U.N attacks on judiciary baseless - Mumbi

THE United Nations (UN’s) attacks on the Zambian judiciary is not only baseless but also an assault on our sovereignty and dignity as a country, says political activist Edward Mumbi. The UN has condemned the barring of Constitutional lawyer John Sangwa by the judiciary without a hearing. But speaking to the Daily Nation yesterday, Mr. Mumbi said the UN had relied on a one-sided report over the matter and purposefully ignored the insults against the judges. “While one has the freedom to criticise the judiciary or single judges when they make certain rulings, you cannot insult the calibre of the President, The United Nations are now insulting the calibre of the President in appointing judges to our bench. “The point they have taken in others words, is that President Lungu has no capacity whatsoever to choose the men and women to serve as judges in our Zambian courts. That is a direct insult. They should have been sober enough to weigh the issues from both angles,” Mr. Mumbi said. He said the UN should have determined why the judiciary complained adding that the judiciary was not complaining about the opinion on the ruling but their complaint was about the uncouth behaviour of the lawyer who had taken to the streets to insult the bench. “At the same time, you expect him to appear before the same bench. Is it not in order that he should not appear before these judges even from his own conscious? The idea of saying let him not appear before the court is a genuine decision. “This is because he has demeaned the bench and in louder terms, he is saying they are not qualified to be there but how do you appear before unqualified bench? The UN should be the last institution to support a professional lawyers to insult the bench. “Why haven’t they written a similar nasty report about Donald Trump who has been accused of handpicking his own judges? It is because they know that he is the president and has the right to appoint them,” he said. He said the UN will not dictate how Zambia must run its affairs and that they will not take away President Lungu’s presidential powers and constitutional rights to appoint judges because even when UPND forms Government, they will appoint judges.