Judge Chikopa must be repatriated back to Malawi until the time when his services will be required because his continued stay in the country is demeaning the country’s judicial system says MMD Copperbelt Provincial Publicity and Information secretary Yotam Mtayachalo.
Mr Mtayachalo said the whole process by President Sata to bring a foreign judge was wrong because he it out of pressure and without consultation.
Mr Sata, he said should have not appointed the foreign judge to preside over a tribunal trying a Supreme Court judge.
He said Zambia had highly experienced men and women of integrity on the bench capable of handling any matter hence the action to sideline them was an insult to Zambia’s judiciary and amounted to intimidating the local judicial system.
Mr Mtayachalo said this when he commended the Judicial and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (JAWUZ) for taking a brave stance of questioning the continued stay in Zambia of Judge Lovemore Chikopa from Malawi.
He said as former general secretary-National Energy Sector and Allied Workers Union (NESAWU) it was not easy for unions to come out and talk about the issues surrounding the controversy within the judicial circles.
“There are a very few trade unions in this country who can take such a brave move to question the executive for fear of losing their jobs and being considered as opponents of those in power.
He said that it was better to lose ones job than keeping quiet when wrong things were being committed as that would render trade unions irrelevant to the political process of the country.
He fully supported the observations by JAWUZ general secretary Vincent Makondo that the continued stay of judge Chikopa in the country was demeaning the country’s judicial system.
“We want to urge him and JAWUZ not to be intimidated by anyone because trade unions are there to provide checks and balances and promote social justice,” he said.
Former President Chiluba appointed a local judgefor the tribunal to probe the conduct of Judge Kabazo Chanda and why should President Sata fail to have confidence in the current judiciary.
He said the PF government should heed people’s concerns and do what was right for the country.
Zambia has meagre resources and the country cannot continue to waste public resources on less important issues when there were areas of need begging for resources.
“Judges are supposed to be men and women of high integrity and highest moral standing in the society we therefore question judge Chikopa’s morality to continue to squander public resources,” Mtayachalo said.
The trade unionist questioned why former President Rupiah Banda was being prosecuted for alleged cases of abuse of office of authority if the continued hosting of judge Chikopa with tax payers money did not amount to the same crime.
“Judge Chikopa should go back to Malawi in order for him to maintain some credibility otherwise Zambians will call for peaceful demonstrations to force government to send him back and until when the tribunal kicks off,” he said.
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