The Civil Society Constitution Agenda says it is extremely shocked at the summons for contempt served against its Chairperson, Bishop John Mambo from Chief Justice Irene Mambilima.
Bishop Mambo is on Tuesday expected to appear before the court after he accused judges of placing personal ambitions before justice.
Bishop Mambo is being summoned as chairperson of Chikondi Trust Foundation
In a letter addressed to him, the Supreme Court commanded him to appear before court on July 17 2018 to show cause why he should not be cited for contempt of court.
“You are hereby commanded in the name of the president to appear before this court at 09:00 on May 17 2018 and on every adjournment of the court until the matter is disposed of to show why you should not be cited for contempt of court,” the letter read.
It is alleged that on May 12 2018, Bishop Mambo wrote a letter to Chief justice Irene Mambilima which was also copied to the Judicial Complaints Commission.
The letter was in relation to an appeal in a case between Savenda Management Services Limited vs Stanbic Bank Zambia limited.
The contemptuous words were “the legal suit against the bank by Savenda, though given a favourable judicial decisions at the lower court, was suspiciously overturned by the higher court on appeal. Most judges seem to be more interested in achieving personal ambitions at the expense of justice for all and equality before the law. ”
But CiSCA says the move to summon Bishop Mambo is unconstitutional.
“Regardless of the circumstances surrounding this summon, CiSCA understands that Bishop Mambo merely wrote a complaint letter against some judges to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), and served a copy on the Chief Justice, Irene Mambilima and Judicial Complaint Commission (JCC) on a case already disposed of by the courts,” it said in a statement.
“Instead of summons for contempt, Bishop Mambo expected a response to the letter seeking the Chief Justice’s indulgence on the alleged unsatisfactory manner her officers are discharging their duties. CiSCA is aware that Article 118 of the Republican Constitution provides an avenue for the judiciary to be accountable to the people and surprisingly, exercising one’s constitutional right has amounted to contempt of court.”
It added, “Further, in line with the constitutional mandate, under Article 236, given to any other citizen to question the work of judges by lodging a complaint to the Judicial Complaint Commission (JCC) as the judiciary is accountable not only to itself but to the citizens of Zambia, of which Bishop Mambo is bonafide member and was exercising his rights as provided for in the constitution.”
CiSCA said it is therefore extremely surprised that instead of a tribunal or a probe being set against those judges in question, Bishop Mambo is being cited for contempt for calling for their probe.
“This is unconstitutional and CiSCA will keenly follow this case to its logical conclusion and also see whether a constitutional breach is not about to be committed by the Chief Justice,” it stated.
This case will not go anywhere. This PF government is full of intimidation and putting critics in cells without charging them. You see, Lungu gives the orders to jail these people bit forgets to reverse order because he is wasted most of the time. By the time he sobers up to reverse orders, the critic would already have spent months in jail.
Ask HH or Saviour or Pilato or Nevers or……
The summons are clear: “in the name of the president”.
Ba Mambo will be locked up on a Friday, and attend to adjournment s as clearly indicated, like Pastor Mumba, who is now silenced.
Please Ba bishop, just apologize unreservedly. We’re sorry.
Is this Cisca danderhead NGO above the law
Let this useless organisation qoute the constitution how it’s unconstitutional to summon the UPND Bishop for contempt
What happened to Irene Mambilima is this the Irene Mambilima who was at ECZ….power surely corrupts!!
Too many tuma organizations pa Zambia, all wanting to be heard by donors.
During the hours of a night time curfew in force on 30 June 1982, three judges, Justice Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong, Fred Poku Sarkodee and Cecilia Koranteng-Addow and a retired army officer Major Sam Acquah were abducted from their homes. Their charred bodies were found on 3 July 1982 at the Bundase Military Range, 50 kilometers from Accra.[3] They had been murdered. All four had adjudicated on cases in which they had ordered the release of persons who had been sentenced to long terms of imprisonment, during the rule of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) which had also been led by Jerry Rawlings in 1979. I hope Mambilima and all her goons on the bench realise that the same fate above awaits them too.
This mambo is a upnd cadre and should be taken as such. Who the hell does he think he is? Justice delayed is justice denied. Cage the basitadi and deny him ARVS in detention.
You mean he’s on treatment? How can a Bishop be on this treatment?
If you are in contempt you’ll have to appear before court. Even failing to pay for pregnancy as ordered by the court of law attracts contempt charges. People no politics here because whether it’s Mambo or me if I insult the bench I will be cited for contempt. I remember how the Unip government deported this Bishop to Zimbabwe but fortunately for him, there was no village that could claim him as their son. So he was redirected to Zambia.
Is he a member of the Horganisation h-as well? I can’t be surprised! The tribal horganization h-are happy when a ruling is made for them and show tantrums when a decision goes hagainst them, often insulting the bench all the time.
Tribal bishop careful with the way you handle the judicially! You may cry yoyoyo!