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Printing only 10 copies of Draft Constitution disappointing-CSOs

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DELEGATES to the just ended Provincial Constitution Convention for Southern Province in Livingstone
DELEGATES to the Provincial Constitution Convention for Southern Province in Livingstone

A consortium of Civil Society Organizations is disappointed with revelations that the Ministry of Justice has written to the Technical Committee drafting the constitution to print only 10 copies of the final draft.

It emerged last evening that the Ministry of Justice has written to the Technical Committee to only print 10 copies of the draft constitution and that the report will only be submitted to the President.

Speaking on behalf of the CSOs, Young African Leaders Initiative -YALI- President Andrew Ntewewe has condemned the maneuvers by government and the Ministry of Justice.

Mr. Ntewewe has wondered what the Ministry of Justice is trying to hide by denying the public to have access to the final draft constitution and the report.

He has since upheld the stance taken by the Technical committee to refuse to sign the report until the matter is clarified.

Speaking at a media breakfast in Lusaka today, Mr. Ntewewe said it is wrong for the Ministry of Justice and government to try to make the public negotiate for what rightfully belongs to them.

Mr. Ntewewe has reiterated calls by the CSOs on President Micheal Sata to consider appointing the Referendum Commission and give the reform process a clear timeline.

And Mr. Ntewewe has called on President Sata to without delays give the date to the Technical Committee when the final document will be handed over to government.

Mr. Ntewewe has asked the Technical Committee to stick by their earlier promise to simultaneously give the President and the public the final draft constitution.

The Technical Committee tasked to draft the republican constitution has resolved not to sign the report until clarification is given on how the final draft constitution, the draft constitution of Zambia Bill 2013 and the final report of the technical committee will be distributed.

In a statement issued last evening, Technical Committee Spokesperson Ernest Mwansa has informed the general public that the committee has been instructed to only print ten copies of the final draft constitution for handover to the appointing authority and has therefore found it inappropriate to sign the report.

Mr. Mwansa also said that the committee has also resolved that the Chairperson and the vice Chairperson of the committee should seek an audience with the appointing authority with a view of communicating the committee’s obligation to abide by its terms of reference which are at variance with the new directives from the Ministry of Justice.

55 COMMENTS

  1. Who is the current unselleable, unelectable, dwaft, backward minded, argumentative, dull Minister of Justice?

    Whether this norminated and appointed dwaft, that’s lost elections in own Constituency 3 times already likes it or not, he will not have his way.

  2. why print the number 10 copies? even cabinet ministers will not have copies, why? what is kabimbya scared of? just print as many as possible so that some of us able to buy it can purchase one and read for ourselves the contents. these 1diots are funny eeeih

  3. Kabimba Wynter, akawisha govt if they are not careful. The man has no shame in him. Not only that- he will also bring down pf if they are so careless with him. Na GBM alomfwako. Kabimba is a loose cannon. Or maybe a headless chicken.

  4. WHY DO YOU WANT TO SPEND SO MUCH MONEY IN PRINTING MILLIONS OF COPIES?

    WHO NEEDS THEM AND WHO WILL READ THEM?
    WHAT ARE THE COST IMPLICATIONS?

    WHY NOT PRINT THEM ELECTRONICALLY?
    WHY NOT AVAIL THEM TO THE GENERAL POPULACE AS SOFT COPIES?

    CHINA’S POPULATION IS A BILLION…IMAGINE THE COST IF THEY WERE TO PRINT COPIES OF THEIR CONSTITUTIONS!!!

    • Boss, we are talking about Zambia not China. If you don’t want to read stay away (Go and watch Bruce Lee enters the dragon since you want to be Chinese) and don’t complain about the final one. We need the copies whether in hard or soft copy.

    • Iwe!!!! iwe!!!!.@Luapula P. Your thinking is completely insane. How many people have access to computers in Zambia? They have, what about the internet services?. Even at UNZA or CBU access to internet is a problem.
      Copies are required for each library!!!! in high learning institutions, govt depts, DCs, NGOs, MPs, School Chiefs, Headmen and also for sale at govt Printers.

  5. Good news for the opposition. If they had gone ahead with it, then what would the opposition say? The situation they are creating is good ammunition for campaigns for the opposition. Even if it is way over 90 days, as long as would have been a people driven constitution, it would have been fine. Good news for us and we have something to condemn the PF govt even more.

    • Its a draft iwe because it has not yet been approved. The contents in the report need to be approved first. Chizungu.

    • The point is that your minister of justice and presidential aspirant wants to see the draft document first without the public(his employers) seeing the document. The terms of reference are that copies, whatever number, must also be available simultaneously(at the same time) to both Kabimba and us the employers of Kabimba. But kabimba wants to change the rules and have the document alone without you if you are his employer knowing what is in the first draft . If you do not understand this then you will not understand the trickery behind the move by “justice”-Kabimba’s ministry. So this time round we want to read and see what is in there. For those Kaponyas who want Kabimba to translate the draft constitution to them, they shouild wait for Kabimba to translate for them.

    • But ba premiere ubukopo. The argument here is that that the new directive is at variance with the terms of reference which stated that the draft constitution once completed will simultaneously handed over to the president (appointing authority) and to the general public. It is as simple as that.

