August 02, 2024
I have received numerous questions about the consent
to discontinue the defamation suit between the Solicitor General, Mr Marshal
Muchende, SC and myself, particularly, 1) If I was intimidated by State House
to discontinue the matter, and 2) If the settlement amounts to an admission of
wrong doing on the part of Mr Muchende.
I would like to state categorically that State House has not been involved in
either our dispute or our out of court settlement which culminated in the
Consent Judgment to discontinue the matter.
It can neither be said that I was coerced into
agreeing to terminate the dispute especially that I was not the Plaintiff in
the matter nor can it be said that the settlement amounts to admission of guilt
on the part of the Solicitor General.
The decision to settle the matter was arrived at
voluntarily, magnanimously and conscientiously by the Solicitor General and
myself under the aegis of our respective lawyers and indeed our collective
interest, mutual respect for each other, as well as my personal amends and
assurances.
It is my sincere hope that the pain and inconvenience
that this unfortunate episode has caused to both of us can be put behind us. I
wish the Solicitor General well.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Dr. O’Brien Kaaba teaches constitutional law at the University of Zambia and is a senior research fellow at Saipar.