LAZ under microscope, says Hobday

Wed, 17 May 2017 10:24:45 +0000

By AARON CHIYANZO

THE Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) leadership is still under ‘‘microscopic watch and might still face robust action’’ if the situation does not change for the better, says Lusaka lawyer Hobday Kabwe.

And Mr Kabwe charged that the decision by LAZ to engage lawyers to defend Mr Nchima Nchito in his impersonation case was ‘‘totally unfounded and against the spirit and aim’’ of the association.

It was out of its mandate, he said, for LAZ to support Mr Nchito using the money lawyers were paying.

“How can we have an association representing individuals, like Nchito? How can we have our money supporting Nchito?” he asked.

Mr Kabwe warned that he would not hesitate to campaign for the formation of another association should the leadership of LAZ continue behaving like political party members.

He reiterated that the current law association was marred with irreconcilable differences and behaving like a department of the opposition UPND.

Mr Kabwe explained that the LAZ executive had in the recent past shown support towards the UPND in preference for the ruling party which he said should not be the case.

“The LAZ executive will continue to be watched, they really have to change significantly from the deplorable record they had reached. I have been for the idea of forming another law association because the association has been marred by irreconcilable differences,” he said.

Mr Kabwe pointed out that most lawyers had attested to the fact that there was something wrong with the running of the association.

He said that change was inevitable if the current leadership of LAZ remained a mouthpiece of the opposition UPND.

Four Lusaka lawyers petitioned the LAZ Council to call for an extraordinary general meeting at which they called for a vote of no confidence against the Linda Kasonde executive for allegedly failing to enhance the rule of law.

Even if the bid had failed, Mr Kabwe said, the LAZ leadership was still under ‘‘microscopic watch from all angles’’.