Chairperson for the Commission of Inquiry appointed to inquire into voting patterns and electoral violence that characterised the August 11, 2016 general elections has called on all civil society and citizens to support the process for the betterment of the country.
Commission Chairperson, Justice Munalula Lisimba stressed that contrary to assertions by some sections of society that the setting up of the Commission of Inquiry was a waste of resources,the appointment of the Commission of inquiry was necessary.
Justice Lisimba stated that through the commission of inquiry the victims of political violence would be provided an opportunity to voice their plight without any discrimination.
He affirmed that the commission remains committed to having as many hearings as possible, throughout the country so as to give an opportunity to as many Zambians as possible to have their voices heard on the matter.
The commission of inquiry chairperson thus called on civil society organisations to do their part in encouraging people to appear before the commission and testify.
According to a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday, Justice Lisimba was speaking during a meeting with civil society organisations on aimed at appraising them on the Commission’s mandate and terms of reference ahead of the commencement of the Commission’s public hearings on Monday next week.
“It is my conviction that the appointment of this Commission provides an opportunity to every Zambian to be heard on this new and negative phenomenon of violence in our democratic political dispensation in Zambia. It is our firm belief that by freely allowing people to speak out on what they saw or experienced, they will be healed.
“I hasten to state that the success of the work of this Commission of Inquiry, like others before, is solely dependent on people coming forward to speak out. If people do not to come forward, I am afraid that those who were hurt because of electoral violence will continue suffering in silence. This is an opportunity that Zambians cannot afford to miss,” he said.
The Commission chairperson also allayed fears raised by some the stakeholders in the meeting that would-be petitioners would be in danger at the hands of some unscrupulous people who may target them if they felt that the testimony to the Commission implicates them in wrongdoing.
He disclosed that the police command has assured the Commission that it will protect those who will make submissions to the Commission of Inquiry adding that petitioners will be free to use methods of submission that they will be most comfortable with.
“Those with video recorded evidence on electoral violence will be free to present such to the Commission of Inquiry.
“Submissions will be received on first come first served basis and Institutions, such as civil society organisations, are free and are encouraged to make institutional submissions on behalf of their constituents,” he said.
Justice Lisimba further reiterated that the Commission was non-partisan and it was not a consortium of representatives of political parties and it will conduct its inquiry in an impartial manner.
He has since encouraged stakeholders to attach and sponsor any number of their members to monitor the sittings.
President Edgar Lungu, appointed the Commission of Inquiry on Voting Patterns and Electoral Violence on 21st October, 2016.
The Commission was consequently sworn-in on 28th October, 2016 by the Honourable Lady Justice Ireen Mambilima, Chief Justice of the Republic of Zambia.
The mandate of the Commission is to inquire into the voting patterns in the general elections conducted from 2006 to 2016 and the electoral violence that characterised the 2016 general elections, in order to come up with recommendations that will prevent the occurrence of violence in future elections and ensure that voting outcomes are reflective of the people’s free will.
The Commission will tomorrow 16th December, 2016 meet representatives of political parties to appraise them on its mandate and terms of reference ahead of its first sittings next week on Monday, 19th, Tuesday, 20th and Wednesday 21st December, 2016 at Nakatindi hall at the Civic Centre in Lusaka.
Meaning? Utter nonsense and waste of time and meager resources
Utterly rubbish by the lazy bum gang leader
Americans need a bigger Commission of Inquiry on how Hillary Clinton lost the Presidency to Donald Trump but still won the majority vote by 2.8m votes. And why mostly minorities, women and urban dwellers voted for Clinton while rural rednecks voted for Trump. Do these dimwits not understand that Tongas, Lozis and people from NWP fully understood what Lungu meant when he said that bakachema could not rule Zambia? PF messages were tribal and divisive. That’s why they did not do well in bakachema areas.
Of course Lisimba will support this nonsense as it is more money in his pocket.
Considering my recent experience what guarantee is there that the report will be made public.
Maybe just sit in Lsk as most of the violence was there. If need be we’ll bring you our submissions from the regions.
I can predict the only contribution from the FDD, “we know the two parties who are causing violence. It is the PF and UPND. Our candidate in Namwala was injured by the UPND cadres. They should be disqualified from contesting in future elections.”
Another useless body of Lazy Lungu accumulating allowances….I am also yet to hear the position of heads of opposition parties on their MPs allownces imagine a Grade 12 getting 1500 per day for talking nonsense in National Assembly on top of everything…please reduce it 500 whoever complains can resign and see if there next job can match half of that.
Utterly rubbish
Indeed @ see, to me it is very ironic to read…..”the police command has assured the Commission that it will protect those who will make submissions to the Commission of Inquiry adding that petitioners will be free to use methods of submission that they will be most comfortable with.” The police abetted selective violence and were deaf as a stone to any complaint! How comfortable will those making submissions be with the police if not hold suspicion that any contributor raising issues leaning towards police incompetence will be targeted by the same police for punishment!
What an unnecessary waste of money. Both the ruling and opposition ruling parties know the root cause of violence, regional voting and apathy. There are better ways to use this money than giving allowances to these cadres on the commission. I am very disappointed what a waste of money. Nothing will come out of it. We won’t even see the results. Waste of money. My president ECL needs better advisors.
His advisors need a better President! Advisors cannot spend every day talking to an inebriated dimwit who does not understand a thing.
Are they all drinking together? President, advisors, cadres and all? They’re all getting inebriated?
This is very hard to believe you lying UPND minion
You president is his only advisor so blame him iwe sikeletoni
Hardcore PF members like Mr Kudos are beginning to have doubts about the crop of utterly worthless cadres surrounding it his Excellency. Mr Lungu needs better advisors otherwise the Greens under Sinkamba will take 2021.
