Sunday, November 10, 2024

KABWE residents mandates lawmaker to support constitution Bill

Share

Kabwe's  Public Forum organised by the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) with the backing of the Constitutional Reform and Education Coalition (CRECO)
Kabwe’s Public Forum organised by the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) with the backing of the Constitutional Reform and Education Coalition (CRECO)

KABWE residents have told their member of parliament, Tutwa Ngulube, that they would support his support his stance to amend the Constitutional of Zambia if the deems the amendments will help strengthen democracy and improve governance in Zambia.

During a fully-packed Public Forum organised by the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) with the backing of the Constitutional Reform and Education Coalition (CRECO) held at 3 Seasons Hall in Kabwe on Friday, the Kabwe central lawmaker explained in detail the various provisions contained in the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No. 10 of 2019 and emphasised that President Lungu strives to leave a legacy where the Zambian people themselves determined the kind of supreme law they would want to have.

“Speaking as a lawyer and lawmaker, the current Constitution has serious ambiguities and challenges, which both the opposition parties, including the UPND, identified after 2106 elections and we all agreed the Constitution needs to be amended as matter of urgency. Surprisingly, the UPND leadership has continued on the same path since its formation of not wanting to support progressive efforts to perfect the constitution as long as it is not them driving the process,” said Mr. Ngulube.

Mr. Ngulube alleged that Mr. Hichilema and some UPND members of parliament have always being treacherous when it comes to amending the Constitution because they believe the constitution must only speak to what they personally want and never reach out to draw consensus when it comes to refining the country’s supreme law.

Explaining some provisions, Mr. Ngulube said the PF administration believes that Zambia must remain a Christian nation while upholding the right of other people to practice their religion. He said those opposed to entrenching the declaration of the Christian Nation wants to use the inconsistencies in the Constitution’s preamble to legalise gay behaviours and so have been funded to oppose the Bill which discourages these repugnant practices.

He also applauded the Chiefs, Bank of Zambia and Drug Enforcement Commission for making submissions which were all taken on board and never questioned by the National Dialogue Forum.

“Those who cry that Constitution wants to introduce a recognition of chiefs don’t know what challenges chiefs now have because of power hungry subjects who have brought wrangles in chiefdoms. Others are lying that Government wants to abolish the Financial Intelligence Centre but they must ask the Drug Enforcement Commission who made submissions to change their name to include the work they do in combating financial crimes but not to abolish FIC which the PF Government operationalised,” he said.

Meanwhile, YALI President Andrew Ntewewe said it was saddening that a named professor was flown into Zambia to coincide with the introduction of amendments to the Constitution in Parliament so they could spread lies that amendments to the Zambian Constitution have departed from international norms and practices on the Constitution when in fact the proposed amendments will fall in line with Constitutions that have stood the test of time.

“Only our parliament has the mandate to change the Constitution on your behalf and that is reason you elected them to speak on your behalf. You have heard lies in the past about this Bill from some evil-minded that the Bill will weaken the judges powers when it has been made to provide security of tenure when it comes to removal of judges but it will also ensure the Constitution lasts a lifetime without future amendments,” he said.

And CRECO Chairperson, Hyde Haguta, who is also MISA Zambia Vice Chairperson lambasted some opposition leaders who feel they must continue to bulldoze and frustrate the process of enacting the constitution just because they have so much money.

“As CRECO, we will do anything with the little resources we have to tell Zambians this Bill does not represent the views of Mr. [Edgar] Lungu or his government but it represents the voices of majority Zambians who spoke at different times and through the submissions they made. Those advocating for withdrawal of the Bill must go to Parliament and tell MPs which provisions they don’t want instead of throwing the Bill that has all good provisions.” Said Haguta.

Kabwe's Public Forum organised by the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) with the backing of the Constitutional Reform and Education Coalition (CRECO)
Kabwe’s Public Forum organised by the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) with the backing of the Constitutional Reform and Education Coalition (CRECO)
Kabwe's Public Forum organised by the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) with the backing of the Constitutional Reform and Education Coalition (CRECO)
Kabwe’s Public Forum organised by the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) with the backing of the Constitutional Reform and Education Coalition (CRECO)
Kabwe's Public Forum organised by the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) with the backing of the Constitutional Reform and Education Coalition (CRECO)
Kabwe’s Public Forum organised by the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) with the backing of the Constitutional Reform and Education Coalition (CRECO)

23 COMMENTS

  1. Tutwa is doing a good job and Mundubile explaining the Bill to the voters. Wish all could do same including opposition MPs

    • But why consult people when u have already made Bill. Working in reverse? Only good part is u now doing it and clarifying false info going round by hired guns. Big up!

    • By “kabwe residents” you mean PF cadres right? Guys even if you manage to manipulate the constitution, you wont love forever. Infact for some of you, death may be just round the corner. What lagacy will you leave for yourselves? You will be remembered with diadaidisdain like Mobutu, Idi Amini, Yaya Jameh and others who were sp desperate tp hold on to power that they sacrificed the rights of the common man to satiate heir lust for power and love of money. But anyway, its good that Ngulube has shown us his true colours. When he wanted a ministerial position he made a lot of noise as if he has principles.
      When the love of money has seized peoples hearts they will do anything to get it. They are like drug addicts. enslaved yet they dont know it.

