The Patriotic Front (PF) is gravely concerned with the reports that we are receiving that some Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working in collusion with the Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) Alliance are working and engaging with a view to frustrate a well intended effort by government to table the National Dialogue Forum Bill before Parliament.
We are reliably informed that the CSOs are meeting at a named Lodge in Lusaka where this evil plan is being hatched.
We urge these CSOs and its leaders to put the interests of the people of Zambia first ahead of partisan interest!
The Zambian people should be reminded that had it not been the politicisation of the governance reforms and the antagonist position taken by the CSOs, this country would have had a powerful and effective Bill of Rights. Sadly, simply because of partisan and sectarian interests some CSOs working in collusion with UPND shot down the bill of rights in 2016 which was meant guarantee citizens fundamental rights!
Zambians have not forgotten, that the same CSOs working under the Umbrella body called the Grand Coalition frustrated government efforts and ensured that the bill of rights failed to meet the threshold stipulated in the Republican Constitution.
The Zambian people should be reminded once again that had it not been for the political will, resilience and hardwork of the PF government the 2016 amended constitution with very progressive clauses would not have been passed. The same CSOs boycotted participation at the Committee Stage in Parliament in an effort to shoot down a progressive bill.
As a party, we wonder, what is the actual motive of these CSOs? Because it is now becoming apparent that this is not about the governance reforms!
The reforms that government is implementing are well elaborated in the party manifesto of the Patriotic Front! We promised the Zambian people that we would amend the Constitution, the Public Order Act and all the other key reforms that we outlined to the people when we were campaigning!
We are aware that these CSOs have been receiving funding from donors to push for legislative reforms that entrench democratic governance in Zambia.
We ask the question; are these not the reforms that CSOs have been advocating and lobbying for, for the past 28 years since we attained multiparty democracy?
We have been told time and again that there is shrinking democratic space, which of course has not been substantiated by empirical data; but again we ask why would these organisations go to all this length demanding for the amendment of these pieces of legislation meant to widen political participation and then all of a sudden turn round to try and frustrate the same effort by government?
This is hypocrisy of the worst kind!
Its sad that they are making advocacy and lobbying a fund raising venture for their personal gain at the expense if the people of Zambia!
As for the Patriotic Front, we remain committed and resolute to meet the aspirations of the people of Zambia.
The President of the Republic of Zambia, who is also our party President, His Excellency Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu is determined to ensure that all governance reforms that aimed at increasing political participation and bettering accountability and service delivery become a reality! No amount of distraction will sway our resolve to ensure that we meet the aspirations of the people of Zambia! The Patriotic Front owes it to the Zambian people to ensure that the governance reforms agenda becomes a reality.
We also want to put it on record that as a party we are determined that when President Edgar Chagwa Lungu leaves office in 2026, one of the key legacies of his Presidency will be the fulfilment of an effective governance system that puts the Zambian people at pinnacle of decision making!!
Lastly, we wish to remind our colleagues in civil society and their allies in the UPND of an old maxim that says “process protects the content”. We want to be clear that all processes to amend the Constitution and all the other subsidiary legislation will done in accordance with the prescribed methodology espoused in the supreme law of the land! The National Dialogue Forum is a creation of Parliament hence its resolutions will still require ratification of Parliament. The Constitution is clear that Parliament is the legitimate people’s voice and hence the only body mandated by law and the people of Zambia to make and amend laws!!
The shall be no shortcuts! Our government is the government of Laws!!!
Issued by:
Sunday Chanda
Media Director
Patriotic Front
Party Headquarters
You know things are bad when you completely lose the support of CSO’s
I AM STRUGGLING TO UNDERSTAND WHY YOU ARE WORRYING YOUR PRETTY HEAD CHANDA.
The beautiful people of this great nation have given you the mandate to govern the country’s affairs outrightly. Push for progressive reforms on various subjects within the realm of your capabilities. I believe there are other progressive CSO out there who mean well. For those you accuse are receiving donor cash with strings attached, come on man, come on. Government is big. Doesn’t the country have the mechanism and policies that govern donor money flowing in Zambia; trace and monitor sources of these moneys. Every registered organisation in Zambia has an agenda, the last thing you need is an NGO turning political. You have the numbers in parliament and so I see no reason why you should plead to work with…
.. ungovernables.
@Thorn in the Flesh, Monday Chanda knows tha PF will require two thirds majority in parliament to pass this rubb!sh and then later mutilate the constituition. We are saying we would rather keep it the way its than worsen it further. Remember ‘the devil you know is better than an angel you don’t know’.
“……Sadly, simply because of partisan and sectarian interest some CSOs working in collusion with UPND shot down the bill of rights in 2016……”
This statement means that in 2016,the voting people of Zambia managed to differentiate Presidential ballot papers on one side and the bill of rights on the other.Zambians do not vote like that.We only see things either black or white.We either accept everything or reject everything.Zambians either rejected PF together with the bill or accepted PF with it.Someone must have rigged those elections and didn’t care to rig the bill because it would be expensive to implement anyway.I was not around in 2016.Can anyone (esp.Thorn in the Flesh)shade light why my suspicions would be wrong.I want to understand this bit of those elections
My advice is get over it son. Don’t make me open the pandora box. You were not there and that is what is important. Insinuations and innuendos may not be so helpful at the moment.
If you don’t want the repeat of your pain last time, work to clean up lacunas in the Constitution. That is what is important. Have a good day.
