days since HH’s committal and yet nothing has been heard from the DPP or the Judiciary as to when he and other accused persons will be brought to trial to face his accusers,” said Mr Katuka.
