By LUCY PHIRI
THE removal of Thandiwe Mhende-Phiri from her position as Registrar of Societies marked the epitome of anarchy and lawlessness ever experienced in Zambia, Mumbi Phiri has observed.
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Ms Phiri, the former deputy secretary general of the Patriotic Front (PF) says had the UPND been a government of laws and not of men, they would have reinstated Ms Mhende because she had not committed any crime to deserve a dismissal from her position.
Ms Phiri says the UPND government was finding it difficult to reverse the decision to fire Ms Mhende from her position as Registrar of Societies because her removal was an illegality that should never have been allowed.
She stated that the UPND government was a group of law breakers and would find it difficult to dispense with their criminality they were nothing but a government that was specialized in breaking the laws.
“They UPND) cannot reinstate her because this government doe not want people who follow the law. They want law breakers…they want those who can abrogate the Constitution with impunity, those are the people they want. Had the UPND been a government of laws and not of men, they would have reinstated Ms Mhende without difficulties. They removed her because she observed and obeyed the law,’’ Ms Phiri said.
Ms. Phiri said it was unfortunate that Ms Mhende who stood by dictates of the country’s laws could be removed from her position without following the rule of law.
Government removed Ms. Mhende after it emerged that she did not effect changes to the Patriotic Front list of office bearers following expelled Matero Member of Parliament Miles Sampa’s purported convention from which he installed himself as president.
According to a printout emanating from her office, PF office bearers had remained unchanged, with former President Edgar Lungu being the former ruling party president.
Ms. Phiri said in an interview that forceful removal of Ms Mhende as Registrar of Societies was a clear sign of how lawlessness had taken over the current government.
She stated that the law would someday catch up with the UPND if they continued on the trajectory of breaching the country’s Constitution with impunity.
Ms Phiri said President Hakainde Hichilema had sworn to protect and defend the Constitution but what he had been obtaining was that the rule of law had been thrown through the window and that the country was being government by the whims and caprices of individual wilding political power.
“I would like to tell them that one day the law will catch up with them because we have the supreme law of the land and you just can’t abrogate it especially for those who swore to uphold the constitution. Do not think you will run away with it, one day they will pay for their deeds,’’ she said.
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