Don’t Defer, Abandon Constitutional Proposed Amendments
Thursday, 26th June 2025
We wish to state that the decision by President Hakainde Hichilema to direct the Minister of Justice to defer Bill 7 comes after serious backlash and after wholesome rejection of the proposed constitutional amendments.
However, we must remain alert and not fall for this gimmick. The proposed constitutional amendments must be abandoned as there is no adequate time to establish public consensus as general elections are near and sadly the process has been driven by the President and his UPND party instead of a process led by the people.
We wish to warn that the deferment is not well-intentioned and remain a trick up his sleeves as shown by similar gesture in the recent past.
Zambians must remember that President Hakainde Hichilema did the same to the Cyber Crimes and Cyber Security Bills purporting that they needed wide consultation only for the bills to be reintroduced and quickly passed as law without due regard to any public and stakeholders’ concerns.
We also wish to register serious concerns regarding the remarks made by the President when he met some civil society grouping where he alleged that he had noted that his policies and constitional proposals are vehemently met with serious and unjustified opposition because he is a “pariah ” and because he comes from a certain region.
These remarks were unfortunate and the victim-hood posture he assumes is dangerous as it is NOT based on the Truth.
The cyber laws, the proposed constitutional-making process and for example the sale of Mopani Copper Mines were opposed because they did not meet minimum public consultations, or publicly accepted processes and consultations.
The President must desist from making tribal or regional statements that serve only to divide the country or continue to polarise the divide, threatening national unity.
Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
Chairperson Information and Publicity
PATRIOTIC FRONT
