DETHRONED Senior Chief Shakumbila, Patrick Chibamba, has dragged newly appointed Chief Shakumbila, Netta Shimwambwa Shakumbila and two others to the Lusaka High Court, seeking a declaration that the attempt to dethrone him is illegal.

Chibamba who has also sued Ackson Shibalanga and Edgar Mwambula is seeking a declaration that he is the current and reigning Senior Chief Shakumbila of the Sala people of Mumbwa district.

He also wants an order of interim prohibitive injunction directed to the defendants to restrain them, their servants, agents or whomsoever from continuing to interfere with the execution of his chiefly duties or his administration of the Shakumbila Chiefdom and further attempting to dethrone him as Chief Shakumbila.

In his statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court principal registry, Chibamba explained that he was installed as the Senior Chief Shakumbila in 2007, following the death of the incumbent Chief Moses Shandapu Shakumbila.

He stated that the standard customary procedure of the Sala people was followed in consultation with the Royal Establishment Committee when inaugurating him as Senior Chief Shakumbila.

Chibamba stated he was still the reigning and duly recognized Senior Chief Shakumbila to this day and that this had been confirmed by a letter from the Royal Establishment and further by a Supreme Court judgement between himself and Netta.

He added that the Supreme Court effectively recognised him as the rightfully appointed Senior Chief Shakumbila.

Chibamba further stated that he had held his position as Senior Chief Shakumbila with due diligence and served his people under his chiefdom with dignity from the time he was enthroned.

He stated that he has had a series of challenges, more especially from Netta who has on several occasions denied to accept his enthronement as Senior Chief and has from time immemorial proved to be a resistance against him and his throne.

Chibamba stated that on October 13, this year, Netta, Shibalanga and Mwambula issued letter that was not on any letter head attempting to dethrone him from his position as chief Shakumbila.

He stated that the letter which was written and the attempt to dethrone him had no blessings of the Royal Establishment and neither did it follow the customary procedure of the Sala people that ought to be used when dethroning a senior Chief.

Chibamba stated that in fact, there was no basis upon which the defendants could interfere with his chieftainship without the use of proper customary procedure or involvement of the entire Royal Establishment committee.

He stated that in any event, in the said letter, there was no basis upon which the claims as stated in the said letter could be sustained as they were merely speculative, baseless and could not be proved.

Chibamba stated that he believed that his case was a fit and proper case for court to grant an order of interim prohibitive injunction to prevent the defendants from further interfering with his chieftaineship until full and final determination of the matter.

He stated that the grant of an order of injunction would best serve the interest of justice in the matter.

Chibamba is therefore seeking, among others, a declaration that the attempt to dethrone him by the defendant was illegal and contrary to the procedure prescribed by the customs and traditions of the Sala people and in breach of rules of natural Justice.