Muzungu asks court to nullify Mufumbwe election

Muzungu asks court to nullify Mufumbwe election
By Namatama Mundia
Wed 28 July 2010, 04:01 CAT

LOSING MMD Mufumbwe by-election candidate Mulondwe Muzungu yesterday asked Lusaka High Court Judge Philip Musonda to declare the April 29 elections null and void. And Muzungu has admitted that there are some MMD cadres that went to Mufumbwe for the by-elections.

This is in a matter where Muzungu is challenging the election of UPND's Elliot Kamondo as Mufumbwe member of parliament, arguing that the polls were marred with violence.

Testifying in the matter, Muzungu, 67, of plot 106 Hellen Kaunda in Lusaka prayed that the Mufumbwe by-election be nullified because of violence.

“My prayer is for the declaration that the election was null and void, that is my prayer and hope,” he said.

Muzungu, who said he is winding up as Zambia’s ambassador to Libya and politician, told the court that the entire Mufumbwe constituency was gripped with fear.

“Not in the history of Mufumbwe did they ever see campaigners in an election wielding pangas, pistols and armed with catapults. The entire electorate was actually terrified, there was great violence,” Muzungu said.

In cross examination by Kamondo’s lawyer Bonaventure Mutale, Muzungu admitted that there were a few cadres from Lusaka who traveled to Mufumbwe.

“I am not quite sure about cadres coming from Copperbelt but there were few cadres from Lusaka. They came peaceful to re-enforce the campaign, they came to help in various campaign tasks,” he said.

Muzungu said the violence was between MMD and UPND supporters.

“According to the reports I got, the UPND were actually aggressive,” he said.

Muzungu said there were violence incidences which were not reported to the police due to the long distance.

“For example in Miluzhi and Kamizekezeke, the violence there was not reported,” he said.

Muzungu denied being related to chief Chizela and chief Munyambala.

He said he and chief Chizela were partners in business and were both shareholders at Kalewa mine.

Muzungu said despite his son being married in chief Chizela’s family, they were not related because according to the Kaonde’s, relation is among people from the same clan.

He added that chief Munyambala was not his uncle.

Muzungu’s lawyer Eric Silwamba told the court that he was resting the case for the petitioner.

Judge Musonda then adjourned the matter to Friday.