Friday, March 29, 2024

President Sata promises to address the issues raised by the African Peer Review report

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President Sata
President Sata

President Michael Sata has said that the constitutional instability that has characterised Zambia since independence will soon be a thing of the past.

In his statement at the 18th African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) forum in Addis Ababa on Saturday evening in response to the contents of Zambia’s review report, Mr Sata said his administration had made a promise to the Zambian people that the constitutional instability that has characterised the country since independence would soon be history.

“As correctly observed by the country review report, Zambia has experienced frequent constitutional changes since independence in 1964.

[pullquote]Mr Sata said even if the country review report was a reflection of the governance of Zambia by the previous regime, his administration would not engage in the blame game.[/pullquote]

“A committee of experts has already been constituted to review the recommendations of all previous constitutional review commissions in order to come up with a draft people’s Constitution,” he said.

He said as pointed out in the country review report that “presidential pre-eminence and state centralisation are re-enforced because the country’s chief executive officer has extensive powers of appointment of all the pivotal officers in state administration,” this issue and many other issues of a constitutional nature raised in the report, including challenges in the electoral laws, would be addressed during the constitutional review process, which is currently underway .

President Sata also observed that government faced a number of challenges in ensuring access to justice for all as a large number of citizens were “constrained by structural bottlenecks in the justice administration system”.

Mr Sata said access to justice, remains a priority for government and to that end, government was in the process of carrying extensive judicial reforms involving all stakeholders.

[pullquote]“..presidential pre-eminence and state centralisation are re-enforced because the country’s chief executive officer has extensive powers of appointment of all the pivotal officers in state administration,” this issue and many other issues .., would be addressed during the constitutional review process, which is currently underway .[/pullquote]

Mr Sata said even if the country review report was a reflection of the governance of Zambia by the previous regime, his administration would not engage in the blame game.

He said the report had come out very timely for the PF government, at the time it had been entrusted with the stewardship of the affairs of the Zambian people.

“We shall use it to improve the lives of the zambian people. The country review mission report findings in the four thematic areas, the cross cutting issues raised and indeed the recommendations for the said thematic areas will be of invaluable assistance for us, as we strive to make Zambia a better place for all,” he said.

And Mr Sata said Zambia continues to be a beacon of peace and political stability.

He said in its 48 years of existence and independence, Zambians had continued to live peacefully and alongside each other, in spite of lingual and tribal diversity.

“We are one of the few countries on the African continent that have had peaceful handovers of political power following general elections.On 20th September, 2011, the sixth successive multi party general elections since 1991 were held. Our party, the Patriotic Front (PF), defeated the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) under the leadership of President Rupiah Banda.

“Like his excellency former president Kenneth Kaunda in 1991, my predecessor handed over power peacefully. In fact, former president Banda attended my inauguration ceremony at which he symbolically handed over instruments of power to me,” he said.

Mr Sata said this gesture demonstrates the growth of democracy in Zambia which other countries on the continent may wish to emulate.

[pullquote]“Like his excellency former president Kenneth Kaunda in 1991, my predecessor handed over power peacefully. In fact, former president Banda attended my inauguration ceremony at which he symbolically handed over instruments of power to me,” he said.[/pullquote]

Mr Sata said his government acknowledged that democracy, good governance and the rule of law at national level, as well as an enabling environment were essential for national development.

Meanwhile, Mr Sata said reducing poverty remains one of the major challenges facing zambia.

President Sata has said in order to fight high levels of poverty in Zambia, the Government has priortised four core development programmes, namely: education development, health services, agriculture development and local government and housing development.

He said to address the high poverty levels in the country, government had priotised four core development programmes, which are education development; health services, agriculture development and local government and housing development.

He said these four core programmes are supported by other key sectors such as infrastructure development, social protection, commerce, trade and industry, and tourism.

On the problem of the poor state of infrastructure, President Sata said government had committed a substantial part of the national budget to infrastructure development.

