President Lungu appoints Mambilima as new Chief Justice

President Edgar Lungu has appointed Justice Ireen Mambilima as Chief Justice.

Justice Mambilima, whose substantive position is Deputy Chief Justice and currently seconded to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ)as Chairperson, will take over from Acting Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda, who retires on full benefits.

President Lungu has directed that Justice Chibesakunda will continue on the post until her successor has been ratified.

This is according to a statement availed to ZANIS today by the President’s Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda.

Mr Lungu’s decision is pursuant to Article 93 of the Constitution of Zambia which stipulates that: “The Chief Justice and the Deputy Chief Justice shall, subject to ratification by the National Assembly, be appointed by the President.”

Meanwhile, President Lungu has appointed former Zambia Daily Mail Managing Director Anthony Mukwita as Zambia’s Deputy Ambassador to Sweden with immediate effect.

In another development, the Head of State has announced that President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania will visit Zambia soon for bilateral talks aimed at resolving the operational problems dogging TAZARA Limited.

“President Kikwete has informed me that before he retires this year, he wants to see that the problems of TAZARA are resolved because the asset is critical in the socio-economic development of the two countries,” President Lungu said.

Mr Lungu said this in the light of a major agreement signed between China and the African Union (AU launching the high-speed train project that will connect African cities.

The agreement was signed at the just ended African Union Summit in Addis Ababa.