Friday, March 29, 2024

PF government should not take pride in the ignorance of Zambian citizens on the constitution

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Split your sides with laughter... Two men laughing off jokes from a couple of clowns in Nyimba
Life is good in Nyimba but do these people know anything about the constitution making process? Is Government educating them?

The Zambia Council for Social Development has said Government should take up its responsibility in the constitution making process and ensure that there is adequate citizen participation in the process and as such, a senior minister should not take pride in the ignorance of citizens on the constitution making process.

This was said in response to comments by Chief Government Spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili (MP) that the Constitution making debate is only centred along the line of rail.ZCSD said the statement by Mr Kamwili goes to show that the government is not committed to ensuring that there is adequate information sharing and transparency in the constitution making process.It said if there was adequate information and transparency sharing in this process, the constitution making debate would not have been centred along the line of rail as alleged by the minister.

ZCSD has urged government to conduct civic education on the constitution-making process so that the people are able to make free choices on what kind of a constitution they want and what mode of adoption is preferable this time following many failed attempts in the past to enact constitutions through parliament.Before the constitution is adopted, preparing the people involves enhancing their knowledge of not only the constitution-making process, but also the content.

Below is the full press statement

The Zambia Council for Social Development (ZCSD) would like to respond to comments by Chief Government Spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili (MP) that the Constitution Making debate is centred around the line of rail.

During the interview on the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Sunday Interview, Mr Kambwili said the debate regarding the constitution making process was only alive along the line of rail and that it is not an issue in the other rural parts of the country.

As ZCSD, our view is that the minister’s statement amounts to trivializing the constitution making process and government’s lack of commitment to enact a people driven constitution.

The government has the responsibility to lead the constitution making process in wide consultation with the citizens. This being the reality, it is the responsibility of government to ensure that the constitution making debate is taken to all the parts of the country and that that government must get concerned if the constitution is making process is not nationally embraced.

Government should take up its responsibility in the constitution making process and ensure that there is adequate citizen participation in the process and as such, a senior minister should not take pride in the ignorance of citizens on the constitution making process.

The statement by Mr Kamwili goes to show that the government is not committed to ensuring that there is adequate information sharing and transparency in the constitution making process.
If there was adequate information and transparency sharing in this process, the constitution making debate would not have been centred along the line of rail as alleged by the minister.
Our organization feels that Mr Kambwili should realize that it is government’s responsibility to ensure that it carries out adequate sensitization programmes to ensure that there is full participation of citizens in this important and historical process.
Making a constitution involves multiple choices about issues of great complexity. Those responsible for making the choices usually need a significant level of information about the issues involved beforehand.
Therefore, the government needs to conduct civic education on the constitution-making process so that the people are able to make free choices on what kind of a constitution they want and what mode of adoption is preferable this time following many failed attempts in the past to enact constitutions through parliament.
Before the constitution is adopted, preparing the people involves enhancing their knowledge of not only the constitution-making process, but also the content.
We therefore appeal to senior government official to be more responsible and be aware that they are carrying the mandate of citizens who have put them in power and power belongs to the people who deserve to be honoured with a good constitution.

Issued By:
Lewis Mwape

Executive Director

40 COMMENTS

    • @Enock

      Learn to use English terms correctly. The word delusional befits PF perfectly than UPND because UPND has never messed up the governance of Zambia.

      PF is full of deluded people who lied that they would solve Zambia’s problems, but reality on the ground is that every Jim and Jack up down the country has come accept that PF has failed dismally.PF is delusional in every thing it does.

      Kwacha is falling when the Malawian Kwacha is appreciating each day that passes. Fuels pumps in Zambia are dry, while Malawi’s are running with plenty fuel. How do you explain this mess?

      PF is a chimbwi no plan party. If it had plans, it would have known about the fuel shortage long before it hit, and taken steps to avert it.

      PF just knows chipante pante.

    • PF is Pathetic Failures!

      They are addicted to lies these PF pathological hypocrites & liars. They’re too broke that is why the economy is in reverse direction.

      Most Zambians ‘ve been kept in the dwellings of primitivism whilst PF bandits & their families are living luxuriant life at the expense of majority poor Zambians.

      I wonder how even the educated are now gullible cadres & dancing to PF’s corrupt lullabies which have seen the economy plummeting. I wouldn’t be surprised if people voted for Frank Bwalya or Kambwili as president in 2016.
      Most notably Zambians ‘re being made to love the evils of Satan, excessive alcohol consumption & prostitution.
      Shocking backwardness & innuendos of 90 days constitution to 5years unseen constitution. I HATE…

    • All predictions I have made about PF tend to come true.

