I AM NOT A MENTAL CASE, CHINESE NATIONAL THREATENS TO SUE WARD COUNCILLOR

SILUMESI MALUMO Writes@SunZambianA CHINESE national Jiang Zhang who is a Lusaka resident of Waterfalls area has threatened to take legal action against Kabwe ward councillor in Mandevu Constituency Teddy Mwaba for defamation.Mr Zhang claimed Mr Mwaba had defamed him for some time now which had dented his image in society, therefore, he should desist from such or be sued for defamation.Mr Kabwe recently told the Daily Nation that Mr Zhang was a mentally challenged patient and was a danger to the community.The civic leader also took Mr Zhang to court for incoherent, abusive, aggressive, depressive behaviour among others.Mr Mwaba in his application filed before the Magistrate Court , alleged thatMr Zhang due to his behaviour was a danger to the community and needed to undergo a psychiatric check-up to establish his mental capacity for the benefit of the community.The court granted an order of dentation in order for Mr Zhang to undergo psychiatric check.According to the documents obtained by the Daily Nation, the Magistrate Court rescinded its earlier decision to grant the order because no law empowers it to make detention orders.The court said an order of dentation can only be granted if the person was not mentally fit to stand trial or to be held criminally responsible for an offence which was not the case with Mr Zhang.And Mr Zhang through his representative Timothy Phiri told the Daily Nation yesterday, now that the courts of law had cleared him, it was prudent that Mr Mwaba desists from defaming him.The Chinese national said if he was a mental patient Government could not have awarded him many contracts which he had executed and which he was currently doing.Mr Zhang, “Mr Mwaba is a civic leader and must act as a leader instead of spreading lies. If he continues like this he will be sued for defamation which will be costly to him.”He said it was high time the civic leader stopped denting his image because this was not sending a good signal to many.Mr Zhang also said the Chinese community in Zambia could not have elected him as the chairperson for years now if he was a mental patient.