NEVERS CONTEMPTUOUS OF COURT – LAWYER

By KETRA KALUNGA IT was contemptuous for New Hope MMD President, Nevers Mumba to ignore the High Court order to halt the convention, says Lusaka Lawyer, Tutwa Ngulube. The order was served on Dr. Mumba’s vice president, Reverend Reuben Sambo early in the morning, before the convention started but Dr. Mumba defied it. According to Dr, Mumba the document did not appear genuine as it lacked necessary “attachments” He instead opted to  proceed with the convention until Police physically  interrupted the convention, at which point Dr. Mumba commented “ The good news is we finished our business of the convention by the time the injunction was brought to us by the police. We didn’t have enough time to verify the authenticity of the injunction. So I want to assure you that what happened today will have no impact because our agenda is already completed.” He told the meeting. Speaking in a television interview, Dr. Mumba said the document did not appear genuine and therefore proceeded with the convention until Police intervene by which time, he said, two thirds of the convention including his election as President had taken place. He said as far as he was concerned, he was elected MMD president at the same convention as he went unopposed.  But Mr. Ngulube said Dr. Mumba’s decision to defy a court injunction was contemptuous and attracted a serious penalty. “It’s contemptuous for Dr. Mumba to ignore an injunction from the high court and it carries a very serious penalty,”said Mr. Ngulube. Former presidential Affairs Minister and Kamfinsa lawmaker during the Levy Mwanawasa administration Webby Chipili made the application to the High Court which was granted in his favor. Mr. Chipili told the Daily Nation that he made an application to the High Court on behalf of other members because Dr. Mumba’s convention was illegal.  “We have not had any intraparty elections, there is no shortcut. We want everybody to participate because it is their party. That being the case, we want our friends in the other faction to stop their illegal convention,” Mr. Chipili said.