      One has come to pass, many more to come. Lungu is not well and fit to reach 2016. I said this long before he was voted into power.

      I have predicted that, with PF in power, Kwacha will be above K20 to $1 by 2016. I said this last year. This is will come to pass very soon.

      Whether they rig or not PF is going out in 2016.

    • Prefixing blame with PF about constitutional ignorance in Zambia is unjustifiable. This is a problem into which the PF was elected.

      The problem is historic to Zambia, and I might add, to many countries around the world. Sometimes it is about what people choose to know, and what does not currently bother them.

      If we aim to address identified problems, let us quit the blame approach and trying to parade ourselves as the good guys who know what people want. We ought to forge relationships with all strategic institutions and deliver civic education in unison, without demonising anyone.

    • IF IT COMES FROM PF, IT IS LIES. UNFORTUNATELY ZAMBIANS LIKE TO BE LIED TO. ZAMBIANS FEAR POLITICIANS SO MUCH, TAKING THEM FOR SMALL gods,WHEN THEY ARE JUST MARE HUMAN BEINGS SHORT OF GOD’S GLORY. AS LONG AS PF REMAINS IN POWER, ZAMBIANS WILL CONTINUE TO SUFFER.

    • STOP INSULTING THE ZAMBIAN CITIZENS JUST COZ THEY’VE A LOW MEANS OF LEAVING THAN YOU. ARE YOU SAYING CITIZENS LIKE THOSE IN NYIMBA ARE IGNORANT AND ONLY YOU ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE?

    • @ Enock

      Kekekekekeke…that was a sucker pucnh…just ten words were enough for these useless Unproductive Party Now Delusioned (UPND) blogers. Doing the same thing expecting different results; four times? Are you guys really stup!d?

    • Till ignorance do us part! In the words of Pope John Paul II: “Whatever is opposed to life itself, such as ignorance etc.,.. is an infamy indeed… It is a poison to human society and a supreme dishonor to the Creator.” How so inhuman and how despicable for PF to revel in the ignorance of Zambians! Must we not expect them to have a conscience that should arouse them to their responsibility and take much needed positive steps toward educating the public regarding a subject as important as the constitution?

  1. I think Lungu should replace Kambwili ASAP before he demages what ever little credibility PF has if there is any left at all.

    This man ‘s careless mouth is annoying people up and down the country.

    Kambwili’s statement is clear evidence that PF takes pride in exploiting the illiterate masses for its political gain.

    According to Kambwili the poor villagers do not need civic education to know their rights. PF believes that the poor villagers should be left to suffer and wallow in their ignorance.

    Come 2016 PF will be shocked.

    • They will come back in 2016, they have all the power in their hands, forget about them letting it go. Power is sweet, do you imagine ECL resigning even when we know that he pushing himself. No, power is sweet. These people are here to stay.

    • @Wanzelu Zoyipa Don’t you get tired of marketing yo unsellable product(HH )Since 2008 you’ve been bragging that HH would win the presidency only for yo overated chap to flop 4 times in a row. HH has reached a level where whatever effort he makes he ends up losing (law of diminishing returns) is HH the only product you have?Kikikiki….

    • Kambwili is very careless and he has no diplomacy. I wonder why EL appointed him Information Minister! Me thinks it was a set up. His mouth will have him fired. Kambwili says things that annoy people and he seems happy with that. Just the other day on ZNBC he alluded to compounds as being full of confusion. What is his background, middle class or what? We should respect each other.

  2. PF was Voted by Illiterates-Kabimba

    Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba has charged that some elite and educated Zambians want to hijack the constitution making process. Mr Kabimba said the PF Government will not allow a small group of elite Zambians to drive and influence the process of enacting a new constitution.He said President Sata was voted in by poor Zambians in villages and places such as Kanyama and Chibolya who have no say on how the process should be handled.

    • No a sign of drinking too much and having his teeth knocked out. Poor guy can’t afford false teeth must be hard to eat and this in turn affects his digestion!

  3. Everything that PF says is lies! Now Lungu & PF dunderheads are accusing the opposition for the deteriorating Kwacha(still dark) is mediocrity.

    These liars & hypocrites in PF would be rotting behind bars in a well established as well as principled economy like here in Australia. Australia doesn’t play with such lunacy, the country is far greater than a political party.

    All those associated with plunders in PF will face reality & rule of law together with their visionless leaders when the real govt is formed. Mulandu sue~o~la!

