Patriotic Front (PF) faction president Miles Sampa has commenced contempt of court proceedings against fellow party members, Robert Chabinga and Morgan Ng’ona for continuing to illegally masquerade as acting PF President and Secretary General respectively.
Chabinga, one of several claimants to the PF presidency, had announced the “ousting” of Sampa as party president a few weeks ago following their falling out and Sampa’s subsequent expulsion of the duo from the party before they counter-expelled him and installed themselves in the positions of President and Secretary General.
Posting to Facebook earlier today, Sampa told his party members, “Please note that last week we filed for contempt of court proceedings against Hon. Robert Chabinga and Mr. Morgan Ng’ona for continued illegal masquerading as acting PF President and SG respectively. High Court Judge, Her Lordship CC Zulu has since set 6th August for Interparty hearing to the Contempt.”
The PF continues to be embroiled in leadership wrangles and uncertainty with at least three people holding themselves out or considered as party president.
In the ensuing confusion, nine members of Parliament had their National Assembly seats declared vacant after being expelled by Sampa, who later pardoned seven of them a few days before their seats were rendered vacant. They have contested the speaker’s decision in court.
Sampa’s pardon followed a reconciliation meeting with the immediate past party president, Edgar Lungu. Soon after, he expelled Chabinga and Ng’ona and installed himself as party SG; unleashing a torrent of legal suits and counter suits among themselves.