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Chief of Staff at State Residences Ken Zikhale Ng’oma has filed an K18 million ($166,666) suit against UDF Secretary General Kennedy Makwangwala for defamation of character.
Ng’oma said Makwangwala defamed him when he said the chief of staff has been telling people that people will be arrested and others will be killed.
He also said Makwangwala cannot tell the President to discipline Ng’oma over his revelations on overexpenditure at State Houses during President Bakili Muluzi’s reign.
“I have sued him for defamation of character and I am demanding K18,420,000.22 from him because these are personal attacks,” said Ng’oma.
He said he has never revealed any details of overexpenditure by the former President, saying members of the press just asked him and he responded since he is the top most man at State House in the absence of the presidential press officer.
Ng’oma said he viewed Makwangwala’s statements on him as personal, adding that if it was the publicity secretary of UDF speaking, he could take it as statements coming from the party.
“Makwangwala cannot say the President should discipline me. The President is not supposed to get orders from the party as stipulated in section 88 and 89 of the Constitution. Time for uncalculated politics is over, this is a new era,” said Ng’oma.
He said he has already instructed his lawyer Ralph Kasambara to institute legal proceedings against Makwangwala.
Makwangwala said on Sunday he is not aware of the legal suit against him but suggested that he would talk to his lawyers once the summons are served on him.
“Whatever he has been saying about the overexpenditure at State House is not true. He just wanted to destroy the party and I have the right to defend the party,” said Makwangwala.
He said there are other issues which the publicity secretary of UDF cannot speak because he is also government spokesman and that is why he had to defend the party on this issue.
Ng’oma has been a man in the news commenting on the overexpenditure by the former head of state and this has not pleased some members of the UDF.
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