    • Waiting for time to see YALI get Mwiimbu to meet people in Monze! Just thinking these re early campaigns. This YALI/CRECO must be stopped!

  2. We need put this Bill behind, let’s leave politics aside, pick some good things and leave out bad provisions. HH shouldnt hold us to ransom!

  3. The whole bill is ill-conceived and lacks consensus from key stakeholders. This is why Kabwe MP is explaining the bill now to residents, because they were not involved from the outset.
    The points of saying pick out the good and leave the bad provisions out lacks merit. The constitution is a supreme law and affects all citizens. Why should it be changed so often to suit the incumbent ruling elite? We had an amendment in 2016 which gave birth to 50+1 provision for president and this had general consensus, but now we want to include a coalition provision. Why coalition? So that the incumbent have a way -in if they lose? Then you want to strip BOZ of its oversight on the financial sector. What the heck; so you can print money? You want to take us to Zimbabwe? Why we cannot learn? #discard…

  4. Problem we have on this process is we have same voices talking for and against constitution, Chipenzi, Ntewewe, Laura, etc. Once those voices stop talking, this noise will be gone. We elected MPs to speak for us and not Ntewewe or Chipenzi. So lets Parliament decide

  5. Twutwa Ngulube is misleading Kabwe Residents. The current Constitution was passed by Parliament in 2016 so why amend it so soon? Yes there are Lacunas in the Current Constitution so deal with those Lacunas. Bill No. 10 has been Petitioned in Concourt so let Concourt hear the Petition and make a Ruling. After the Lungu Impeachment Bill was Petitioned the Speaker suspended debate on the Bill in Parliament pending a Verdict from the High Court. Why is Speaker Matibini Not treating the Bills in the same way? What is Good for the Goose is good for the Gander. Twutwa Ngulube and any MP who continues to process this Petitioned Bill will be found to be in Contempt of Concourt.

  6. Is this the way to explain something by attacking the opposition individuals? So what are Kabwe people agreeing on? Do they want deputy ministers back, strip BOZ of its major role of stabilizing the economy thru its monetary policies & oversight on financial sector, etc. Does attacking a certain professor make the amendments correct?

  7. Kabwe I would not be surprised. These are the same people that voted for PF based on the fake opening of Mulungushi Textiles. That is dullness.

  8. You call those who attended the meetings organized by Tutwa Nguluwe, Kabwe residents. You must be very dull is that the population of Kabwe. When did Kabwe residents form a constituency assembly where they agreed that they agree with their MP. Sometimes journalists you amaze me how you pick a headlines to a story. What we see in the picture above is not the entire populace of Kabwe. No referendum was held in Kabwe for you to start reporting that Kabwe residents have agreed to the nonsense in the NDF bill. May be you should have said the people who attended a meeting organized by YALI and Tutwa nguluwe have agreed to what he said. Don’t mislead us. Tutwa Nguluwe and YALI mwalimbikila bwanji, what are you fighting for? You are not the all knowing and only intelligentsia in Zambia. Does it…

  9. Why are we wasting money going to consult the people NOW, after the Bill No. 10 has already been tabled? This consultation was supposed to have happened BEFORE passing of the Bill. Widespread consultation wud have avoided this nonsense!! No to NDF resolutions passed by only 400 people.

  10. THOSE WHO ARE OPPOSED TO ANY AMMENDMENTS BY THE NDF ARE FREE TO MAKE THEIR SUGGESTIONS TO THE PARLIAMENTARY SELECT COMMITTEE GIVING CONVINCING REASONS. LET THEIR MPS ALSO DEBATE CONVINCINGLY WITH THEIR COLLEAGUES IN PARLIAMENT. UNFORTUNATELY IT IS PARLIAMENT WHICH MAKES LAWS. AND ZAMBIANS CHOSE THE MPS THEY WANTED WHETHER DULL OR CLEVER. DO NOT BLAME ANYONE IF YOU HAVE ONLY A FEW MPS. THE VOTERS DID NOT LIKE YOU. SO SHUT UP.

  11. Tutwa,Ntewewe are croocks assigned by their boss to confuse people so that they are convinced and support the CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT BILL #10.According to the video which i personally saw where Tutwa and Ntewewe organised a handful of Kabwe residents whom they hand picked from the streets and from the markets i did not listen these two crooks explain in details to the people why the need of changing the constitution.Tutwa and Ntewewe where just brabbing about the issue.The group which they (Tutwa and Ntewewe) gathered did not represent the Kabwe residents because most of them in that video were women and young ones who appeared to be confused and ignorant about the topic introduced to them and they don’t what is involved.So Tutwa and Ntewewe you can not say people have supported the…

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading