‘POLITICAL’ LAZ CHIEF CHIDED
LAW Association of Zambia (LAZ) president Eddie Mwitwa has been cautioned to stop engaging in political matters as it was a breach of the LAZ Act.
Association member Tutwa Ngulube said it was a serious offence for the association to engage in issues that did not concern it.
He told the Daily Nation in an interview yesterday, section 4 of the LAZ Act does not allow the members to speak on political matters.
Mr Ngulube, who is also Government Deputy Chief Whip said it was prudent that Mr Mwitwa be neutral if the legal body was to continue enjoying its relevance.
Mr Ngulube said such political statement a few years ago had almost cost the legal body as private Parliamentary members wanted it to be dissolved. Mr Ngulube who is also Kabwe Central Member of Parliament said it was the intervention of genuine LAZ members who begged the private members to withdraw the motion. He observed that if the current president engaged in political matters, the legal body would get back into the dangerous waters which would force private members to call for the dissolution.
“He issued that statement in his personal capacity but we want to advise him that he need to consult the general membership before issuing any statements.
That statement is political with no legal basis whatsoever. That statement has no legal relevance and our advice is that let him refrain from issuing political statement as it is against section 4 of LAZ Act.
“The delimitation process of constituencies he is talking about is not being done by the Patriotic Front but Electoral Commission of Zambia. Let him stop throwing mud at ECZ because LAZ as a stakeholder knows the right channel to address such issues,” he said.
However, Mr Mwitwa said he had powers to act on national issues like the Constitution Amendment Bill without being approved by the members.
Mr Mwitwa in a separate interview yesterday said he was elected as president for which he cannot wait for members to give him a go ahead on issues that border on national interest.