MOBITEL Limited trading as Diamond TV has sought the help of the Court in seeking redress from socialite Mutale Mwanza, for bringing its brand into odium by alleging that the annual event it holds to honor members of the public in various sectors for outstanding performance, were a scam.
Mwanza accused the institution of soliciting funds from nominees of the awards in different categories.
The institution feels injured in its reputation and wants Mwanza to render a public apology.
Mwanza who proclaims to be a ‘commander’ of a small group of slay queens in the cyber space called the ‘M-Nation’, put herself in problems when she gathered her followers and vilified the institution, in what she termed standing up for a fellow woman Miriam Musokwe alias Aunty Milly who she felt was bullied by the hosts during the event.
One of the presenters triggered a public spat between their guest Musokwe and her ex-young husband Pinzya Mulwanda when he cheered on her husband who mimicked one of videos in which she complained of being stone-broke and did not have a single coin.
After the event Musokwe and her ex-husband treated other guests to a show when the couple almost came to blows over child support.
Aunty Milly was angered that her ex-husband whom she once fed and clothed, would publicly humiliate her by mocking her for being broke, yet she found herself in such a situation because he could not man up and fend for her and their two children.
Displeased with the embarrassment caused upon her fellow socialite, Mwanza admonished Diamond TV over the misdeeds of its employee demanding that it renders an apology to Musokwe.
Mwanza rubbished the POTYAs awards saying they are fraudulent and dragged one of the hosts Mwansa Lufumpa alias Chichi Daisy, accusing her of being a sporting lady.
She also accused the institution’s male employees of being sodomites.
However Diamond TV feels Mwanza had crossed the line by dragging it in the mud.
In its statement of claim filed before the Lusaka High Court, Diamond Tv says Mwamza churned a plethora of defamatory remarks against it and its flagship annual event, the Personality of the Year Awards (the ‘POTYAs’.).
It said Mwanza on November 9, 2024, without any justification or cause, maliciously publish a statement on her Facebook page ‘Mutale Mwanza’ describing the awards as fraudulent.
“The Defendant proceeded to cast further aspersions on the POTYAs as a scam award ceremony and hosted by what you term as ‘hoes’,” it said.
It stated that the words attributed to Mwanza were without justification or cause and consequently were actuated by malice.
Diamond TV said the words in their natural and ordinary meaning imply that it is dishonest, corrupt, criminal in conduct of its affairs, lacking in credibility and engaged in systematic fraudulent activities to the detriment of its viewership and various stakeholders who participate in hosting the said awards.
“The defendant’s false, baseless and malicious allegations have the potency to bring the plaintiff into public odium, contempt and scandal in the estimation of right-thinking members of society”
“The defendant’s libellous statements have caused damage to the plaintiff’s corporate reputation, occasioned financial losses and obliterated opportunities for the Plaintiffs business.”
It said as a result of Mwanza’s remarks, it has suffered prejudice, damage and injury to the broad corporate good will that it enjoys both in the Zambia and the Southern African region.
The media house is seeking a declaration that
the statements attributed to the socialite are libelous.
It wants damages for libel, ridicule, mental anguish, stress and inconvenience occasioned on its staff that were mentioned in the statements.
The institution is seeking an injunction to permanently restrain Mwanza from making any further libelous statements against it.
It also wants damages for the financial losses occasioned against it as a result of Mwanza’s libelous statements.
It is further seeking an order directing Mwanza to retract the libelous statements and anything connected and or incidental to the said libelous statements.
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba November 22, 2024.