    The only thing they have managed is kaloba. I wonder when Zambians’ will ever wake up from this slumber. The constitution only exists in their mouths & all priorities for the country have been discarded by PF bandits.
    Skeleton Key
    ~206~

  4. Ba Zambia finshi mulefwaya , natwishiba fwebene, Lungu eeh , Lungu eeh Lungu eotulefwaya. IFINTU NI LUNGU. its PF in 2016 and beyond.A party that knows no tribe

    • Don’t steal Kabimba’s phrase (a party that knows no tribe). PF has been insulting a particular tribe from day one, it has also made it a matter of policy to completely sidelined some tribes. Zambians and the world are watching.

  5. The need to involve the rural areas in the Constitution debate is not an issue. It is a fact that the Line of Rail is generally more vibrant and mobilized in political debates. What is required now is to devise a outreach Master Plan for implementation in which rural areas and urban areas will both receive adequate sensitization and mobilization. Stop antagonizing and polarizing the nation.

  6. This country needs serious reflection.Zambia is fastly developing into a failed state.The economy will soon be like that of Zimbabwe 5yrs ago.The politics of Zimbabwe and Zambia is that of Tom and Jery.Thats why Mwanawasa was clever he called all white famers to inverst in Zambia when Mugabe asked them to leave Zimbabwe the result was improved economy in Zambia.Stupity Sata and Lungu they are busy dancing to Zimbabwe and Mugabe,who is benefiting from this friendship its Zimbabwe at the expense of Zambia.Soon Zimbabwe will be economically strong than Zambia.Zimbabweans will start chasing Zambians from Zimbabwe like dogs.thats how they used to be behave.Zimbabwe has always played big brother to Zambia.

  7. You wonder what ‘The Constitution’ really means to opposition and quack NGO’s and various organisations.

    There is so much confusing nonsense coming from people with political ambitions. The premise in this his article can easily be ridiculed. We have had a Road Map, we have had discussions and requests to Stakeholders to enter into discourse BUT all they do is use the process for political gain in elections. It’s proof positive that the so called Stakeholders have failed to take the discussion to ‘whomever they represent.’

    The gov’t needs to move this issue via Parliament and a referendum on certain matters be held with the elections. Why not the coming Byes?

  8. Who told you that they REALLY WANT TO enact any new constitution???? If they did they would have … why would I unleash the very thing that will make me less powerfull????? AFULIKA!!!!!!

  9. The PF government has stated that they will add the constitution referendum to the ballot paper, I think this is a good idea!
    On another note- the fuel crisis is clearly a sign of incompetence on the government’s part!

  10. @ Daka, surely you must be ashamed of yourself to ask Wanzelu such a question. How can the whole PF pick a patient from Chawama with full blown HIV, impotent and suffering from amnesia to be the president of your party and let alone the president for the nation? Where are all the other clever baboons, or they were busy jumping up and down to see where they can steal from? How can you get Chishimba the copper stealing gorilla and make him the minister of information, or the old dinosaur Chikwanda as the finance minister. No wonder the kwacha is falling, the man is supposed to be extinct or he should be in the history museum. You better stop it there before I undress everyone in your party. PF is a party of mad dogs and baboons trying to chase each other.

  11. I am utterly flabbergasted at the sentiments by this Zambia Council for Social Development. Is this an NGO or just one of those Organisations with no vision. Okay what if the Minister was right that the debate of the constitution is just along the line of rail? Matter of facts it is. That accusing finger can actually be turned around. NGOs are funded not drive expensive vehicles but to reach where governments hands fell short. Matter of facts only you the learned few fuss about the constitution. People in villages fuss about farming inputs. Okay the fair game is to have both you NGOs and Government blamed. That finger is malicious! Remove the peck in your eyes first.

  12. The man is not hiding the fact that he has no teeth. He just gets on with life and cheeringly laughs his heart out…that has made me day

  13. Where there is a will there is way. How far FORWARD can you drive a car that is in a REVERSE GEAR? Well began is half done.

  14. THESE NGOS MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY WHEN THEY LET YALI GO FROM THAT GRAND COALITION. THOSE YOUNG LEADERS MEANT WELL FOR ZAMBIA AND LOOKS LIKE THEY WERE RIGHT. WE HAVE BEEN MISLED BY THE GRAND COALITION WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE LEARNT FROM YALI. I FEEL STUPID FOR FOLLOWING BLINDLY THIS GRAND COALITION. I NOW REALISE YALI WITH LITTLE MONEY HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE AND GOVERNMENT IS LISTENED TO THEM THAN THESE BIG ONES WHO JUST CHEW THE DONOR MONEY. THESE DONORS MUST BE FEELING DEFEATED. LISTEN MORE

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