SAMPA APOLOGISES

By OLIVER SAMBOKO

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) presidential aspirant Miles Sampa has apologized to PF Southern Province chairperson Leonard Siachona for including him on the witness list without consulting him.

This follows an injunction granted to Mr Sampa by the High Court restraining the PF from suspending and expelling him.

The High Court interim injunction banished Given Lubinda and Nickson Chilangwa as acting president and acting secretary-general, respectively, but this has been rendered ineffective with the appointment of the duo as vice-president and deputy secretary-general to continue carrying out party function while their substantive positions remain frozen, pending hearing.

Other senior members of the party have also distanced themselves from Mr Sampa’s legal battles with the PF top leadership, stating that they were never consulted.

But Mr Siachona said it was disturbing that Mr Sampa went ahead to include his name as his witness in a case against the party.

He said Mr Sampa has since apologized to him for the uncalled for conduct.

“I have since contacted Mr Sampa and expressed my great exception with his uncalled for conduct of including me on the list of his ‘witnesses’ without my knowledge and consent, he has unreservedly apologized,” he said.

 PF presidential aspirant Greyford Monde stated that he was not part of the regrettable unfolding drama and confusion being perpetrated by Mr Sampa against the PF and its leadership.

He said at no time was he consulted or requested by Mr Sampa to be his witness on a matter he took to court against the PF leadership.

 Mr Sampa’s action does not have his blessing.

 “I wish to put it on record that at no time was I consulted or requested by Honorable Sampa to be his witness on a matter he took to court against the party’s leadership. His list of witness presented before the court and circulating on social media does not have my blessings,” he said.

Mr Monde said he remained a loyal and disciplined member of PF.

He said he was committed to supporting and defending the party position on any matter as deliberated and resolved by the Central Committee.

And Malole Member of Parliament Robert Kalimi also distanced himself from Mr Sampa stating that despite the Matero lawmaker being his nephew, he opposed his behavior and conduct towards the party. 

He said at no point did Mr Sampa consult him on the matter.

Mr Kalimi who is also Member of the Central Committee and Deputy National Chairperson for Mobilisation, said as a PF founder member, he had the responsibility of ensuring that the former ruling party remained united, relevant and disciplined. 

By press time, efforts to get a comment from Mr Sampa failed as his phone went unanswered.

This is relation to the matter, in which the court has granted an interim order of injunction to Mr Sampa to stop any action until determination of the matter.

According to the plaintiffs list of witness filed by lawyers Messrs Iven Levi Legal Practitioners, Mr Sampa intends to call 11 witnesses at the trial of the matter.

These include Hon. Robert Kalimi, Hon. Lazarus Chota, Richard Chanda, Hon. Chishimba Kambwili, Hon. Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, and Hon. Davison Mungandu.

The rest are Christopher Tyrell, Chaze Mwale, MCC [Member of the Central Committee], Leonard Siachona, Glen Kalimbwe and Hon. Greyford Monde.