THE Judicial and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (JAWUZ) has advised the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) to be sincere when advising the Head of State on the fight against corruption to avoid misleading him.
JAWUZ General Secretary Vincent Makondo said in an interview in Lusaka during the week that his union was concerned with the manner in which LAZ was offering advice to the President over the fight against graft as it seemed not to be genuine.
He said if LAZ’s advice was genuine, then it should start with its members, the lawyers because some of them were allegedly the most corrupt in society who had swindled a lot of clients at the expense of offering legal services.
“Look, we have doctors who are serving people’s lives who do not demand so much monies for their services except those that have the money, people have a choice to pay for expensive services unlike lawyers who cannot even save a life, what’s so special with their profession,” he questioned.
Mr Makondo challenged LAZ to clean its house first before starting to offer advice to the President on graft. They should also extend this to their law firms because most of them did not even have collective agreements with their employees.
He accused LAZ of failing to control its members on the reasonable legal fees one was expected to pay an indication that it supported corruption and in turn not the right body to offer advice to the President on how best he could fight corruption.
He said JAWUZ’s fear was that while everyone knew that the President had a genuine cause to fight corruption which he started way back, LAZ and others might be doing it with other motives and end up misleading him.
” President Rupiah Banda was misled on so many issues and we saw where it ended, so this time we are not going to allow anyone to mislead the current President, let us all be firm and tell him the truth and give praise where it is necessary,” he said.
Mr Makondo said it should be clear in the minds of many Zambians that even those that were calling for the removal of the Chief Justice Ernest Sakala and other judges was because they had unsettled issues.
He said mostly, some lawyers were not happy with Judges that refuse to accept bribes in order to pass judgment in their favour or they were facing offences and were scared to be jailed.
His union was aware and had information pertaining to a number of lawyers who had been shielded for gross misconduct and corruption and had been shielded by the same LAZ that was calling on the President to continue fighting corruption.
“JAWUZ will not be used to mislead the President in his genuine fight against corruption or the removal of the Chief Justice because people are doing so with selfish gains, we are not saying the Chief Justice should go or not, but let it be done in a normal procedure,” Mr Makondo said.
And on LAZ’s call for the introduction of reforms in the Judiciary, Mr Makondo said the advice was timely but those calling for reforms were not specific on the exact reforms they wanted the Judiciary toconcentrate on.
He said JAWUZ was disappointed that to date there were no permanent High Court structures with resident Judges in some districts since Zambia gained independence thereby hindering a lot of people from accessing justice.
“Quick delivery of justice is what we want to see but how can this happen when in some districts there are no judges and court rooms at High Court level? These are some of the issues that JAWUZ want to see addressed in the reforms,” he said.
And LAZ president James Banda when reached for a comment said he could not immediately comment because he had not read JAWUZ’s statement in its entirety and asked to be called after he had read the article onthe claims by JAWUZ.
“Let me not comment now because I have not seen or read what JAWUZ is saying, I think I will comment after I have read their statement,” Mr Banda said.
[Times of Zambia]
simlple put it into law that govt shall control and limit the legal fees weather its a public prosecutor or private. in this scenario, we will have a choice and it just depends on how urgent the case is and how available the lawyer is. when a case is won, govt will again stipulate a mwabombeni fee to be paid to the lawyer for the job well done. iyi ni appreciation fye bane dont crucify me. all consultation fees and overall charges let them be gazetted and each law firm must avail such info to the client.
Tell them. they are the most corrupt. Lawyers are the most corrupt everywhere.
“He said if LAZ’s advice was genuine, then it should start with its members, the lawyers because some of them were allegedly the most corrupt in society who had swindled a lot of clients at the expense of offering legal services”………………..Spot on JAWUZ,this profession with all respect needs to be monitored.
Nevers Mu mba is a lia r and a mon ey lau ndering ma chine
Him and the de puty Mr Nz oya are ste aling tax pa yers money. They had fired Mr Tem bo beca use he knew about this sc am and was aga inst it. They also have a office slut , Caro lina Rod- riguez who is also abus ing the money. The Ottawa Zam bian mis sion are th ieves
people have a choice
to pay for expensive services
unlike lawyers who cannot even
save a life, what’s so special wiith
their profession,” he questioned. PEOPLE SHOULD ALWAYS REVIEW THEIR PROFESSIONS BEFORE THEY BEGIN TO BOAST. WHAT MATTERS IN LIFE IS THE WAY YOU OFFER YOUR SERVICES. CLEANING THE TOILETS CAN BE THE BEST JOB ONCE IT IS DONE WITH LOVE AND CARE FOR OTHERS. FOR LAWYERS, ONCE YOU HAVE CASH ON CAN SPEAK WELL THEN YOU WIN THE CASE AND THE VICTIM REMAINS THE INNOCENT.
