Veteran politician Vernon Mwaanga says the need to have a new constitution is not because there is a constitutional vacuum but that the country has had a bad constitution which needs to be modernized.
Mr. Mwaanga says this is why both the Patriotic Front (PF) government and that of the previous Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) have spent huge sums of taxpayers’ money on the constitutional making process.
Mr. Mwaanga says it is for this reason why he finds as unfortunate President Michael Sata’s recent statement that people talking about the new constitution should be ignored despite the ruling PF having had promised in its manifesto that it will give the nation a new constitution.
The Veteran politician has maintained that if the PF government does not give the people a new constitution as per promise it will be a betrayal of what it promised the people.
Asked what should be the way forward regarding the current position on the country’s constitution making process, Mr. Mwaanga has told Qfm news in an interview that the government should engage the opposition, the Church and the Civil Society and explain why it is trivializing the issue of the new constitution after spending huge sums of taxpayers’ money on the constitutional making process.
He says this is also in view of the fact that the constitutional making process started many years ago the more reason the opposition, the Church and the Civil Society should continue pressing government to give the nation a new constitution as this what the people in the country are demanding.
its a political statement and not policy direction on the constitution making process.
the process id ongoing. it has not been stopped
VJ sit your scrawny behind down! You have been twirking your mouth forever, even Shala Mwana saw that you are fake!
All politicians fall by the same poison: Stubbornness (Not listening to the people who actually put them into office)
My simple question is this. If the majority of the poor and illeterate Zambians believed pf and Sata’s 90 days lie, what will change when President Sata borrows heavily and mortgages this country to do roads and then tells these same gullible Zambians that he has brought development? I can bet your last K2. The Zambians will still hail Mr Sata as a messiah and vote for him in 2016 and beyond. Zambians by and large are opportunists who are easily corrupted and cannot see beyond their nose. And wait a minute, I too am a Zambian. So to anyone thinking Sata stopping constitution will cause him to lose elections is day dreaming. Sata is too sharp and ruthless and will NEVER retire unless and until he decides on his own volition and only after imposing a stooge.
VJ its been long Indeed stil surviving bena VJ.
Good u ve spoken after a long time.
Though you never gave us one in both terrms of govt, sound observation and comment on the matter. Unfortunately the old man has tasted the sweetness of power. It will only take a reasonable man at the helm with a genuine heart for the development for Zambia which not him and any current opposition leader seems to posses. God help mother Zambia
We made a costly MISTAKE of putting a MAD man in state house! A normal thinking person cannot say what he said!
Constitution for poiticians development for the poor zambians, what a contrast
My appeal to HH is to reconsider whether there is a critical mass that desires the change he would like them to see or enjoy. There is no personal benefit in my view for HH to pursue State House since he is already a Kwacha (rebased) billionaire. Why cast pearls before swine? What is the struggle for if the nation has chosen as it did under the 27 years of one party KK dictatorship to suffer under socialism. HH, you are very rich, leave these people to suffer. When they have suffered enough, they will organise themselves by whatever means to free themselves from pf and sata aka membe kabimba. Enjoy your billions. those who are oppressing Zambians will continue to use the tribal card. Zambians are generally gullible and easily deceived. Dont bother, enjoy your wealth.
For sentence construction you get 5 of 10. For logic and common sense you get 0 of 10.
One does not involve themselves in politics for the money, one does so for the development of a society and it peoples progression. Its done for posterity.
The premise of your advice is highly flawed. I urge you to reconsider it.
@Eastern mystic rose …….. I beg to disagree with you. HH is being put in danger. Why dont you for a change put your kneck on the line and lead UPND. HH has already done enough service to this country. Is it a do or die thing for you or him to become President. You will still be in comfortable once this man who hates him with a passion imprisons him Putin style, on Mikhail Khodorkovsky (a former Russian billionaire and Kremlin critic). Since you have logic and common sense be in the van guard and lead these gullible Zambians to the promised land. And you will have a tough battle since Sata will now promise them heaven in 180 days and paved roads into their homes and they will believe him like the Zimbabweans do for senile Mugabe. Mwandi HH, just enjoy your wealth.
Only UPND can give us the constitution not these mafia crooked monkeys we have had in the past and the current ones. Not that I support UPND but they seem sober at least!
Just report Sata to the police, he is keeping it
this is a mature sensible articulation by VJ. there can never be any better advice to pf
It’s a non-issue! The constitution will be released in due course
Mulenga, mubanga, mwenya, chilufya, chiti just show youraelf. Don’t hide behind an Eastern name.
As with previous governments, the constitution re-writing exercise has become a political football to be strategically resurrected a few months before the 2016 elections by the PF so that they can ride back into office on a new term using the ever-gullible Zambian people. And like previous parties before it, the PF forgets the truism that those who never learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.
We can no longer continue to beg for a constitution and we can not wait for another political party to go in power before we can get a new constitution. PF can no longer be trusted because we have been given a red card. MMD failed to give us a new constitution and UNDP will not give us one if come into power. So we have no choice, but to press PF to give us one.
How do you explain new constitution in vernacular for those that school has evaded or never had the opportunity to learn the national language. Which is a thorny subject at the moment ~just thinking aloud~
What is a constitution in Tonga, Nyanga, Lozi..?
In Bemba I think it is: Ichipango ichipya (of course with government) If that ain’t correct then what is it? Once we have translated the correct term in all Zambian languages then I urge you to go and sensitise the general rulal populace why this a major talking point in the country. We need to rally behind old men like VJ who know so much about the ins and outs of governments whether you like it or not. He should be enjoying his retirement but can’t see you so young and yet so dormant and won’t fight for your own rights! OAP United!…
@ Nude Princess…. spare us the language that you wouldn’t use to speak to your dad if you have one! If that’s not the case then I am afraid this is not the forum. VJ has put it all in a nutshell.
The illiterate villagers are wise and intelligent. Do not underestimate them. They know what the constitution is. In any case they will start seeing the good things associated with the constitution once it is implemented.
Ba VJ now you’ve come into your senses.
This time you can even sound sensible because of my mental sick father.For constitution you people must shut up because you caused this problem together with Sata in MMD era.
Vj u had your day earlier did u do it?Explain your failures dont hide your friend MCS who has given his true observation.Get out stop wasting time!
The Constitution will be given to the pipo of zambia but what we dont want is forcing us into releasing the document when we are still studying IT
*Anyoko
lol
…. Studying IT (it) lolest……
People have shorter memory than that of fish! Do you remember that it wasn’t too long ago when government was rushing the Technical Committee Drafting the new constitution to wrap up? I still have the picture of that technical director (Mwansa) or somebody embedded on my memory chip in my head. I followed with keenness and wanted to embrace this new government which I didn’t not endorse from its conception for their passion on the the new constitution. I was hoping that the government will also bring in a clause for dual nationality to tap into the brain gain paradigm. Our ‘diaspora’ educated children are ready to come and work in Zambia as Doctors, Lawyers, Bankers, Engineers, Teachers and all sorts of other highly skilled areas. I am not being funny but these are well well educated.
They are afraid of the unknown. They do not have the guts to embrace the revolutionized, forward thinkers in our educated children, I believe will not tolerate the kind of insolence exhibited by this administration.
@*Anyoko (cryptic eh?)
indeed..total betrayal..VJ tell them of the impending result..