Thursday, March 28, 2024

Final draft constitution finally released, but no road map presented

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HOME Affairs Minister Ngosa Simbyakula
HOME Affairs Minister Ngosa Simbyakula

Government has finally released the long awaited final draft constitution.

Acting Justice Minister Ngosa Simbyakula tabled the draft constitution document in parliament today to coincide with the country’s golden jubilee which falls tomorrow.

However the road-map for the constitution making process which one of the demands of the stakeholders has not been presented.

Dr Simbyakula says the release of the draft constitution will allow the Zambian people go through the document.

Justice Minister Edgar Lungu had last week assured the grand coalition that government would release the draft constitution during the independence week.

And the Opposition Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) has expressed disappointment that government has released the draft constitution without a road map on the enactment of the new constitution.

Speaking in an interview MMD President Nevers Mumba said his party was disappointed with government for releasing the draft document without a road map when it had 3 years to come up with one.

Dr. Mumba said the absence of a road map on the enactment of the new constitution signifies that the PF are not ready to conclude the process that has staled for a long time.

“We are deeply disappointed as MMD that they have decided to release the draft constitution in the absence of the road map signifying that really they are not ready.

“They have had 3years to work on the road map and three years to give us the draft constitution so the least they could do is to not only give us the draft constitution but also the road map that is going to take us to the enactment of the new constitution,” Dr. Mumba said

” We demand that this government quickly moves on providing the road map so that we can know how and when the people will have their new constitution,” he added.

Meanwhile the opposition leader has hailed stakeholders including CSOs and fellow opposition parties for pressuring government into releasing the draft constitution.

He observed that without the pressure that stakeholders put in the PF government would have continued lying to the people hence credited should be given to the stakeholder for standing up on behalf of the many voiceless Zambians.

“Although they have released it there is no much credit being given to this government because without the pressure we have put on them not only would they have lied by not providing it within the 90 days they promised but they would not have given us this draft constitution if we had not fought so hard and I congratulate the Civil Society, my colleagues in other political parties for an excellent job for fighting that government responds,” Dr. Mumba said.

54 COMMENTS

    • Now that this is done allow me to congratulate a government that promises and have delivered.

      Please find this opportunity to thank them.

      Innuendos and haters can go where the sun doesn’t shine.

      Thanks

    • Useless Draft constitution. What an insult, and it is presented by Ngosa Syambyakula.. dull minister. So boring.
      Why didn’t they give it to Mrs. Inonge (abasuma), Chikwanda or Scott atleast to make it more worthy?
      That thing was supposed to be presented by SATA himself, not some Simbyakula, with a name like an insult.

    • Edgar has beaten abena Gringo zoona. they were expecting it on the 24th. Nizee bakamba. but as usual in politics some are already demanding a ‘road map’.. when they couldnt make one for 20years in power.

    • Well done Lungu.

      How ever the biggest question still remains un answered. Will the PF up hold the new constitution when they have failed to up hold the existing one?

      In both the new and old constitution, there is a provision which allows a citizen to compel the cabinet to constitute a medical board to investigate the mental and physical health of the president. Why has this provision not been applied to ailing Sata?

      This is proof that the PF will not up hold the new constitution if it finds one of them wanting.

      I think more work needs to be done on the constitution to delete the provision which allows the president to appoint provincial ministers out side elected MPS.

      The draft briefly talks about devolution, but gives very little details on this.

      Has is it been…

    • Thanks Edgar for not swallowing your word! Nevers can go hung if he’s not pleased with this. Now let’s get to the next step of enacting it since we already have discussed the one earlier leaked by the Watchdog!

    • I like the new constitution, just 220 pages, compared to the old which has 772 pages. I am on page 115 now, will be back soon. I will read it 17 times, so I can be better than those PF MPs.
      Did you read about replacing a sick or incapable president? Its so simple to understand and to follow.
      Ok let me not take out your celebrations… Lungu has gone home already, kukolwa lelo!!

    • @Nostradamus
      Your blogging friends know you are a liar. None of you have not proved any of your sick claims about Field Ruwe. Now the moment of truth has come. You should produce and ask LT to publish the photos you have taken or will take of Field Ruwe. If LT won’t let you, publish them on any website and inform Saulosi, Ndobo, and all the readers where to find them. Don’t doctor the photos on his website without reading cyber laws and U.S. laws. You might ruin your life. PROVE YOU KNOW FIELD RUWE and not making up sick stories.