Kaponya (HH) has no more years to extend his UPND mandate with his Satan. Edith Nawakwi has failed to gain country wide support
2016 vote Mr Kudos on LT for putting up the most spirited campaigns.
If the President reads LT through his OP shu shu shus he should get this from us die hard supporters:
Stop wasting the country’s money. Don’t think the people are happy to see you make mistakes.
Where are the other Ministerial sackings apart from Kambwili? We want the corruption out!
We know you are Kambwili yourself.
Time wasted will never be recovered equally money spent ll not be replaced….so I personally I don’t support rubbish wasting taxe payers money.
The level of decision making by the President’s advisors of late leaves a lot of to be desired. The low calibre of pronouncements by the President himself leave a lot to be desired.
As others have said here UTTER RUBBISH!
Your President advises himself. Only Kaiza Zulu is the only advisor he can listen to iwe chi Sikelotoni
That’s terrible to rubbish there’s no way EDGAR can set up a commission of enquiry which favours him. there’s no point of doing this you’re wasting taxpayers money *****s.
STOP.
Guys just go and submit at the enquiry. The fact that you are able to comment means you have something to contribute to the betterment of this country.
Buck Teeth watch your dirty mouth. Why do you keep insulting people from Western, Southern and Notth Western Province? Learn to present issues in a respective manner. Zambia is for all of us irrespective of where one comes from. Tongas are eligible to govern this country. Stop your rottenness.
Buck teeth is a barotse and has not insulted anyone from those areas. Ubushize ndate. Bala uiketile.
It’s a waste of money and time when every body knows Lungu promotes and thrives on violence. Without pangas he wouldn’t have managed to steal the election. You don’t need a commission to look into the obvious.
Just submit imwe ba UPNDonkey party. And when the commission goes to Namwala it will be able to make a proper conclusion because it will be “displaced” and rescued by DMMU. It’s a tribal cleansing thats all.
Havent you seen HHs pattern of revenge? First target was arson attacks on markets that received presidential empowerment funds, and thise businesses which supported PF like Melissa supermarket etc, those learning institution which refused to support HH, then power black out to those provinces who voted for PF. You think I m joking? If you read HH s statemwnt yesterday, he hinted at being arrested for treason. He knows what he has done and a few of his mushalas have been arrested. Its called “The guilty are afraid”.
Let them try to use a chopper in shiwang’andu, those uncivilized natives will think it’s a bird and throw all kinds of uncivilized missiles at it.
I would like to join all those condemning this nonsense of setting up a commission of inquiry when we all know the reasons for tribal voting and electoral violence. The two biggest political parties(PF and UPND) were busy preaching tribalism but violence was mostly perpetrated by PF.So what is there to inquire? It’s just people wanting to pass time and earn allowances. Nonsense!
the report Will be shelved like many other reports, its a waste of time and money.
I pity Lungu for accepting a job he least understand. He looks so s.t.u.p.I.d with his everyday petty pronouncements.
This Government sucks big time.Wat a group of *****s masquerading as leaders.
ADMIN ; u now working ka,, gud+ hope u aslo filter other insults & tribal comments on ths site.
We should learn to be flexible enough to disown and condemn worthless projects devoid of priority only meant to squander our meagre resources. Lets not be partakers in the nation’s economic decay out of sheer ignorant political sycophancy. Without fear of contradiction, the findings of this costly inquiry will just gather dust in office shelves.
WE FIRST NEED A COMMISSION FOR:
1.RIGGING ALLEGATIONS
2. POLICE BRUTALITY AGAINST THE OPPOSITION.
WE WANT TO KNOW WHO ALLOWED THE USE OF PANGAS IN POLITICS….these people are evil….they resolved to fight good people……
non-partisan? It is money making in an impoverished economy
To investigate voting patterns and violence. So if the commission concludes that people voted according to their wishes (fellow tribesmen or otherwise), what is going to happen?
This is just a waste of time and Financial Resources becoz we know that most of the violence was State Sponsored and by the PF Party. Edward and PF cannot investigate themselves. This is just a cover up for their violent Acts and misdeed. Up to 2000 UPND Supporters are in jail for crimes they did not commit. This is a Commission appointed by the illegitimate Edward and as such people should not bother legitimizing this illegal and useless Commission. In anycase the Report of this Commission will never be made public by the illegitimate Edward. Right now Edward is sending his soldiers and Police to harrass and beat up UPND supporters and violating their Rights to be heard. Under the illegal and illegitimate Edward,Zambia has been turned into a Police and failed State. Period.
If you were not affected, it is just one of the stories.
However we should consider those who lost property and some members of their families.
That cannot be a waste money.
If you lost your hard earned business, that cannot just go by the way. Some must be responsible for any loss.
People must be considerate you can’t just go on rampage because of a game and think nothing will happen to you.
Politicians need to be accountable for what they do ,some people who lost their property are not even politicians, they are innocent citizens who were doing their national duties.
You can’t just rubbish that jokingly, when someone is crying you are laughing.
Politicians need to act as civilised people not to behave like animals with no remorse.
Who is the president of mother Zambia?
edgar lungu
Why did peoples foult chose him?
Because his a friend to musebeni of Uganda and he is a street man.
pf don’t surely think, edgar lungu a dranked man who faild his law campany to rule?
This is a lot of nonsense first fire those people at ECZ.
Yet another waste of time and money. Cry the beloved country!!
The most important thing the Nation should know is who will win the fight between Max and Inno.
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