NDC secretary general Bridget Atanga has charged that Chishimba Kambwili was expelled from NDC due to gross indiscipline, failure to account for party funds, participation in unsavoury practices such as the use of witch doctors and unchristian rituals, among others.

Atanga has dragged Kambwili to the Lusaka High Court, seeking a declaration and order that the latter was properly expelled from the party where he served as interim president.

Atanga also wants an order that Kambwili was never elected to the substantive position of party president and an order that Kambwili, having been properly expelled, has no powers to call for any meetings of NDC.

She further wants an order of injunction restraining Kambwili from convening any meetings of NDC, costs and any other relief the court may deem fit and proper.

In a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court principal registry, Friday, Atanga stated that Kambwili was duly expelled from NDC by its registered office bearers on February 25, 2021.

She stated that this was on account of among others, gross indispline by refusing to honour the decision of the majority party members in their desire to formalise their alliance with opposition political parties under the umbrella of the UPND Alliance.

Atanga added that, other reasons were “failure to account for party funds; that the defendant (Kambwili) is now a convicted felon; [and] participation in unsavoury practices such as the use of witch doctors and unchristian rituals in total violation of the NDC principles anchored wholly on Christian values.”

She stated that Kambwili had on several occasions stated in private that he was unwilling to work with other opposition political parties under the UPND Alliance umbrella despite publicly and accurately stating the official party position to the effect that the said NDC was in negotiations to formalise its relationship with other political parties.

Atanga stated that Kambwili had purposely sabotaged the said negotiations due to his desire to formalise his return to the Patriotic Front Party, a party which he was expelled from in 2017.

She stated that she will also call evidence including witnesses to prove that Kambwili’s motivation to re-join the PF has always been to escape criminal convictions.

Atanga stated that she will aver at trial and also call witnesses and evidence to prove that following a meeting of February 24, 2021 to formalise the opposition Alliance, Kambwili informed the leadership of NDC that the party could go ahead and formalise the said alliance without his input as he was unwilling to be a willing participant in the said alliance.

She added that the leadership of the party proceeded accordingly and formalised the said relationship.

“The said leadership equally met to discuss other aspects to which it was decided that the defendant’s role as interim president be terminated forthwith as his continued stay in his interim capacity was in total detriment to the party and embarrassing to its general membership,” Atanga stated.

She further submitted that Kambwili had no powers to reverse the decision of the party in so far as terminating his role as interim party president .