Restore my rights of movement within 48 hours, Lungu tells State

Former President Edgar Lungu has demanded that the State should within 48 hours undertake to uphold his freedom of movement and association as guaranteed by the Constitution or should be ready to face the rigmarole of the court process.

Lungu says it was illegal and a breach of the constitution for the State to have prevented him from travelling to Seoul, South Korea for a peace conference at the invitation of the organisers of the summit.

In a letter of demand to the Attorney General dated 18th September, 2023, former President Lungu stated that he was taking action against the Attorney General for breach of the Constitution by blocking him from travelling to South Korea.

Yesterday, former President Lungu decided to discontinue the matter after the Lusaka High Court yesterday set September 25th as the date for inter parte hearing on a matter whose expiry date is tomorrow, 20th, September, 2023.

But now the former President is demanding that the Attorney General could be sued if he is not going to take appropriate amends without the next 48 hours by undertaking to uphold his constitutional rights to freedom movement and association.

“Take notice that following the withdrawal of the judicial review action, our client intends to take out a petition against yourselves for breach of the Constitution of Zambia should you not make appropriate amends within 48 hours undertaking to uphold his freedom of movement and association as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia. Kindly oblige to avoid the rigmarole of court process,” Makebi Zulu Advocates, lawyers representing former President Lungu demanded.

Former President Lungu stated that the Minister of Information and Media Chishi Kasanda and her director Spokesperson Thabo Kawana issued statements to the effect that the former head of State was required seek permission from government to travel, which requirement was non-existent.

The former head of State contended that considering that he had filed a certificate of urgency to have the decision by the State to block him from travelling to Seoul quashed but that the High Court had instead set 25th, September as the date of the inter parte hearing on a peace conference that was ending today.

Lungu has contended that hearing his case on 25th September, 2023 on an event whose concluding date was 20th September had rendered the court proceedings academic.

– Zambia Today