PATRIOTIC Front (PF) secretary-general Wynter Kabimba says the ruling party agrees with a contention that some sections of the Public Order Act should be amended so that the law can meet the demands of democracy.
Mr Kabimba, who is also Minister of Justice, said the PF is an ally of those that have been calling for the amendment of the Public Order Act.
“The Minister of Home Affairs superintends over the issue of internal security and the Public Order Act. They are the people that make judgments over these issues. But let me tell you the PF position, we also believe that there are some provisions in there that need to be amended. They need to go,” Mr Kabimba said.
He was speaking in Lusaka on Wednesday when he met members of the Oasis Forum.
Mr Kabimba said the belief by opposition political parties that the Public Order Act favours the ruling party is incorrect and judgemental.
The minister said Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini is handling the issue of the Public Order Act.
He said Dr Matibini constituted a team comprising opposition members of Parliament and some Cabinet ministers to look at the Public Order Act.
“A small committee was set up between the members of opposition and Cabinet ministers to deal with the issue of the public order Act and recommend amendments and make it respond to the current democratic environment,” Mr Kabimba said.
He said it is unfortunate that some people dare the police but the PF co-operated and followed what the law enforcers wanted when it was in opposition.
Earlier, Oasis Forum chairperson Suzanne Matale expressed concern at the application of the Public Order Act.
“We are concerned with increasing and rising intimidation that beset our constituencies each time we want to exercise our democratic right to assemble and engage people to pray for the country, to pray for you our leaders. We feel like foreigners in our own country and this makes us very sad,” she said.
Rev Matale, who is also Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) general-secretary, said the Church feels citizens have the right to associate and assemble.
“We want to exercise our right to pray as citizens of this country. And as secretary-general of the ruling party and at the same time Minister of Justice, you, we feel, have powers to intervene,” Rev Matale said.
She said the Oasis Forum or the Church has no intentions to undermine or frustrate Government.
“You are our Government. We voted you into power. It is not our intention to frustrate your efforts,” Rev Matale said.
This Mwembeshi Reject always exposes it’s incompetence and dullness each time it barks. The Judges have ruled and on several occasions provided guidance of PoA which the PF police force have ignored with impunity. Wynter and his cohorts have been in power for almost 3 years and if they were serious, they would have amended the PoA 6 months after they won elections. Wynter may be too dull to know that they way the PF police force have implemented the PoA has helped make PF unpopular
@OBATALA, we need to team our emotions even when we disagree with someone. It is inappropriate to refer to a grown human being as “it”. Only “human babies” can be addressed with such a pronoun.
That said, I think the process of AMENDING LAW is exactly what Wynter has expressed here. It is being done in the RIGHTFUL branch (Parliament) of Govt. I don’t think PF as a political Party or Cabinet has the Constitutional legal mandate to amend or repeal any Law (colonial or not) rightfully passed by Parliament.
But I still can’t understand why Opposition MPs in Parliament have to wait for Ministers to initiate reforms if they find some of these laws repugnant and outdated. I may be wrong here, but is it the Executive Branch’s responsibility alone to initiate Laws/Amendments?
The only problem with Wynter is that for him he sees the amendment to be done at least in 10 years time.
Kabimba knows there is nothing left for him in the PF as all the power is being shared among the Sata family forest hence the need to support public calls as he knows he will need the POA done away with to allow him campaign freely when he joins the opposition…or forms his own party.
Wynter knows PF are on their way out. They have lost popularity and only way to salvage something is to start telling lies like they did before 2011. Only an I.diot will buy into their lies this time round. Farewell PF – next is Court appearances for CORRUPTION!
Mwakamba ko vanzelu ba Kabimba.
In fact JUST RELEASE the Constitution so tht people will debate and lets concentrate on ailling PRESIDENT and how will do BOTH General Election & Referendum in 2016. BUT DONT ENACT IT TOO Hastly UNTIL it becomes perfect and ALL stakeholders are Satisfyied
If we can do ths the BETTER !!
The tides ar changing. At this rate, we will soon have the draft constitution released. Only wen it suits them! The damage ws done ored
Public Order Act – the ACT in itself there is nothing wrong but the devil usually manifests during enforcement or implementation of the ACT. So the real issue may not b with PoA itself BUT with Law Enforcers or the tools we use in INTERPRETATION of it. Similarly, without strong or strengthened Justice Systems/institutions the new Constitution still in itself may not deliver democratic development or ideal Human Rights levels overnight. Coz it’s said that the Constitution/Law of the Land is ONLY as strong as the character of those charged with upholding it.
…and this is the same Wynter who told us that he and his party supported the calls to amend the Republican Constitution. Two and half years down the line the new constitution is still a pipe dream.
Please Ba editor stop covering this red lipped b.a.s.t.a.r.d kabimba.
red has spoken lmao finished
Winter, if you believe in the POA, don t just say it, practice it.