THE Registrar of Societies has issued a fresh 21-day notice to the MMD requesting the former ruling party to settle the outstanding K400 million owed in statutory fees or face deregistration.

Chief Registrar of Societies, Clement Andeleki confirmed the issuance of the notice to the former ruling party in an interview in Lusaka yesterday.

Mr Andeleki said it was now about three months since the court threw out the de-registration of the party but no payment had been made to-date.

"It was proved in the court that the money was duly owed but what was opposed was the de-registration of the party suggesting that the matter be settled outside court. But MMD has not made any attempt to settle the amount," Mr Andeleki said.

He said the notice had been served on national secretary Richard Kachingwe and that the MMD secretariat acknowledged receiving it when it was delivered yesterday.

He said if the party did not settle the amount within 21 days, the Chief Registrar would go ahead to terminate the party certificate according to Section 13 of the Societies Act.

Early this year, the chief registrar deregistered the former ruling party for non-payment of statutory fees amounting to more than K390 million for more than 19 years.

Mr Andeleki has, meanwhile, commended the United Party for National Development (UPND) for settling statutory fees for its branches around the country.

Mr Andeleki said UPND had issued a cheque worth K2.5 million for statutory fees for its branches across the country.

Meanwhile, Mr Andeleki has travelled to Kitwe to take over the offices of the Zambia National Marketeers Association (ZANAMA) and Zambia Traders and Marketeers Association (ZATMA).

He said his office would officially hand over the operations of the two deregistered association to the local authorities to start conducting the mandatory role of running the markets.