Charles Longwe recently bought UPND membership card just to sue party – Batuke Imenda
THE UPND has told the High Court that Charles Longwe only recently bought a party membership card for the sole purpose of suing the party leadership
This is according to a defence filed by L.J. Michaels Legal Practitioners, lawyers representing UPND secretary general Batuke Imenda, in a matter before the High Court where Longwe is claiming that the UPND leadership is illegal.
In the defence, lawyer Micheal Moono stated that the plaintiff recently purchased a UPND membership card merely for the purposes of bringing confusion in the party.
The defence further argues that Longwe’s lawsuit is incompetent and should be dismissed because he failed to comply with court procedure.
“The plaintiff has failed to cure the defect in his commencement of lawsuit documents which occasioned the dismissal of a similar action he initiated against the defendant under cause number 2026/HP/0341,” reads part of the defence.
According to the court documents, the defence also argues that Longwe failed to attach an acknowledged demand letter to his court documents as required under Order six of the High Court Rules.
The lawyer acting for the defendant, further submitted that UPND already conducted intra-party elections between January and April 2026 and that all office bearers currently holding office are there legally.
“The defendant will aver that intra-party elections of the UPND were held between January and April 2026,” the defence states repeatedly in response to several claims raised by Longwe.
The defence also argues that any alleged failure to register under the Societies Act does not make the occupation of office by party officials illegal.
“The defendant shall aver that all elected members have served legally under the law. The defendant will further aver that any purported failure to register under the Societies Act does not render the occupation of office by office bearers illegal,” reads the document.
The defendant has therefore asked the court to dismiss the entire action with costs, arguing that the claims “disclose no reasonable cause of action capable of being sustained at law.”
However, in his writ of summons and statement of claim, Longwe is seeking declarations that the UPND National Management Committee ushered into office on February 14, 2021 was illegal or that its tenure expired on February 14, 2026.
He also wants the court to declare that the party’s failure to hold elections at lower, provincial and national levels violated both the UPND constitution and Article 60 of the Constitution of Zambia.
Longwe is further seeking an injunction to stop current party officials from acting on behalf of UPND and wants the court to appoint an interim committee headed by himself to oversee party affairs and organise fresh elections.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, May 27, 2026