Acting Chief Government Spokesperson Fackson Shamenda accused the some members of the Technical Committee constituted to draft the constitution of partisan rebellion against the Patriotic Front (PF) government.
In a statement released to the media yesterday, Mr Shamenda warned some members of the technical committee who have burning political ambitions that they would do well to deploy their divisive politics outside the current constitution-making process or deploy it in the political arena rather than the constitution-making process.
Below is the full press statement
Republic of Zambia
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services
STATEMENT BY HON. FACKSON SHAMENDA, MP, ACTING MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON ON THE CONSTITUTION-MAKING PROCESS
Government continues to be saddened by the attitude of some members of the Technical Committee whose historic partisan rebellion against the PF has been infused into the Constitution-making process, which is supposed to be a national endeavour.
The Constitution-making process cannot be hinged upon the controversies and aspersions being promoted by some members of the Technical Committee.
The Government would like to remind the Technical Committee that the guiding principles constituting part of its Terms of Reference require the Committee to recognise the importance of confidence building to engender trust and to develop national consensus.
In addition, the Committee is required by the same Terms of Reference to be guided by the principle of stewardship and responsible management. It is clear from the open show of disrespect by some members of the Technical Committee to national leaders that there is a concerted effort to pursue partisan and sectoral interest in the current process.
Government would like to remind the Technical Committee that the Zambian people who elected the PF administration are also entitled to be given due regard in the current process just like all other Zambians. Government remains committed to a Constitution-making process devoid of sectoral inclinations.
Government therefore, appeals to the Technical Committee to stick to its Terms of Reference and to pursue consensus building rather than divisive and retrogressive bickering that may negate all the work that has been done so far.
Those members of the Technical Committee who have burning political ambitions would do well to deploy their divisive politics outside the current Constitution-making process or deploy it in the political arena rather than the Constitution-making process.
Hon. Fackson Shamenda
MINISTER IF ONFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON
24th January, 2014
Rev. Matale, Reuben Lifuka & Enerst Mwansa can not be trusted.
A little fo.olish.ness goes a long way!
It’s natural and human in life to have an inclination towards one thing other than another, except that when employed or entrusted with certain positions of responsibility we are required not to make these inclinations obvious, e.g referees in sport, ECZ officials, military, police, etc. But this apparent impartiality must not be taken for granted. So much work and public money has gone into this constitutional making process than neither the members of the technical committe nor the Zambian public who made valuable contributions can afford to have the final product hidden away from them. Whether a member is pro or against PF depends on who’s judging them. I guess its fair to expect the draft constitution to be a fair document if it was compiled by a mixer of pro and anti PF sympathisers
Shamenda talks sense.
Pf is doing all good job
The question though, why is all of big Zambian government reducing itself to level of a committee. This just shows how small minded pf government has become. Release our constitution and get out of here ala.
These people in the PF are dilusional.
Shamenda is blaming everyone but the real culprits, the Post Newspaer, and the cartel running Zambia. It is clear that Mm’membe continues to insist that the PF should trust him and his cartel to strengthen the PF grip on power. But the truth shall prevail for the evil vile of deceipt by the post newspaper has met the mighty of the Lord face to face. Too many of us know all too well how flawed this Govt is and repeated statements written by Mm’membe and praise Sata as St Michael will not do much to change anything. Just today’s headlines on LT have Shamenda attacking the Church, HH and the Constitutional committee. All for speaking the truth against Govt failures.
Sad development if the Minister is correct in his statement. But human as we are, all is possible!
Respect is a two way thing Mr Smurf!
Papa Smurf
This pf govt.! Blaming everyone! What a bunch of failures!
Barking about terms of reference which they have breached by not allowing the technical committee to release the draft constitution simuteniously to the presdo and the public. Foolish!
even if i found shamenda’s daughter naked i can never have an erection
PF ki mubuso wa likuba! Bizwe fela fateni bitongwani bye!
@Sepo
Ubulezi hande. Please correct me if my lozi is wrong. I meant to say , ” you are saying the truth”
Mr. Spokesperson,
can you cut this idiocy short and agree, as stated in the terms of reference, to simultaneous release of the final draft to the Executive and the People of Zambia.
That is what huge majority of People want.
Not continuous blah, blah, blah.
KK used to create imaginary enemies each time he couldn’t swallow legitimate criticism. If his perceived enemy was visible enough he would attack from the angle of accusing the perceived enemy of rebellion, too, among other terms. This is so déjà vu.
There’s a simple solution to all of this — give us our constitution.
Plain and simple.
So what if the Technical Committee does not like PF, none of us do. But that is not the issue. The issue that matters is are they [Technical Committee] doing their work? Have they handed over the draft?
#OneZambia
Everything is politicized in Zambia.The Minister is very right lately Mr Mwansa’s behaviour leave much to be desired.He has been assured of job by Hakaivotela.,
The man in the photo (wu eva he is) is damn ugly.he is uglier thn SHREK.
Pathetic Failures! Why always blame others for your failures? Is F.u.c.k.son Shamenda now telling us that this silly excuse for a govt was nt aware that some of the members of the technical committee like Ernest Mwansa have a political background? Plain stupid excuse. The draft copy leaked from Ministry of Justice.
Every day this govt demonstrates beyond doubt that it’s immature and very childish.
Its a pity Zambians want to take politics in everything. Each and every individual has some political inclination or sympathy towards a certain political party but when entrusted with responsible concerning national matters, such inclinations must be suppressed or at least hidden from the public. ‘Educated’ people have let Zambia down. This can be seen even in the kind of blogging on this and other sites.
