Acting Chief Registrar of Societies, Jason Mwambazi, has defended the decision to amend the list of office bearers of the Patriotic Front (PF), which resulted in the removal of Miles Sampa as party president, stating that the changes were made in compliance with the law.
Mwambazi dismissed allegations by Sampa, who leads a PF faction, that the Registrar of Societies was responsible for the internal confusion within the party.
Sampa filed a suit against the Chief Registrar of Societies and the Attorney General, seeking a judicial review of the decision to replace him as PF president with Robert Chabinga, the Mafinga MP.
“The amendments were effected pursuant to a duly submitted application by Mr. Morgan Ng’ona, who, at the material time, remained a recognized office bearer in the Societies Registration System,” Mwambazi stated.
In an affidavit opposing Sampa’s application for judicial review, Mwambazi provided a detailed account of the process followed in altering the PF’s office bearers.
He explained that on July 3, 2024, the Registrar’s office acknowledged receipt of a letter from Sampa, dated June 28, 2024, in which he claimed to have dismissed the party’s secretary-general and appointed himself in the role.
However, Mwambazi stated that Sampa failed to follow the prescribed notification procedure under Section 15(1) of the Societies Act, which requires any changes in office bearers to be formally communicated to the Registrar within 14 days through the submission of Form SO8.
“There was no such prescribed notification from the applicant [Mr. Sampa] that he lawfully assumed the role of secretary-general,” Mwambazi said.
He noted that on July 4, 2024, the Registrar’s office received a formal notification of change of office bearers through the online Societies Registration System.
This notification was submitted by Ng’ona, accompanied by Form SO8, minutes of the PF central committee meeting dated July 3, 2024, certified copies of national registration cards, fingerprint clearance from the Zambia Police Service, and the required amendment fee.
Mwambazi submitted that the Registrar was not informed of any legal proceedings challenging Ng’ona’s authority before processing the amendments.
He dismissed claims that the changes were made arbitrarily, emphasizing that they were based on a duly submitted and compliant application.
He also clarified that the Registrar is not required to notify or consult office bearers before implementing changes submitted through a valid application.
Addressing allegations that Ng’ona’s application was pre-dated to July 4, 2024, Mwambazi stated that official records confirm the submission date, dismissing the claim as unfounded.
He also rejected Sampa’s assertion that he attempted to reverse the amendments, explaining that the Societies Registration System does not provide for such a process. Moreover, the Societies Act does not require six office bearers to endorse any changes for them to be valid.
Mwambazi stated that his office acknowledged receipt of a letter left at the Registrar’s office on January 15, 2025, but insisted that its contents did not affect the legal status of the amendments, which were carried out in accordance with established procedures.
He argued that Sampa’s application for judicial review was not filed promptly, noting that the decision to amend the PF’s office bearers was made on July 4, 2024, while the legal action was only initiated on January 31, 2025, beyond the three-month window prescribed for such applications.