    • @Nostradamus, I wonder if you know Dr Simbyakula at all. He lectured my group in the school of Engineering (Contract Law). The man is sharp. If your charge is that he is a sell out of the inteligentia I will agree but to say he is dull, I totally disagree. For all I know he keeps quiet under collective responsibility. What I would have expected is that he would resign due to conflict of principles. But that is Zambia.

    • @mfumu, no no no no I don’t know anything about Shanbyakula. I just know he is PF minister. A sharp PF minister???
      am sorry.

    • Now let us watch the haters reject the constitution before reading it simply because PF has delivered it and they now have nothing to shout about… living a life blinded by hate, how sad for any child of Zambia. Visit your home at least before your bitterness destroys you

    • BaFikala balebosa every day about the consititution. Now that it has been released ba lainyelawila fye mu matoloshi!! Micheal ni seasoned politician ….even in his sick bed teti mumuchinfye…….

  1. This is a step in the right direction. Let the lawmakers debate the document and come up with a refined copy at end of the day.

  2. Well done GRZ.

    As for MMD, Nevers must be ashamed of himself. How dare he speak as though the MMD were an innocent party? They were in power for donkeys years, squandered a lot of money on the National Constitution Review, and delivered nothing at the end of their tenure of office. So, shut up Nevers!

  3. Ba Mumba, one step at a time. Stop and walk. U r still not happy. Let us c what’s in it and if we r happy then we shall move to the next step. Thank u PF for the patience that u have taken to give us this constitution.

  4. Is it the same document that the WatchGalu released? Why praise the Pama Fi party when there were supposed to do this a long time ago. Mwanachaambwa Winter an ***** now feels bad because he wished that he could have released it but he was very arrogant and stupid. In fact what SDAGWA(Lungu) has done is to make Mr Red lips as the stumbling block. And for tuma CSO’s don’t praise yourselves because you did nothing you fools apart from yapping. When Zambia have a new then you can get the praise.

  5. The opposition have been caught with pants down. They have been shouting for the release of the new draft constitution and that became their obsesion.
    Instead of blaming the ruling party for not spelling out the road map, let us first discuss the issues and find common ground. The road map will also need to be ironed out.
    Some oppostion parties must now be worried as they will never win 50+1% and will remain as they are – regional parties.

  6. AND, Happy 50th Independence Anniversary Zambia!

    50 years is a mile stone for anyone, let alone, a unitary nation. My father was 50 years old when Zambia became independent and I was only 4 years old. Today my father is 100 years and 10 months old, while I am 54 years.

    Between my father and I, we share different experiences of life. However, one thing is certain, Zambia has enjoyed a peaceful existence, provided both Zambians and non-Zambians opportunities to excel, imprint a positive and progressive mark in the world.

    God be praised for the help he has given us as a nation.

    One Zambia, One Nation! May we, united and kind-hearted to each other remain, till the Kingdom of our Saviour comes.

  7. The mighty PF has done it again !! There can`t be a better time to release it than now. This jubilee is getting more interesting. Great !!

  8. I can’t believes people who almost always wants to find faults with everything! If it was not released they would be talking about it not being released; release it with a road map, they would be talking either that the road map is too short, long, complicated, undemocratic, dictatorial etc!!!! Read the fu**ing document and talk of the road map tomorrow!! MMD was in power for 20 and all you did to our constitution was to bar some Zambians from aspiring to be President! BaFikala nyongo!!!

  9. OK first thing first… I did a comparison of this released govt version with the ‘original’ one that the Zambian Watchdog had released some time back (converted both to MS word). I’m happy to report that there are only minor changes, mostly due to formatting than anything else. So yes it looks like they have not tempered with the ‘original’ copy.
    Stand-by for detailed analysis on the integrity and quality of the actual content.

  10. May those who have a heart for this country join sata so that when all is built we shall be explaining to our children how the UPND insulted us when we were constructing roads,offices in new districts, hospitals and universities. Belv me it will be sad to the oposition becoz they will look like colonial masters

  11. What document has been released?, usual deceptive logo of PF ‘Donchi Kubeba’, how does PF claim they have released the draft constitution without its purpose of becoming law?. Its like a child crying for sweets a cunning father gives the child empty wrappers of sweets. What PF cruelty!

