Chabinga will pay for his crimes – Miles

By NATION REPORTER

ROBERT Chabinga is brazenly breaking the law by declaring himself acting president of the Patriotic Front (PF) by arrogantly ignoring the High Court order that is restrarining him from masquerading and carrying himself as leader of the opposition party, Miles Sampa has charged.
Mr Sampa says Mr Chibinga has continued disrespecting court orders because he is allegedly being protected by the executive, thereby putting pressure on the Judiciary on matters affecting the PF.
Mr Sampa, the Matero Member of Parliament has accused President Hakainde Hichilema of perpetrating lawlessness by allowing and tolerating Mr Chabinga to disrespect the Judiciary by ignoring court orders, restraining him from masquerading as the acting president of the PF.
He has warned President Hichilema that it shall be people like Mr Chabinga and other opposition law makers who had joined in praising and worshipping of the head of State that will make him lose the 2026 general election.
“Mr Chabinga could seemingly be enjoying President Hichilema for now and can break the law with impunity. But he should also know that President Hichilema has set precedence that umulandy taubola. Time will come when Chabinga, and he alone shall be made to account for the crimes he is committing today under the protection of President Hichilema. Chabinga should not think that he will get away with all these things of disrespecting the Judiciary and the courts,” Mr Sampa said.
He said it was embarrassing that the entire head of State could be in a place where a crime was being committed by Mr Chabinga and would be clapping with his ministers with glee.
Mr Sampa said there was a court order restraining Mr Chabinga from masquerading as acting president of the PF and yet President Hichilema was allowing the Mafinga law maker to disrespect the rule of law.
Mr Sampa said President Hichilema was putting the Judiciary in a precarious and difficult situation by entertaining the disrespect of the courts by Mr Chibinga, while Zambians were watching in disbelief.
“Robert Chabinga was publicly breaking the law by declaring himself the acting president of the PF in Mansa when there is a court order that has restrained him from masquerading as having such a position. It was most embarrassing that President Hichilema was clapping along with his ministers while Mr Chabinga was with impunity breaking the law. President Hichilema knows there is a court order stopping Chabinga from masquerading but he was encouraging him to disrespect the courts,” Mr Sampa said.
He wondered what message President Hichilema was sending to the Judiciary and Zambians at large by allowing Mr Chabinga to brazenly ignore the High Court order stopping him from masquerading as PF president.
“So, whoever wants to commit a crime or disrespect the courts, all they have to do is be in the presence of President Hichilema and he will support the lawlessness.
President Hichilema is putting the Judiciary in a difficult situation over the PF matters and should be careful if he thinks this is Mickey Mouse play. President Hichilema is condoning lawlessness,” Mr Sampa said.
“Should citizens disobey court orders as long as President Hichilema is nearby and supporting them? President Hichilema is perpetrating lawlessness with that little boy called Chabinga, whom he is tolerating.
“We have seen such actions before and often, end up nowhere. President Hichilema does not know that partly, what is going to make him lose in 2026 are people like Chabinga. Once a President begins to compromise arms of government such as the Judiciary and the Legislature, he should know he is digging his own loss,” he said.
Mr Sampa said President Hichilema had set a precedence by going after Constitutional Court Judges, whom he had sacked for being among the Judges that presided over his petition in which he was challenging the election of former President Edgar Lungu.