Mr Sata said priority had been given to the construction of roads linking various provinces and districts in the country as well as the construction of bridges, schools, universities, hospitals and health centres.

On corruption, he said government was working hard to fight the vice.

He said over the years, the Zambian public had lost confidence in the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) with respect to the fight against corruption.

“To restore public confidence in the commission, my government has repealed and re-enacted the anti-corruption commission act in order to introduce much stiffer penalties for corruption offences, including, reinstating the abuse of office clause which the previous government had removed,” he said.

30 COMMENTS

  1. Mmhhh,Sata thinks we’ll swallow his lies,hook line and sinker.This is the most repressive regime in zambia’s history and there’s no hiding its excesses which even the African peer review team noted.

  2. …“constrained by structural bottlenecks in the justice administration system”…
    Created by whom and for what purposes? Colonial powers or absolute power greed?

  3. Out in Foreign land, evil Satanist Sata wants to deceive Zambians for PUBLIC RELATIONS ONLY that he means well regarding his Roman Catholic Organisation supported constitution.

    Sata Zambians know you that you are a liar who has brought SATANIC RITUAL KILLING of former Zambian UNIP dictator Kenneth Kaunda’s satanic killings of the 1970 & 80’s ritual killings!
    I remember when going to school how we were afraid of superstitious business people who sent their henchmen to catch innocent people to be killed, KK never did anything to stop it.

    You wish that evil autocratic Dictator Sata can fulfill his statement of giving Zambians a good constitutions. Already he is against Zambians in the diaspora from having dual nationality

    Sata’s constitution is a sham! No Zambian will benefit…

  4. Zambians please open your eyes!

    While Sata promised us Zambians mountains in having our freedom back & prosecute corrupt criminals like Gabriel Namulambe (Mpongwe), Masumba (Mufumbwe), Namugala & many more corrupt criminals. Instead evil Dictator Sata has become corrupt like kwame Nkrumah & he has started using these corrupt people for his evil ego corrupt satisfaction.

    I miss that moment Ghanian first President late Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown for his communist & corrupt dictatorial tendencies. It was a victory for democracy & the free market policies of Ghana which paved way for the current successful democratic handovers in Ghana.

    It can also be a victory for Zambia to make it the Ghanian way of February 24, 1966 by Lt General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka. Can Zambians do the…

    • I think there is something wrong with your thinking. How can a coup d’etat be good for the country? As much as I dislike a lot of what this government is doing, the last government, i.e. Banda and Sons, was more corrupt! What we are going through is just the normal trials and tribulations of a maturing democracy. All we need is to stay vigilant. The problem with us Africans is that we always look for short cuts. We were conned by KK in the 70s that we should have a one party system to preserve peace. In the meantime, countries like India and Jamaica persevered with their flawed democracy. This time we must stay the course. Look at what is happening in Mali. The stupid soldiers, as usual, thought they could do better.

  5. opps that is a good speach.I really like yo speach Ba Sata.U know how u suffered to become a president of Zambia.Please don’t allow Kabimba to destroy PF which we love.Allow the opposition to talk.Jst tell PF Mps to work hard.Another issue where u should concetrate is making roads especially in urban areas.Roads will make PF more popular especially in Lsk.Try 2 visit a lot of places during rain season.Mps sometimes lie.We still trust U.Kabimba wants to bring confusion in PF.People are really dissapointed with him.We need unity as a party.People always make mistakes.If Lubinda made a mistake jst advice him and warn him.Otherwise it’s too early 2 start fighting one another.I think u should remove Kabimba as a secretary general ontherwise we are in trouble.

  6. Am one Zambian that supported Sata all the way to his inauguration in 2011 but now we Zambians are suffering and are in danger of losing our hard won freedom & peace.

    Zambians are now having confusions in opposition parties, opposition parties are holding rallies without police protection & opposition leaders are being detained at will just because of Sata & his PF insecurities! Surely Zambians should not suffer because of these evil greed PF people.