  12. But vi-ma-Zambian niva tulo zoona. Someone brings you a document you have already seen, with no plan about what’s next, and then you are thanking him? You deserve to die in poverty ndimwe galu. No wonder your leaders keep working on you like puppets on strings. From now onwards I give up commenting. I think the PF government knows what it is doing, it knows that the population it leads is very dull, too dull to get any clue. Exactly what Chiluba said 14 years ago: “Zambians are docile”. Bye bye galu.

    • @ Chitapi

      Go tell your mom ka fulunyemba chimbwe second class citizen iwe. Waikala kwa bene waamba ukututuka swine iwe…finshi uli sichupiti iwe? Matako ya mbwa iwe.

  13. it is not just the matter of opposing when ever the gov,t does something right.And it is not the civil society and opposition political charlatans that has made the gov,t to release the final draft constitution but the commitment of the great patriotic front (PF) and its leadership through his excellence,one secretary general edgar lungu, some committed members of parliament and pf supporters encluding myself.Today they give you the constitution,you start complaining.what else do you want that you failed for 20 years during your reign you the (MMD).And for upnd it seems you don,t know what you are looking for in politics.

  14. 90 days ???

    90 DAYS ??????

    NINETY DAYS ??????????????

    IS THIS NINETY DAYS ??????

    OBVIOUSLY PF IS SO DUMB THEY CANNOT EVEN COUNT UP TO 90!

    How then can they then think they can run a Country?

    • Actually it was 90months! It’s early!

      Well done Hon. Lungu, Sir, you are true patriot and have vision for this country. You are dutiful and have forced the hand to release this constitution draft.

  15. Micheal Chilufya Sata mesmerises me! He is a damn good seasoned politician. Great thinker, visionary, strategist and revolutionary. See what infra structure development he has initiated in this country! And now first chabaleka bale bwatabwata ngo bwali bwa pachililo elyo chaisa fumya consititution!!!!! Elyo ba dabwa more ……. VIVA SATA VIVA SATA!!!!! E mfumu tufwaya !!! SATA SATA SATA SATA SATA SATA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2016—–SATA SATA SATA!!!!!!

  16. Now that the reason for threats and daring has been removed, the nagging has shifted to a “road map”. That road map, ladies and gentlemen, is euphemism for cash in the pocket of so-called stakeholders and consortiums who spend countless hours sleeping after heavy meals at gatherings that make no sense at all. Please let us move forward within the budgeted amount of 29 million; this means that we will have to innovate a robust conclusion to this constitution without the usual nonsense of gatherings that yield next to nothing. LETS DO SOMETHING RIGHT FOR ONCE IN OUR FCUKING LIVES!

  17. most people r sharrow minded, we have the Mung’oba, Mvunga documents lol lol.
    cooking nshima with out chishu… U BETTER RELEASE SATA’S BODY TOMORROW.

  18. Generally speak opposition have the right to ask questions that at times are baseless and full of dullness. Yesterday HH released a statement full of self preoccupation and self centredness. Ok that was well received and critically analysed. 50 yrs of independence bla bla and yet this is the same man who made millions out of Zamco and Lima whilst those who works for many years died and gained nothing. This is a man who is not a good historian to forget his role in corrupt privatization of companies. Many will ask Sata was there , what could a minister do when he was not part of the team in privatization. Not even Sata’sname appeared in any corruption in MMD. Sata once said if I was corrupt I many have been the richest in Zambia . I have served in all the previous gifts but my…

  19. Sata is more concerned about the oppressed, the voiceless poor and sick . If Sata was a president for the past ten years Zambia would be better. The release of the draft constitution is a milestone in the sense that it is going to give the citizenry of this great nation the opportunity to voice their choices, concerns, dislike and likes of this law of the land. Secondly the roadmap wl be athletes in parliament therefore people contributing like Aquai are full nothing but armchair critics who lack the ability to analyze the contents and the process of the constitution. Why build schools or hospital if you can operate them. There is money allocated to the constitution and that means the roadmap will be there.

