High Court implored to stop PF group from running bus stop

FIVE Lusaka bus drivers who have sued an alleged illegal committee of cardres at City Market for illegal collection of levy have told the Lusaka High Court that they will continue to suffer if the respondent are not restrained from assuming ownership of the bus stop.

In this matter, Chrispine Phiri, Gibson Sibanda, Isaac Maziba, Moses Bwalya, and Simon Phiri, sued an alleged illegal committee comprising nine suspected Patriotic Front (PF) cadres based at City Market over the K826, 200 collected from them as contribution for the past two years after loading buses. Those sued are William Mtonga, Peter Tembo, Samson Banda, Fransisco Kwaya, Masauso Zulu, John Chirwa, Godfrey Mulenga, Provey Kamananga and James Phiri. The bus drivers are also seeking an order declaring that the defendants’ conduct of collecting levy from them was illegal, null and void because only LCC can collect levy in bus stations. But the defendants claimed they were mandated by LCC to control City Market bus station, Zingalume route affairs and collect levy from the bus drivers to run the market’s car park smoothly, adding that their committee was legal. Mr. Mtonga, on behalf of the other defendants, said that the plaintiffs had failed to produce receipts or any document to show the amount of money they were being levied for the past two years as claimed in their statement of claim. He therefore urged the court to dismiss the matter with costs to the plaintiffs to be taxed in default of agreement.