LUSAKA – A woman identifying herself as Lillian Mutambo has publicly questioned the legal credentials of Diggers News proprietor Joseph Mwenda, alleging that he has misrepresented himself as a lawyer.
In a statement circulating on social media, Mutambo questioned whether it is lawful for someone who is not a qualified legal practitioner to dress in legal attire or present themselves in a manner that could lead the public to believe they are a lawyer.
She alleged that Mwenda does not hold a law degree or legal qualifications and challenged him to publicly produce evidence of his legal credentials.
Mutambo further claimed that such conduct, if true, could mislead members of the public and undermine confidence in the legal profession. She also made several personal criticisms of Mwenda and accused him of seeking public attention, though she did not provide evidence to support those allegations.
The statement also referenced qualified legal practitioners such as Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu while contrasting them with Mwenda.
At the time of publication, Joseph Mwenda had not publicly responded to the allegations contained in Mutambo’s statement.
Whether someone has committed the offence of impersonating a legal practitioner depends on the specific facts and the applicable law. In Zambia, only individuals admitted to practice law may hold themselves out as legal practitioners or provide legal services. However, simply wearing attire resembling court dress is not, by itself, enough to establish a criminal offence. Authorities would need to determine whether there was intentional misrepresentation or conduct prohibited under the law.
Until any allegations are investigated or determined by the appropriate authorities or courts, they remain allegations and should not be treated as established fact.
