Friday, March 29, 2024

Suggestions that people only listen to Kabimba on the constitution are misplaced-Bishop John Mambo

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FILE: Bishop John Mambo following proceedings during the meeting to demand for the release of the draft Zambia constitution
FILE: Bishop John Mambo following proceedings during the meeting to demand for the release of the draft Zambia constitution

Suggestions by government that Zambians should only listen to Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba on issues to do with the constitution are misplaced and most unfortunate, says Chikondi Foundation president Bishop John Mambo.

Mambo said it was wrong for government to imply that some ministers were more superior than others when in fact Cabinet was a collection of responsibilities chaired by the President.

And NAREP youths say that the ruling PF cannot outsmart the people of Zambia by wanting to hijack the constitution with its continued blackmail on the whereabouts of the document.

“The Justice Minister, Mr Wynter Kabimba is the very person that informed the nation that the committee was going to hand over the document to the President.

“We demand that the PF to come out in the open and tell the nation why there have been delays in the handing over the draft constitution which they promised to give the people of Zambia within 90 days once elected into office. It is now clear that the PF lied and used the people of Zambia just to get votes,” Banda said.

He warned that President Sata and the entire PF administration should not tamper with the contents of the draft constitution.

He said it was the Zambians that voted them into power and would soon vote them out of power and put them back in the ranks of opposition where they best belonged. He was reacting to directions from Information Minister Dr Joseph Katema to Zambians that they should only listen to Kabimba on matters to do with the constitution.

He explained that there was no way one person could be authorized to speak about a matter as important as the constitution, describing the decision as taking Zambia backwards on its achievements as a democratic nation.

“It’s unfortunate that even after 50 years of independence, our government is failing to manage the constitution making process and now they are dictating what we should hear or listen to?” he said. He said anything spoken by a minister at public forums should be reflective of government’s official position unless spoken to their family members and friends at private functions.

There should be collective responsibility in the Cabinet if ministers and other senior government official were to effectively discharge their duties.

Mambo said every minister spoke with the authority of what government position on matters of national interest was.

“Maybe the exception is only for the Vice President, otherwise all other ministers have equal authority on government matters,” he said. And Caritas Zambia executive director Sam Mulafulafu said it was unacceptable for government to instruct Zambians on who they should listen to.Mulafulafu said anything spoken by a government official especially a minister should represented the office they held and should be taken as the official government position especially on the constitution.

“The government should first of all resolve who among the ministers should be talking about the constitution, instead of telling us what to hear.

2 COMMENTS

    • It is only prudent of all type of leadership in Zambia, be it political or social (especially church leaders) to come out and speak and speak with strength on behalf of the voiceless people. As Zambians we all now know that the PF is nothing but a bunch of clueless clowns that have moved us 50 years back and still remain clueless about where they are taking the nation. It is therefore the responsibility of all those in civil leadership to take up the mantle and speak out for the people of Zambia. Those who remain silent should question the principles and why they choose to speak to and for the masses. God will defend the righteous over the evil despite the seemingly impossible challenges.

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