Nevers faces contempt of court

“WE are going back to court to pursue contempt proceedings against Dr Nevers Mumba for having defied the court injunction with impunity last weekend,

EMBATTLED MMD leader Nevers Mumba is facing contempt charges following his decision to ignore an injunction against the convention which elected him while the Operation Save MMD faction has also petitioned the court to nullify Dr Mumba’s re-election as MMD president.

The Webby Chipili led camp which has vowed to commence contempt proceedings has already asked the Lusaka High Court to declare the New Hope MMD extra ordinary convention where it reelected Dr Nevers Mumba as party president illegal and void.

“WE are going back to court to pursue contempt proceedings against Dr Nevers Mumba for having defied the court injunction with impunity last weekend, Mr Chipili has said.

On Saturday, an ex-parte injunction was obtained to stop the MMD convention from taking place but despite being served by the court order, Dr Mumba and New Hope MMD officials ignored it.

Dr Mumba, who said the injunction “came too late” was declared MMD president as he was unopposed.

In an interview, Mr Chipili, who is a former Kamfinsa

Member of Parliament, said the Operation Save MMD will commence contempt proceeding against Dr Mumba.

”Since he defied the injunction, we are going back to court to start pursuing contempt proceeding as that is what follows when one defies court orders,” Mr Chipili said.

He said the court order was served before Dr Mumba’s vice president, Reverend Reuben Sambo early in the morning before the virtual convention had started.

Speaking after the convention on Saturday, Dr Mumba said, “The court order came too late. The good news is we finished our business of the convention by the time the injunction was brought to us by the police.

And Mr Chipili, a former deputy minister of Information and 19 others calling themselves Operation Save Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MDD) want a declaration that Dr Mumba and his National Executive Committee (NEC) breached the party Constitution.

They also want the court to direct the Registrar of Societies to appoint an interim committee during the determination of the matter.