This is a well known fact .some CSO useless
U.s.e.l.e.s.s
Vuvuzela Sunday Chanda talking rubbish again! Which Zambian government in the history has the highest record of abuse of people’s rights in the country, intolerance, disrespect for the rule of law, abuse of office, plunder, massive punishment of citizens thru heavy taxation, destruction of education on our country thru removal of meal allowances and not awarding deserving Zambian children with bursaries? Which political party in Zambia has maimed its political opponents?
Why is this person given a platform to be heard, he is very confrontational and inflammatory – a sure recipe for violence. I am PF but this one is a crystal clear lost cause, lets find another media Director, PF for life
EVEN ON SCHOOL PLAY GROUNDS YOU CAN’T GET THIS LOW LEVEL THINKING. IM REMINDED OF;
A Dog, crossing a bridge over a stream with a piece of flesh in his mouth, saw his own shadow in the water and took it for that of another Dog, with a piece of meat double his own in size. He immediately let go of his own, and fiercely attacked the other Dog to get his larger piece from him. He thus lost both: that which he grasped at in the water, because it was a shadow; and his own, because the stream swept it away.
Ba Chanda you’re our PF media director not government spokesman. So please stop commenting on behalf of the government of Zambia.
your party and Government are both chipantepante because you have a headless leader mune.
Monday Chanda leave constitutional matters to people with the grooming for them and better stay in your lane.
These issues are beyond your pay grade.
Trying so hard to perpetuate your partys stay in power by hook or crook ,taikana iyo!.By giving your party the mandate to rule it does not mean their must be a lark of consensus with all stake holders,you guys have messed up and the nation is bleeding and all you want is to be given rounds of applause yet you can not face facts , accept responsibility and above all resign and give people with the right skill set to grow the economy.
Comment:That’s what happens when you are in power. When PF was in opposition, it enjoyed the support of some CSOs, including the church. Telesphore Mpundu was a close ally of the PF.
So, I urge you to work on whatever it is that is causing the CSOs to work with the opposition. Infact, don’t worry about the UPND and the CSOs.
I like this guy but the problem is his mouth. Very educated individual that lacks common sense.
Sunday Chanda is spot on…these CSOs are externally funded and will always push a foreign agenda and not one that’s in the best interest of Zambians.
which is
I seriously feel sorry for these UPND zealots masquerading as concerned citizens here. Some people commenting here are actually the same CSOs Sunday Chanda has exposed….you want to sell out a country because of donor money.
You’re right Chipimo Senior, these people know that once the Public Order Act is amended, they’ll have no justification to request for donor funds. CSOs want the status quo to continue because it serves their interest…so Sunday Chanda is very correct, no wonder CSO leaders here hiding behind pseudo names are reacting with such anger.
FOR ME I WANT TO HEAR THE POSITION OF THESE CSOS ON THE DIALOGUE BILL TO SEE IF IT’LL PROVE CHANDA WRONG.
CHANDA IS SAYING THESE DONOR FUNDED CSOS ARE AGAINST THE DIALOGUE BILL, THEY’RE SPEAKING THE SAME LANGUAGE AS UPND….WHAT DO THE CSOS GOT TO SAY?
Hichilema is an enemy of constitutional REFORMS…he did in 2001, he killed the Bill of Rights in 2016 and is not interested in Constitutional amendments….he’s a misfit for office
Sunday is the best media Director PF has ever had…Past media directors could not be felt except to kolopa …Sunday has redefined the office of media Director and maybe he’s the longest serving media Director….that job is not for small boys….in this article, Sunday puts CSOs in the dock…they stand accused, let them EXCULPATE themselves….why is it that Sunday’s articles have more comments? Because UPND bloggers are on them to discredit them….
Exculpate themselves over what
How can CSOs stop the Govt from Tabling the Amended Bill on the Order Paper in Parliament? Chanda is lying and doesn’t understand Parliamentary Procedures. Its only MPs who will debate and pass the Bill into an Act of Parliament. This is a Constitutional Amendment Bill which requires a 2/3 majority. UPND MPs will have to vote in favour of this Bill for the 2/3 Majority to be attained. UNDP MPs won’t vote for the Bill so PF has another trick to override the UPND Veto. Time will tell.
Musa, you know that Chanda is telling the truth. You are one of the CSOs working to frustrate the bill because it works against your organization getting donor funding.
What is the position of CSOs if Sunday Chanda is lying? Is the position different from that of Hichilema? Sadly Hichilema has bought CSOs through Chipenzi and Bishop John mambos’ NGO
It is characters like Musa who are problems. Why are CSOs against reforms to Constitution, POA and Electoral Act?
Ba UPND kuwayawayafye…these same CSOs under their grand coalition worked with UPND to campaign against the referendum on the Bill of Rights but still they lost with HH…where is grand coalition today?? Same agenda, different names…today they’re called CISCA and GEARS but still same individuals who want these issues to continue so they chewing donor funding. Shame
Here in Choma, I’d rather trust Edgar Lungu with Constitution Amendments than an enemy of constitutionalism like Sammy Hakainde Hichilema Chintombwa.
The UPND leader has contaminated politics in Zambia. He wants to divide Zambia into bantustans. We had Anderson Kambela Mazoka, we never saw this amount of political polarization in Zambia. Zambians open your eyes, some of us know Hichilema better. Dont be misled.
Long live Constitutional reforms !
@Thorn(1.5)
Pandora’s box,lacuna’s,blah,blah..and you run.ok,I will let you go.Anyone else please?Jay Jay,perhaps?
The problem is that the csos is quite when it comes to the insult of their so called alliance insulting the elected President of the nation