By ADRIAN MWANZA
CONSTITUTIONAL lawyer, John Sangwa is out of order to claim that acting Chief Justice Michael Musonda was not qualified to take up the position of Chief Justice, says Lusaka lawyer Jonas Zimba.
Mr Zimba said Mr Sangwa was being contemptuous with his letter which suggested that Mr Musonda was not fit for the role of Chief Justice when he had all the qualifications.
He said that it was wrong for an individual like Mr Sangwa to issue such statements because he was a senior counsel.
Mr Sangwa questioned Mr Musonda’s performance and said that he undermined the Judiciary and that his leadership was just like a department under the President’s control.
“For me, I feel the learned counsel is being contemptuous in the manner he is handling the issue of the Justice Musonda,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Zimba said he did not want to delve much in the matter because it was a bit sensitive but maintained that Mr Sangwa needed to tone down.
Mr Sangwa in a letter dated October 15, to the President, indicated that the appointment of the Chief Justice was a fait-accompli, a French term meaning (already done) and the Judicial Service Commission would according to article 141 of the constitution recommend Mr Musonda.
He said that the Deputy Chief Justice was a close acquaintance of President Hichilema and even helped him buy Property No.488a.40/a/3 Serval Road from National Tobacco Board of Zambia through a public tender in July 1995 when he was his legal counsel.