  20. What most opposition wanted was 50+1 clause to be included in the constitution. Now that it is there they hope that the presidency is within their reach. But alas they will discover that it will work to their disadvantage. They will in perpetual futile attempt remain presidents of their regional areas. Viva PF. 2016 nafuti.

  21. As late Dennis Liwewe (MHSRIP) would put it “LUUNNGU!!!!!! LUUNNGU!!! INGISHA MWAICHE IWE !!!! IT IS A GOOOOOAALLLL!!!!! LUNGU HAS SCORED!!!! “

  22. What a fabulous Gift to the nation on this Jubilee week. Well done PF.

    NOW ALL WE HEAR IS THE CHANGE OF GEARS BY OPPOSITION!

    Dr Mumba, the absence of the map cannot overshadow the release of what you have been screaming for. The truth is PF has trumped all the negative campaigns around this issue by its release. Opposition can only change gear and try another subterfuge.
    YIPPPEEEEEEE IT OUT!

    Well done Hon. Lungu, Sir, you are true patriot and have vision for this country. You are dutiful and have forced the hand to release this constitution draft.

  23. Wynter Kabimba’s achilles heel. Unfortunately, that legacy will haunt him in the future. Congrats Edgar Lungu. It is history in the making. True leaders are known for making a difference. This is one such difference.

  24. Good news to my ears! It’s time to act and work together to shape our nation. We are very quick to blame the government but we don’t vote wise. As citizens we need to have integrity and choose people who’s morals have been tested. No second chance for people who failed as. Happy independent mother Zambia am very proud to be Zambian.

  25. Now that the draft constitution has been released which I knew all along that one day it will, the opposition is still crying. They want the road map now. If wanted the road map, why didnt you say so in the beginning? The demand has been for the release of the constitution not the road map. It looks like the opposition wants to eat with both hands. It is one thing at a time. The govt has clearly stated, here is the constitution so that Zambians can go through it. After going through it, then we shall discuss other things which might include the road map. You cant have everything at the same time. How are we going to go through a road map before we have looked at the draft? Am sure even the spineless politicians have found something to talk about in order to be seen to be relevant.

    • The constitution has just been released but its not yet enacted into law. So no one can quote it right now as it is just a final draft .

      The next thing to happen is how it will be enacted and adopted so it becomes operational as supreme law of the land to be applied by the judiciary and the legal fraternity deal with cases in courts. This where the road map demand comes in.

      Us in the opposition demand to know exactly what steps the idi0tic PF will take to enact the constitution so its adopted and old one binned. Will be enacted via a referendum or just by an act of parliament? We want answers.

  26. FOR ME IT IS A GOOD MOVE ON PART OF THE GOVERNMENT TO RELEASE THIS DOCUMENT. MANY OF US HEARD HOW THE VARIOUS ITEMS WERE DISCUSSED VIA THE MEDIA. BUT WE DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE FULL DOCUMENT. WE NEED TO BE GIVEN CHANCE TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS ITS CONTENTS. IT IS FOOL-HARDY TO WASTE TIME TALKING ABOUT 90 DAYS NOW. WE ARE NOT ALL AGREED ON THE CONTENTS. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTENTS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS. MANY PEOPLE HAVE POLITICAL INTEREST IN THIS DOCUMENT BELIEVING THAT THIS IS THE ONLY WAY OF GETTING RID OF PF. NOW THAT IS A SHORT SIGHTED VIEW WHICH WIILL STILL PUSH US BACK INTO DISPONDENCE AND A VICIOUS CYCLE AGAIN. YES WE NEED A NEW CONSTITUTION. BUT IS THIS DRAFT THE ONE?? SO LET US ALL BE SOBBER. THE PF GOVERNMENT, THE OPPOSITION AND THE GENERAL POPULACE MUST BE SOBBER MINDED.

  27. Thanks for the Job well done abena Lungu Keep it up. Secondly appreciations also go to the Grand coalition for applying pressure on the government that is the direction to go. But Advice to some of our leaders in the opposition, lets have a positive approach to life. Stop issuing negative statements like shun this, don’t celebrate or when you celebrate undress and many more unwise statements. We don’t want colonial politics but put up civilized options that will give us hope as our spare wheel. Zambia is our country and our God will never let us done or keep quite over any injustice. Remember Jesus Christ is the Referee with no error.

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