By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE –
THE Lusaka High Court has adjourned to March 26, 2015 a matter in which Lusaka lawyer Ludwig Sondashi has sued MMD vice president for politics Michael Kaingu for defamation to enable Dr Sondashi recover from an operation.
• FORUM for Democratic Alternatives president Ludwig Sondashi addresses a rally in Lundazi yesterday.
Dr Sondashi who is the leader of the Forum for Democratic Alternatives (FDA) is one of the January 20, 2015 presidential hopeful and has since rolled out his campaigns around the country.
He has sued Dr Kaingu for defamation of character for allegedly insinuating that he is a corrupt element.
This followed an interview which he gave to the media where he said his party would not go into an alliance with a party that had a record of promoting corruption like MMD and an article under the headlineb“FDA rules out joining opposition alliance” was published in the Post newspaper of February 5, 2014.
He said following his statement, Dr Kaingu who is Mwandi Member of Parliament (MP) gave an interview to the Press where he said that he was aware that Dr Sondashi was fired as Works and Supply minister by former president Fredrick Chiluba due to corrupt practices.
He said the Post newspaper later published an article headlined “Explain why you were fired, Kaingu dares Sondashi” while the Daily Nation published another article headlined “Sondashi angers MMD.”
Dr Sondashi said that the words were bitter, malicious and unjustifiable attack because Dr Kaingu meant that he was a corrupt person who was unfit to practice law and vie for president of the nation.
According to an affidavit for adjournment filed by Dr Sondashi’s lawyer Bernard Kang’ombe his client asked for an adjournment because he has not yet fully recovered following his operation in India which is causing him problems in walking.
Mr Kang’ombe told judge Mwila Chitoba that Dr Kaingu’s lawyer Liandilani Banda would also be out of the country between November and December 2014.
He asked the court to adjourn the matter to date this year to give Dr Sondashi sufficient time to recover.
Mr Justice Chitoba adjourned the matter to January 26, 2015.
