ROBERT Chabinga is on the verge of being cited for contempt of court after holding a press briefing and posing as Patriotic Front (PF) leader when there was a court order preventing him from doing so.
PF president Miles Sampa is in court where he has applied to be allowed to started contempt of court proceedings against Mr Chabinga, who is apparently an acting president for the same PF.
In the court documents, Mr Sampa also wants Mr Chabinga’s PF-led secretary general Morgan Ng’ona and the Registrar of Societies to also also be cited for contempt of court for disregarding a court injunction order earlier granted to him. 
He submits in the Lusaka High Court that Mr Chabinga, the leader of opposition in Parliament, needs to be cited for contempt, because the outspoken man held a press briefing, in disregard of a court order preventing him from doing so.
The Matero MP submits that Mr Chabinga’s decision to hold a press briefing where he spoke about PF matters and made directives was an open disregard of a court injunction.
He adds that Mr Chabinga’s behavior together with Mr Ng’ona and the Registrar of Societies also undermines the judicial process.
Mr Sampa says this is so because on Saturday, Lusaka High Court Judge Conceptor Zulu granted an ex-parte order to him in which she stopped Mr Chabinga from holding himself as PF president or acting leader of the party.
The court ordered also prevented Mr Chabinga from purporting to discharge any functions, including issuing statements, making public appearances or conducting activities in the capacity of party president or acting president.
Mr Sampa adds that the order further prevented Mr Chabinga from issuing statements that suggest authority within the PF party leadership, pending the full and final determination of a court case involving party faction groups.
The complainant said Mr Chabinga, in disregard of the interim court order, the Mafinga lawmaker held a press briefing at Lusaka’s Radisson Blu hotel on Sunday, during which he styled himself as acting PF president.
He said the briefing was broadcast live on Kalemba Facebook page and other media platforms, openly disregarding the court’s order.
Mr Sampa explains that Mr Ng’ona, at the same briefing repeatedly referred to Mr Chabinga as acting president or leader of the PF party.
“This was in complete disregard of the court’s directive to refrain from acknowledging or facilitating the second alleged contemnor’s [Mr Chabinga] claim to leadership” .
He also said the Registrar of Societies also needs to be cited for contempt for amending official records for the PF leadership by removing him as president and recognizing Mr Chabinga.
“The action disregards the court’s authority and contributes to the ongoing breach by Mr Chabinga and Mr Ng’ona,”
Mr Sampa adds that the duo is aware about the Saturday interim injunction order stopping them for posing as PF leaders because he had shared the document to them via WhatsApp and Facebook.
“The defendant [Mr Sampa] therefore respectfully seeks an order for leave to commence contempt of court proceedings for the committal [to prison] of Morgan Ng’ona, Robert Chabinga and Registrar of Societies”.