  6. Why did they waste tax payers money which other companies don’t pay at all, on the useless sittings if all they wanted was a ten paged document. *****.

  7. Let the technical committee produce the draft constitution in as many copies as possible or as expected. Friends this is Zambia don’t talk about China and its Chinese. The constitution is for the Zambians not Sata and his cohorts .The man appears not to believe that he republican president. Those of our brothers and sisters who feel its a waste of resources are free not to read they can watch movies.

  8. Mr Minister of Justice sir, this is called Republic of Zambia, and not Republic of Winter. People make a name because they do the right thing. That’s why KK for all his faults, the Namibians can give him a house. What will you be remembered for other than always pushing selfish personal motives? Remember that right now the little power you have has made you so big headed you do not even care to think of right or wrong. Time will come…others have been there before. The KK you parade now used to wield immense power. After 1991, he was reduced to a nobody. All those he persecuted came back to haunt him. The people of Zambia will surely haunt you one day soon sir. Not too late to turn and do the right thing…

    • They have forgotten that they live on borrowed time. Who knew that our chidren can be at our universities and busy addiding to well being of our families.
      They are old and soon they leave public offices.
      Learn from Dean Mungomba9n ZADECO, Delick chitala, Danny pule, Molongoti, RB himself, late BY

  9. 10 elite individuals. Does Zambia belong to the A team alone. Lets look at the detribution a copy for Zondwa, Muzungu opusa, Mmembe, Former Dictator, Mazombwa, Chumbwe, Mutembo, Kabimba, Chilufya Mulenga and file. Nothing for the B team.

  10. Good afternoon

    These are artificial problems. Why create so much drama over 10 copies? The most important thing is that the constitution draft is in existence.

    Like someone has already rightfully argued , why print millions of copies of a draft when there are cheaper and faster ways to read it? Let us assume millions of copies are in print and the legislature decides to make an ammendment; this will mean that more money is spent on new prints of an ammended constitution. This may go on for ages before the document finally gets accepted.

    What a demented way of reasoning. Come on folks, you can do better than that.

    • @ Chale,

      we don’t want millions, we want enough, for all of us to make a meaningful contribution. Those ten wont even suffice for his cabinet minister or the MPs who are going to debate the contents of that draft at some point in parliament.

    • @ Chale
      The big question here is not about the draft constitution being presented in hard copy or soft copy. Can’t you see where this is leading? Is the general public going to see the draft in its original form? I don’t think you will see that draft constitution, in any form, anytime soon!

  11. Let those who want to read get soft copies you or just go online and get one. This document is LOVELY, meeting the aspiration of the people of Zambia. Congratulation to mother Zambia

  12. DEVELOPED COUNTRIES LIKE SA PRINTED JUST ONE HARD COPY. THE REST WAS PUT ON DISK AND THE INTERNET.

    ITS STILL ON THE NET.

    WHY UPND WANT MULTIPLE COPIES IS BECAUSE THEY WANT TO USE PAPER AS TOILET PAPER! FACT..

  13. ALTERNATIVELY YOU PUT IN MAJOR PAPERS AND ONLINE PUBLICATIONS ONCE THE HEAD OF STATE HAS HAD A LOOK AT IT.

    ONE INSERTION IN THE NEW PAPER WILL BE READ THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND WILL BE LESS CUMBERSOME AND COST 100TH OF PRINTING MULTIPLE COPIES.

    • @Luapula Premier………. ONCE THE HEAD OF STATE HAS HAD A LOOK AT IT……And this is the mischief we the People of Zambia are battling………’once the Head of State’….or to be blunt once Sata has had a look of it and doctored it…. Premier why does this one individual who is not even of above average intelligence look at it???????? Zambia does not exclusively belong to him nor is he the chapter and verse of the aspirations of our people. Our people have laboured for this document. It is final and should not be subjected to the whims of one person who is a well know dictator and a lover of violence and foul mouthed as his teeth are…..sorry premier you have touched a raw nerve.

  14. Atase imwe ba mbuli, we know wat is going on. Even PF confusion is a we’ll planned move. BA Ernest Mwansa plz stand ur ground! Otherwise mukamwenako, this country will go up in flames and the technical watever, won’t be spared. And remember, the blood of innocent lives will be on your heads if you let this constitution be played around with by anyone, and I mean, anyone! I applaud you for not being cowed into agreeing to Ministry of “justice” dictatorial directive. Ala IN EVERY MANs CHEST, there, BEATS A HEART.

  15. Iwe muzungu it must be approved by who? We the electorate must see it before anyone approves it. Remember, this Govt te mbwa baleteka awee! Tuli Bantu abasambilila sana! If you are not human to have a say on how you are being governed, we are OK?

  16. The individuals have proved to know how to blow money. Maybe they have blown the toner budget?

  17. Kabimba, Mmemba n Sata r taking Jehovah’s people for granted. Die……the trio in the name of Jesus Christ, DIE! Get toppled by the military!

  18. Strange how people can be splitting hairs over printing of copies of a ‘draft’ constitution. Just burn the document onto CD and or upload it onto the internet….and please it is a draft and not the final product…

  19. Do you honestly think these bufoons in parliament would read anything longer that a cheque? Reading a 2000 page document is like expecting a hyena to propound on Einsteins theory of relativity.

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