THE National Constitutional Conference (NCC) has agreed that any person wishing to stand as a councillor must have a minimum qualification of a grade 12 certificate of education or its equivalent.
The conference arrived at this decision when considering Article 237 clause one of the Local Government Committee in the Wila Mung’omba Draft Constitution.
The Wila Mung’omba Draft Constitution recommended that a person can only be eligible to stand as a councillor if they have obtained a grade nine certificate of education or its equivalent.
But during debate on Thursday, the NCC commissioners adopted the clause with amendments which recommend a civic candidate to possess at least a minimum of a grade 12 certificate.
Commissioner Ronnie Shikapwasha said when he supported the clause that the raising of educational standards to grade 12 will help attract councillors who can articulate issues and express the views of their electorate in the council chambers.
Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha said it is important for councillors to understand the implementation of national programmes.
“It is important that we raise the educational requirements for aspiring councillors to grade 12, this will help councillors to start expressing the views of the people they represent in the chambers. So this clause is important in efforts aimed at enhancing development,” he said.
Commissioner Professor Patrick Mvunga said there is need to raise the educational standards for councillors to enhance development in their respective wards.
Chieftainess Mweenda of Mazabuka said there is need to raise educational standards at civic level to help those aspiring to stand as councillors to understand how to implement development programmes.
“We have produced a lot of educated people in rural areas, so why should we continue having councillors who are ill-educated? This is affecting the implementation of development programmes because the calibre of some councillors is too low. They even fail to understand a budget,” she said.
The NCC also adopted a clause under Article 237 in the Wila Mung’omba Draft Constitution which recommends that a person can only be eligible to stand as a councillor if they have been resident for at least two years in a ward or district prior to an election.
The NCC also adopted a clause which recommends that a person cannot be eligible to stand as a councillor if they are invalidly nominated as a candidate in an election.
Other clauses adopted bar candidates of unsound mind, those who are bankrupt and those in jail or those sentenced to death.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
What are these qualifications we are wasting time on? What is Grade 12? How about those who have Cambridge School Certicates, International Baccalaureate Diplomas, GCSEs, and a holde of other qualifications? Why not just say that candidates must be literate and numerate? Do not forget there are many so called Grade 12 school leavers who are almost illiterate.
The same should apply to footballers. LOL
WTF ! So this is the recomendation ?