Lawyers are corrupt the world over take what one American was overheard to say in chambers one day;
“You are innocent until your money runs out”
LAZ has produced incredibly political lawyers like Musa Mwenye and George Kunda, whose legal knowledge is twisted for political gain. There is no integrity among lawyers. They are crooks.
@TONY BARRETT
Spot on! Justice is now all about money.
All these loudly vocal lawyers(lairs) are nothing but big coons and they are costing the nation a lot at their benefit. Very unprofessional lairs
too much..we need to clean the judiciary..!
They say you are with a lawyer in the bush and you have three last bullets in your pistol. You come face to face with a lion, a bear and leopard. Please use all the bullets on the lawyer. Lawyers are mean.
Isn’t this union supposed to represent the very lawyers they are demonising?
It’s true lawyers in Zambia are a disgrace – there’s no moral and professional ethical conduct whatsoever from them. They just enrich themselves at any cost.
Lawyers elsewhere represent anyone who is charged with a crime; in Zambia we don’t have legal representation unless one has money. What a disgrace!
Today being a lawyer or a politician is the most paying job one could ever dream about. Ridiculous – good on you JAWUZ!
Spot on JAWUZ, you have said it exactly as it is: nothing more nor less, no bias nor favour. And the LAZ boss is shaken in his pants and mauless, HO HO HO.
I am impressed (and surprised too, I must confess) that there are union leaders who can think and talk intelligently like that. From today this has changed my negative perception of union leaders. Now I will differentiate.
Ba LAZ start community projects to help orphans and widows
Wait until you find yourself in a legal quagmire – that is when you will appreciate the services of a lawyer. A friend of mine woke up one day and found a dead body in his yard. He did not kill the guy someone through that dead body in there. He was imprisoned for 5 years before his case was disproved through the work of a diligent lawyer. Had it not been for the services of that lawyer, my friend would have been hanged for murder. I agree they should not charge exorbitant fees and they should their work diligently but they are an important component of our every day life.
Spot on Ba JAWUZ. Some of these lawyers are not only rich through corruption but by also ensuring that there no people’s driven constitution so that they can continue getting more money through election petitions.
It is a pity that the voice of reason has to come from the *Judicial and Allied Workers Union of Zambia* (“JAWUZ”). LAZ has so far been rendered tuthless because of the greediness that characterise most Lawyers. None ot the elite Zambians wou ld respect the calibre of Wyinter Kabimba, Musa Mwenye, Mutembo Nchitu and Sebastian Zulu who thrived on lies and dirty politics as a ticket to land on top positions under the PF Government. These “Learned” Gentlemen have planted and nurtured seeds of NEPOTISM in Sata’s Govt. The world, through their representatives in Lusaka, is frowning on the tilted structure of the current Ministry of Justuce. JAWUZ must be saluted for exposing these wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Hats off to the *Judicial and Allied Workers Union of Zambia* (“JAWUZ”. LAZ has so far been rendered impotent because of the greediness that characterise most Lawyers. None ot the enlightened Zambians wou ld respect the calibre of Wyinter Kabimba, Musa Mwenye, Mutembo Nchitu and Sebastian Zulu who thrived on lies and dirty politics as a ticket to land on top positions under the PF Government. These “Learned” Gentlemen have planted and nurtured seeds of NEPOTISM in Sata’s Govt. The world, through their representatives in Lusaka, is frowning on the tilted structure of the current Ministry of Justuce. JAWUZ must be saluted for exposing these wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Mr Mukondo, your union should know better that LAZ is not the chief legal advisor of the President but the Attorney General.
Secondly, yes, it is true that some lawyers have swindled their clients, but any member of the public who has been swindled by a legal practitioner is free to report him/her to LAZ.
its only a lawyer always go to the bank smiling whatever the outcome of the case, i dont know about other countries but i think our lawyers still have to prove that they are worth their name, i am yet to hear of a case where a lawyer refuses to represent a client who they know is guilty but has a lot of cash, lawyers will represent anything with money, i hope JAWUZ does something sensible here if they are also not part of the rot.
# 4 Sam. Visit Chainama hospital one of your five is on leave, avoid being a NED. The issue under discussion is corruptiom among lawyers who claim under gowns to be virtuous and above board, when in fact are active partispants in corruption in the nation. JAWUZ have courageously held the bull by its horns, lets keep the momentum on these merciless lawyers who are known to abandon their clients after milking them dry. Remember Mumba Kapumpa lawyer to Dr Kashiwa Bulaya. Bulaya began to represent himself when he could no longer pay huge bills from Kapumpa. Shameful people.
No 4 what is your problem.You have posted the same article abour Dr Mumba under different stories.I suggest you contact Dr Mumba than bore with the same artcile.
Zambia = Corrupt politicians, corrupt police service, corrupt business people, corrupt teachers, corrupt civil service, corrupt citizenry + Corrupt lawyers. God help the country!!!!!!!!