THE Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) in Livingstone has urged Law makers to quickly table the Access to Information Bill which has been in the pipeline for many years to enhance access to public information.
JCTR Livingstone outreach Regional officer George Makaha said there was need enact the legislation as accessing information by citizens was not easy because most of it was considered to be classified.
Speaking in an interview in Livingstone yesterday, Mr Makaha said such a situation had deprived citizens of their right to access information on matters which might have of interest to them.
He said his organisation and other partners such as Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) had come together and started advocating for the bill through community sensitisation.
“We are going out in communities educating people on this very important bill.
“Even if it will not be tabled in this last sitting of the year session, we are not going to stop mobilising for it until the current parliamentary sitting tables it,” he said.
Mr Makaha said the advocacy was not about information which boarded national security but that which had to do with how development was delivered to the people of Zambia.
“All we want is to protect our citizens from been misled by leaders on how the country is been run.
“We want a situation where when the Connstituency Development Fund (CDF) is released for example, people must be informed adequately on how the money will be spent and so on,” Mr Makaha said.
Yes, and then we will get some answers.
Like how much money has been spent on MEDICAL TOURISM by PF on Sata, and their friends and relatives? While there is no money for nurses and rural clinics!
Probably enough to build several UTHs!
Selfish corrupt people stealing poor taxpayers money for themselves. THIS MUST STOP NOW!
Vote wisely August 2016!
VIVA HH 2016
I agree with this. We must have more power to track Public Funds. The next direction of growth for Zambia should be Transparency.
This bill if passed will not only inform the public, but it will also minimise headless decisions made by public office bearers. IT IS A MUST FOR ZAMBIANS if democracy is to be enhanced.