THE Lusaka High Court has prohibited NDC leader Chishimba Kambwili from issuing defamatory remarks against PF deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri.
This is in a matter where Phiri has sued Kambwili for defamation of character, demanding K1 million as special damages for defamation for uttering remarks that she needed help for drug addiction.
Phiri sought an interlocutory order of injunction restraining Kambwili whether by himself or agents from continuing to injure her reputation.
She also wanted the court to order Kambwili to pay her general and aggravated damages.
Phiri in her statement claim alleged that Kambwili defamed her when he accused her of being corrupt and having received kickbacks from Chinese and Lebanese contractors with which she used to build her house.
But Kambwili asked the court to dismiss the ex-parte injunction that was earlier granted to Phiri arguing that he had evidence and counter-claimed that the plaintiff had also defamed her when she issued a false and malicious claim against him.
In its ruling, the court said that since Phiri claims her reputation was injured as a public figure, that there was reasonable apprehension that Kambwili would continue to publish or repeat the words complained of, and that it would be unjust to confine her to damages only should she succeed at trial.
“The plaintiff has demonstrated that if she succeeds at trial, damages could not adequately compensate for the loss she is likely to suffer if the defendant is not restrained from further publishing the words complained of,” the court said.
The court granted that application for an injunction and restrained Kambwili fom defaming Phiri until final determination of the matter.