The blame game. This gov’t is blaming everyone for their failures,if I may ask who appointed the members of TC and has it not completed its work? Mr minister have they not given the 10copies to his HE as was requested? Why still sitting on the copies? Hopefully you are not redrafting the same.
This raises a lot of questions.The draft constitution represents views from Zambians. If some members of the committee were partisan, did they impose their views on the outcome, instead of reflecting what Zambians said? Is being partisan equated to being opposition? If members are for the party-in power, would such members still be viewed as partisan? Now that the constitution has leaked, is it going to be discarded? It seems there are more questions than answers because we are now focusing on “witch hunting” trying to find who leaked the document to the people to whom it belongs in the first place!
Everyone is entitled to sum political affiliations. Its not crime & the draft copy was leaked. Was it an offense? The leakage was done to the pipo of zambia not foreigners. We behaving as though the leak involves sum form of our national security nuclear secret formula that has been leaked to Ben Ladens group. Is it terror to leak a draft constitutional copy. This shudnt be our bone of discussion guys we wasting each others tym. If govt hasn’t been given a copy let them be availed one & the zambians a copy then next step follows. Is investigating who leaked the copy part of the terms of reference in the methodology for enacting our constitution. Sumone is behaving like a kid. Next pls
Idi Amin Dada would have caged these fellors. They galloped so much money im their bottomless pockets in the name of this committee and finally can’t even respect the appointing authority. But why? Give it to the one who appointed you. Not all zambians appointed you to do that job. Simple and straight forward.
@Floyd Chitalu, we accept that people can be pf fanatics but sometimes let your conscientious guide u. The people of Zambia whether belonging to pf or unip or any other party paid into having this Constitution thru taxes and the TORs were set by. Cabinet why change at the last minute? Please sir, dullness should have limits engage your brain more than your emotions. Fanaticism is dangerous.
You also fanatic. You can also be as dull as those who cannot recognize the appointing authority. Your conscientious is failing you more than mine is. You have engaged your brain biasly. You are an opposition fanatic, just like Al-quida brotherhoodism.
shamenda is one of the dullest ministers that zambia has ever produced let him tel us why sata is hinding the draft constitution? te ndalama shakwani asha bomfesha pa kupanga draft constitution
MMD cannot be underrated, and M’membe should not think he is the person who will always shape people’s opinions.
Actually talking corruption, PF is displaying more corruption now than even what was in the MMD. So come 2016 people will revaluate MMD against PF performance, and many people will be amazed. Zambians will be better analysts in 2016 than they were in 2011 – mark my words.
MMD will surely prove a force by 2016.
Remember that KK gained more respect towards the end of MMD’s rule than he had at the start of MMD’s rule in 1991. What brought this scenario is reflection and revaluation.
It will be wrong to see things only in the light of yesterday and today. we must also allow our brain to see in the context of tomorrow and beyond in relation to yesterday and today
Shamenda, not every one is a yes man like you. I can bet deep down you do not agree with your boss, you are just impressing your useless boss. Just continue hanging onto your job.
Shamenda, you asked for it, didn’t you?
Be transparent and responsive to the people and you will live a peaceful life. Show your arrogance and ‘know it all attitude’ and dig a big hole for yourself.
What do you say about your own monster “Donchi Kubeba”?
I PITY THE FELLOW, HH.
WHY DOES HE NOT SPEAK THROUGH HIS (SHADOW) SPOKESMAN ON ANY TOPIC ESPECIALLY IF THE SUBJECT HAS SOME TRIBE CONNOTATION SO THAT HE INSULATES HIMSELF FROM UNWARRANTED CRITICISM OF HIM BEING A BANTUSTAN LEADER?
CAN’T HE LEARN?
Answer is simple, either there are no brainless spokespersons in his party or he is intelligent enough to put two sentences in English without need for 73 dictionaries.
Chose one.
Mugabe is man . He accepted the new constitution without the drama the PF are displaying. Shamenda some of us went to the highest school …..unza . You cannot keep on fooling around .
Mr Chilezu, you want the technical committee to start lying with your bufi govt?
Taking a very hard look at Mr. Shamenda reveals that the man is not a dead wood, but rather he is the whole mark of a ‘living petrified fossil’. By-the-way, a “fossil’ represents a species that is extinct as found in Chirundu.
In the first place, the current Technical Committee on the Constitution was appointed by the PF Government in consultation with all the security screening system at its disposal. It follows then that Shamenda’s accusations on the Technical Committee is a reflection of chaotic panic in the PF Govt.
Any one who shows some talent of intellectual comprehension on national matters is deemed to be anti-PF Govt. It is our understanding that the PF feel it is a crime to think positively for the good of the country. Only crooks are glorified by this regime.
this guy is like sakeni dull to the bone these *****s dont know when to talk or shut up
Partisan, now that’s splendid! Who chose this Technical Committee, wasn’t it Sata and his minions? Is GBM partisan? Why do people become partisan if they tell your party PF the truth? This debate or your arguments on the constitution are becoming thin. No one is buying your dilly dalling. You are the party in power, solve this problem otherwise you do not deserve ruling us. You are just a bunch of dimwits. The Zambian people are watching you and not for long though. Soon fatigue will set in. You can fool some people all the time but you cannot fool all the people even some of the time. The writing is become clear on the wall. You are a Good for Nothing Party and Government. Abash!
BA Shreck nyeleni ukutali