In this audio, Justice minister Given Lubinda has challenged PF lawyer Kelvin Bwalya Fube to name the politicians in the ruling party who tasked him to stop the LAZ executive from issuing negative statements against the government.
Last week, KBF told his fellow lawyers during a forum at Chrismar Hotel, that senior politicians in PF tasked him to push for the removal of the current Law Association of Zambia executive because it had become political.
KBF said if lawyers would not succeed to impeach LAZ president Linda Kasonde, the ruling party would move to dissolve the Law Association of Zambia.
“Some of us who have chosen to be politicians mingle with the politicians. We heard in the corridors of power that LAZ has become political. Their perception is that ‘LAZ is attacking us too much. LAZ is issuing too many statements’,” KBF said.
“So they summoned some of us, we heard: ‘gentlemen there is a problem in your association…’ The people in the political corridors of power are saying ‘if you do not put your house in order as LAZ, then we feel it is time that we acted as politicians because we shall treat LAZ as a political animal.”
But Lubinda told News Digger! today that no one in PF sent KBF to go against the LAZ executive.
“I would challenge Bwalya Fube to produce evidence to that effect, I am a member of the PF central committee and I don’t think that I am junior member of the party. I am a very senior member of the PF and I hold a very senior ministerial position and I don’t think that such an instruction could not have been issued to Mr Fube without me knowing,” Lubinda said.
“So I would like, on behalf of the party, to dispel the association that anyone is trying to bring to the party with regards to those who have been agitating for any changes in the Law Association of Zambia.”
He said the PF was very clear on letting civil society organisations operate independently.
“The Patriotic Front has been very clear on the running of civil society organisations and quasi-government institutions including the Law Association of Zambia. It has not been a matter that has been discussed at any forum of the PF that I could have attended. I would like to request Mr Fube to kindly adduce evidence to that effect,” said Lubinda.
Take a listen:
