The Non Governmental Organization Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has urged Zambians not to be intimidated in their quest to demand for the enactment of a new constitution.
NGOCC Chairperson Beatrice Grillo has since condemned the use of state agencies to intimidate citizens demanding the release of the constitution.
Ms Grillo said the NGOCC is deeply concerned with the increasing levels of intolerance of divergent views and attempts by the Government to stifle fundamental rights of expression and assembly as enshrined in the Republican constitution.
She said the detention and subsequent stripping of ActionAid young activists who were putting on t-shirts demanding the immediate release of the final draft constitution should be condemned in the strongest terms.
Ms Grillo said the detention and stripping of the activists on Youth Day is not only barbaric but also undemocratic and an assault on the country hard earned democracy.
Ms Grillo has since demanded that Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani immediately institutes investigations into the stripping of the young girls so that the officers responsible can be brought to book.
The smart people of the Zambian Enterprise deserve that which they were promised … any deviation therefrom will be the starting point of PF demise. The PF has already been doing a lot of good things and I would hate to see us reverse course all because of this constitution review leading to a new frame work for enacting a new one.
We already have a copy of the proposed constitution, we already know what is in it and we know how it would affect the current leaders. But leadership calls for negotiations with all stakeholders, it requires a serious introspection on what is the common good.
The smart people of the Zambian Enterprise always get what they need and no one can stop them from achieving what it is they are looking for. Zambia is greater than any single one of us.
Well spoken ba Mumba
Zambian leaders have a shirt memory, It’s like history repeating itself, how does PF expect to get away with impulence ? We are a democratic nation where views and opinions are welcome regardless composition. This behaviour is just making them more and more unpopular, one day the new constitution will be enacted and those who have been know to stand in the way will be discredited for life. “A good name is better than money “
MORE PRESSURE PLEASE!
We should no relent to demand that which is ours and paid for by our money.
WE NEED THE CONSTITUTION NOW OR ELSE??????????
faka pressure faka pressure!!! there is no good, nothing coming from PF,,, no poetic writting will change that,,, PF is bunch of arrogant dictators
Spot on!!
The tide is too high. The storm is gathering momentum and PF canoe is clearly headed for a shipwreck.
Which part of Z does Grilo or whatever hail frm?
Why do you want to know where she hails from? You are the people who are making our country look bad!!! it does not matter where she comes from what matters is what she has said!!!
@Hine Heka
if it was a voice talking, I would say ‘naunfwa ichisushi’.
He is just asking.
Afunsa cabe.
Aleipusha fye.
Er fragt nur.
That’s as far as I can go.
she is from baroste, so whats your point? and you should also ask Guy scot which part of zambia (and what tribe) does he hail from
If I remember very well, Sata in the Kaunda Era was the architect of dreaded slogans such as; “UNIP! mulilo! Waitakatko! Wapia!” “Kaunda sosa sosa chalo chilekumfwa!” Kumulu! Lesa! Panshi! Kaunda!” “Wayaka moto wayaka wayaka!”
From these few quoted slogans, you can clearly see what is at play here and what we are dealing with. If we are not careful, the country will soon start singing “SATA WAMUYAYA!”
Looking at the events obtaining right now, It’s scary to try and and project the country’s future with these blood thirsty Hyenas in government. My message to the youths of Zambia thus, is that of resilience in the quest to fighting for; justice, national pride, sustainable economic / political emancipation as well as human dignity beyond tribal lines. Aluta continua!
Lol, that is a fight sata will not win and has no intention of starting.
I remember sata as fierce governor of lusaka and he made sure you couldnt go to market without unip card.
I remember sata opposing multi party with KK.
I remember sata at last minute dumping KK to join mmd.
I remember sata as secretary general firig mps who did not suport ftj third term.
I remember sata sayng constitution can be amended to allow ftj contest third term.
I remember sata hackng people in chawama.
I remember sata stopping anti third term group from Mulungushi rock and beating them.
I remember sata lies of 90 days more jobs, lower taxes, constitution, more money.
What is your comment about the constitution with regards to the CHIEFS concerns Mrs Grillo or whatever
Chiefs concern? They are concerned about the contents of a constitution which has not been released . Have the chiefs received their copies before the President? PF chaps you’re naturally dull! Please stop your lies!
@B R Mumba Sr
EXCUSE ME!
B R MUMBA SR, IS THERE ANYTHING WHICH I SEEM NOT TO UNDERSTAND?
COULD YOU PLEASE HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS?
BECAUSE WHAT I CURRENTLY KNOW IS THAT THE LEAKED CONSTITUTION IS A DRAFT – MEANING THAT EVEN IF THE DRAFT IS RELEASED TODAY, PART OF ITS PROVISIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN REJECTED SUCH AS THE ONE DEALING WITH LAND.
SO WHICH CONSTITUTION ARE WE DEMANDING IMMEDIATE ENACTMENT?
WHICH PROVISIONS DO YOU THINK SCARE THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP?
Ba Luapula Premier; have you read the “leaked” Draft constitution? The chiefs you are refering to are just being used because there isn’t much of a change on the Land issue. Even in the current constitution Land in Zambia is held and vest in the President on behalf of Zambians. What new in that? However, the consititution ought to be read along side the Land Acts.
As for the provisions that the PF leadership is not comfortable with are i) 50%+1 and ii) Upper age limit of a presidential candidate (we have lower age limit). Taken in totality, these are good for the now and the forseeable future. Unfortunately, at the moment, the two are making PF uncomfortable even though the safe guards that the two clauses bring are humongous.
@ Chief Fukamapili from Tukombo village
MR VILLAGER, PLEASE STOP HALLUCINATING.
OUR PRESIDENT, WAS NOT EVEN IN POLITICS WHEN THE SAID SLOGANS WERE COINED BY FINES BULAWAYO OF UNIP.
Whats your definition of “in Politics”? Sata may not have been in UNIP but surely in the 70’s it is said he was a member of UPP, unless in your definition that is not politics.
@ LUAPULA PREMIER, Am sure you started following Zambian politics in 1991. i dont blame you. they call [time]
Luapula Premier, the biggest head with smallest brain in Zambia
(HH) stop sponsoring these failed No Good Offenders (NGOs)
Kudos. Bantu botatwe have no place for you and your hutu apartheid. Zwa kabwalala.
The continued insulting of HH by you tribalst bembas will be met forcefully. Sata in campaigns 2011 was tribal based in northern and luapula so HH got less than a thousand votes from more than half a million votes. You did the same to nkumbula and mazoka. bantubotatwe shall never forgive nor forget.
These NGOs have transformed into opposition political parties and should register themselves as such with the registrar of societies. At the moment they are illegal opposition political parties and they have no constituencies. The only legal opposition political parties are such as UPND, MMD and NAREP although its only on paper. These illegal opposition parties can bring confusion since we don’t whom they represent and who bankrolls them. Yesterday they opposed creation of a mine , today they want to short circuit the process of creating the constitution and tomorrow it will be something else.
‘we don’t Know whom they represent’
The NGOs were around prior to 20 September 2011 putting heat on the previous MMD govt over the same issues of governance! Were you in hibernation then, waiting for Ukwa to ascend to the throne?
Goncalves. Do not put graffiti on my comments if you can not debate without being childish. I do not have any issues with your tribal enclave leader. So just chill!
@ spartan
Are you by any chance related to either Luapula Premier or #Kudos? I am asking, because three of you sound like bad imitation of brainless pin-heads.
142. Just point out what is wrong with my contribution on this particular issue so that I learn from you and we move on instead of trading insults.
@MFUMU says
“….THERE ISN’T MUCH OF A CHANGE ON THE LAND ISSUE.” THANK YOU.
1. DOES IT MEAN THAT CHIEFS ARE OUT OF STEP TO CALL FOR REPEAL?
2. 50+1% ? WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT 50+1% WOULD NOT BE TENABLE WITH PF? IN ANY CASE WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT HH OR THE PASTOR CAN COERCE OTHERS IN A WORKING COALITION?
ITS SO EASY FOR ANYONE TO MOBILIZE CB, LUAPULA, NP & MCHINGA TO VOTE TO ACHIEVE THE 50+1%?
3. AGE LIMIT: WHAT IS AGE GOT TO DO WITH LEADERSHIP? IF ONE CAN BE CHAIRMAN OR CEO OF A CORPORATION OR EVEN A CHIEF AT 90, WHY SHOULD ZUMA, MUGABE, ANGELA MERKEL ETC NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO AN ELECTED OFFICE? WHAT IS THE REASONING BEHIND IT?
Age, I think sata and chikwanda’s are a testament to what age brings on the table and that is nothing. This generation belongs to young minds and new ideas. When are.we going to shape our own destiny? The most successful companies in the world are headed by young people. And there is a big difference between a company and a country. Lets be a progressive society, old people have their place in history. And the young men of today will have their place in history also.
Just look at the achievement results. The answer is there in front of you.
If these PF guys were smart enough, they should have been able to read the ominous writing on the wall. This constitution thing is going to eat them alive. Or are they just that poor at crunching the numbers?
Nope. If they were smart enough, they should have joined circus as the clowns.
@cnp. Read latest Forbes magazine. The top three richest men on earth are over fifty. Stop misleading the gullible.
Zambia has never have had apolitical party in government that has lost popularity in less than three years like the pf. Why becouse Sata formed pf he is pf and all his mps won seats becouse of Sata. So just as he formed the pf in ten years ,he has destroyed it in such a short time . Just as Sata is on the losi ng side no pf mp will ever win. It was my party but no more.
When are these PF IDI0TS going to get it? It is simple.
NO CONSTITUTION = DEPRECIATING KWACHA.
Is this too complicated for this M0R0N in State house to understand? Can’t his uncle Chikwannda take him and knock some sense into his STUPlD head? Or is he really just as STUPlD as Sata??
I ‘m not privy to the leaked or stolen draft constitution, however I can deduce from the comments that the dust over the constitution is being raised during the the rain days because of these clauses: 50%+1, age limit of a presidential aspirant to 75 years. These two clauses are the basis for this constitution agitation. The target is Sata. If they can get 50%+1 in the constitution, Sata will be defeated by their united vote. If the age limit of 75 years is enshrined in the constitution, Sata will be knocked off automatically in 2016. So they comfort themselves, of course realising their inadequacies, they can’t remove Sata through the normal democratic process. Remove these two clauses from the draft constitution, they will be deflated and it will be the end of constitution agitation.
Maybe a bit dull. The concept about Zambian laws changing them from their setting, a lot of people find it hard. In mwanawasa time there was the bill of information which never came through, RB was about the board of ZNBC and others. Wht makes men and women when they are their that they so make certain aspects so dreamy for nationals. Sata can easily win next elections simply by agreeing to give the nation the new constitution, but is he holding it? let us all thing properly. this is not about hurt,hate or otherwise, simply ask why
The new constitution will be put in place by the PF government according to the submissions of Zambian people. I don’t think there are a number of contentious issues in the draft. Probably the only contentious issue is the land issue where chiefs are raising concern over the dispossession of their traditional land. 50%+1 should be retained in the new constitution so that the feeble consortium of opposition parties can come to know the stark reality of substance PF is made of when it sweeps the election in the first round by an overwhelming majority. I thought people learn’t a lesson in 2011. In fact Sata won the 2011 elections by 50%+1. As for age limit, it will never happen. God created man to realize his potential at any age, be it at 90 years or 123 years
issues to do with information bill are not controversial. People agitating for it are the ones who are controversial. What more freedom of expression do you want than this. It will just be a formality including it in the constitution.
@Umubemba Inkonko – tell them.
WHY IS PRESIDENT SATA SCARING THE HELL OUT OF THE OPPOSITION?
PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA OF SOUTH AFRICA WILL BE 83 BY THE END OF HIS SECOND TERM.
PRESIDENT MICHAEL SATA WILL BE 84 BY THE END OF HIS SECOND TERM.
THE LATE PRESIDENT, NELSON MANDELA, WAS 77 WHEN HE ASSUMED OFFICE. HE COULD HAVE DIED IN OFFICE AT 94 IF HE HAD WANTED.
WAS THE ZAMBIAN PRESIDENT’S AGE INSERTED IN THE SO-CALLED DRAFT CONSTITUTION JUST TO BAR A POPULAR PRESIDENT FROM RE-CONTESTING ELECTIONS?
DID THE 50+1% OF THE POPULATION AGREE? LUAPULA WAS NOT CONSULTED….
Bantu botatwe unite. Luapula, muchinga and Norhern prov gave HH less than 0.001%. Dont trust these masholi.
I just love Zambians. Here is my prognosis:
The Constitution will be handed over by March 30 and the phase 1 noise will be over.
Phase 2 noise will start on the content. Everybody will want that clause out and that clause in forgetting that the time for submissions is well gone and that not all clauses will please everyone.
By the time Phase 3 noise starts it will be time elections….
The noise will be led by bemba membe cartel. bantu botatwe atukamantane. Lisholi zwa zwa, babbi zwa zwa.