    Evil minded drunkard Zambian Home Affairs Minister Edgar Lungu had even the audacity to threaten the MMD that he will deregister the party not knowing that this will backfire in hie face!

    God of Israel help us from these PF monsters!

  7. Telling us what we all want to hear and see happening, but then we know that a poor man’s hell is a rich man’s heaven. In other words the extent to which they can succeed in filling up their pockets is directly proportional to the depth of our poverty… Jesus, when are you coming back?

  8. This story hasnt been stollen anywhere Sata was speaking at a public fora & everyone to access this news.
    I like talking ill of my despotic president but let me thank him for the first time on power disruptions. The man has done it. load shedding is gone thax very mch.

    • Kachimbala ther stil a lot of positve things to come, we gav them a five year mandate.let’s giv them chance to deliver, tho its imposible to do evrythin in 5yrs.

  9. Father Bwalya, Archbishop of Kasama – Chama, Bishop Alick Banda of Ndola, Archbishop Telesphore-George Mpundu of Lusaka, who supported & are still supporting their member evil Dictator Sata & PF.

    These Roman Catholic Bishops should not deceive Zambians, but need to redeem the Roman Catholic Church this time that it does not support human rights abuses & genocide, as it supported Hitler & NAZI in Germany when he killed innocent Jews & as its Priests participated in killing of innocent Tutsi people in Rwanda

    Moreover Archbishop Telesphore-George Mpundu of Lusaka is a relative of Sata who can just tell Dictator Sata to stop his human rights abuses & persecuting of innocent MMD President Nevers Mumba just because he is a member of Pentecostal Church.

  10. Sata……nist has spoken. Onlya crazy person will believe the promises coming out of that vile and evil orifice! God deliver Zambia from evil….Amen!

    • I wonder what kind of home you up that only used insults as a way of communication! It is not African way. Be a human being with Morals.

  11. Its impossible for him to achieve all these pronouncements he’s made at the AU, provided that he does not change his attitude from cunning to civil, begins to respect our fundamental rights (freedom of expression, association and indiscriminate access to basic social services such as Education, Health, Security, Water etc) and does away with Kabimba.

  12. That was a fare tale told by his excellence Micheal Chilufya Sata -President of Zambia in titled ”Don’t kubeba”, a big hand of applause ladies and gentlemen…..

  13. Some of u Zambians are evil. Whatever Sata will do and say will never please u. Pf should not mind u anyway. U are possesed and u need deliverance.Uare not more Zambians than others. No hand outs or fake deals this time.koseni bane !

  14. Very intelligent n inspirin speech mr prsdnt,truth be told zambia is rapidly changing into a paradise under yo able leadership,keep up de gud works n shame de armchair critics

  15. Apa walanda sikulu, ichalo chilekumfwa. Translated loosely, speak shikulu, the country is behind you. Personal suggestion : If your speech was done or proof read by my namesake, then the boy has brains. No wonder the opposition are on his neck!

  16. Lusaka times, please first inform us of the contents of the peer review report then we can have an informed judgement on what the president is telling us. He seems to have chosen to respond to issues that suilts his situation. I am not happy with kind of reporting Lusaka times, this is a manipulation of the people.

  17. President Sata’s speech at the AU on going conference in Adis Ababa is very disappointing. Our president lacks statemanship speeches and import. In this day and age Mr Sata focus on defending his PF govt and embracing all tribes in Zambia is of little effect at such foras. Continental leaders are bored with that kind of presidency as they all know that is only addressed in their home countries. All half truths and lies Mr Sata belaboured are already known by all leaders in today’s electronic media age. To begin to defend the undefenceable is sheer proof that Mr Sata can not be trusted in his assertions. Failure of 90 day ultimatum of unfulfilled promises is haunting Mr Sata which all African leaders know now were LIES of Mr Sata.

  18. will there ever be a speech that shall not be criticized? its like every statement,speech proposal must have opposers………. let us pray for our leaders more than criticize…

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