Thursday, March 28, 2024

Promotion of tribalism amounts to discrimination under the Constitution, LAZ warns Politicians

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Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has expressed deep concern at the continued issuance of tribal remarks by politicians as they jostle for support ahead of the upcoming Presidential and General Elections.

In a statement released to the media today and signed by Sokwani Peter Chilembo, the nonary secretary, LAZ said that the promotion of tribalism amounts to discrimination under the Constitution and has the further unfortunate effect of increasing the political tensions and threatens peace in the country before, during and after elections, which LAZ, with other stakeholders has continued to promote.

Citing Former Cabinet Minister and member of the ruling Patriotic Front (PF), Mr. Chishimba Kambwili as an example captured on a video making tribal remarks against Tonga speaking people, LAZ said that promosotion of tribalism is also an affront to citizens’ rights and liberties.

Below is the full statement

PRESS RELEASE BY THE LAW ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA

(CONDEMNING TRIBAL REMARKS BY POLITICIANS)

The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ), has observed, with deep concern, the continued issuance of tribal remarks by politicians as they jostle for support ahead of the upcoming Presidential and General Elections. Former Cabinet Minister and member of the ruling Patriotic Front (PF), Mr. Chishimba Kambwili, for instance, has been captured on video making tribal remarks against Tonga speaking people.

Buoyed by its objects under section 4 of Law Association of Zambia Act, Chapter 31 of the Laws of Zambia, its founding statute, LAZ is duty bound to promote the rule of law in the conduct of national affairs, including election campaigns.

Non-discrimination is one of the named national values and principles under Article 8 of the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act, 2016 and it is LAZ’s settled expectation that political players, irrespective of which party they hail from, will conduct their campaigns for election to public offices, established by the same Constitution, in a manner that respects the values and principles espoused thereunder.

Promotion of tribalism amounts to discrimination under the Constitution and has the further unfortunate effect of increasing the political tensions and threatens peace in the country before, during and after elections, which LAZ, with other stakeholders has continued to promote. It is also an affront to citizens’ rights and liberties.

Tribal remarks, in any form, must be avoided especially coming at the backdrop of the passing of the first Republican President, His Excellency Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda, who dedicated his life to the promotion of non-discrimination in our famed national motto of “One Zambia, One Nation”.

LAZ therefore, calls on Mr. Kambwili and all other political players to desist from uttering tribal remarks. LAZ remains committed to seeking the advancement of the rule of law and of the rights and liberties of citizens as well as entrenching constitutionalism and democratic practices in the country.

Dated this 30 th day of June, 2021.
________________________________
Sokwani Peter Chilembo
HONORARY SECRETARY

27 COMMENTS

  1. All this under the humble ones watch……

    Worst corruption, worst debt , worst tribal divisions under lungu ……

    How can we also forget that for the first time in our history, Zambians were being gassed and burned alive in our streets under the same moron fraud convict president….

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  2. Southern province voted 98% for UPND, no opposition MP was voted for in the entire province. Every Tonga you know is UPND, those that are not are vilified by their fellow tribesmen as traitors. How is it tribal to state the obvious? The statistics on voting patterns for southern Province speak for themselves. How then can you censor Mr Kambwili for stating facts?

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  3. And fome bottom feeder asks me why I hate lungu ????

    How can a president aid and abet such tribal attacks ??

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  4. Spaka people are not foolish to see who is actually behind those things. If you don’t know it’s not the ruling party.

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  5. The Police should arrest him.
    CK is not only a danger to the PF but to the country and his Childrens’ Children.

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  6. Meanwhile the inept leader is fast asleep in his sick bed nursing unknown illnesses in State House ….BUFFOON CK was politically finished the moment he went back to PF and what PF see in him now is unknown…the fat chap is singlehandedly decamping them with his big mouth.

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  7. WHEN THERE IS A DICTATORSHIP IN THE MAKING
    THE POLICE LAZ AND CONCOURT ALL BECOME IRRELIVANT
    ISNT THIS THE CASE NOW ???
    AND THE PRESIDENT WHERE IS HE ??? CAN ONE BE BLAMED FOR THINKING HE IS IN A COMA, INCAPACITATED,
    OR EVEN CONFINED TO STATED HOUSE BY THE REBELS IN HIS CIRCLE ???

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  8. WHEN THERE IS A D1CTATORS1IP IN THE MAKING
    THE POLICE LAZ AND CONCOURT ALL BECOME IRRELIVANT
    ISNT THIS THE CASE NOW ???
    AND THE PRESIDENT WHERE IS HE ??? CAN ONE BE BLAMED FOR THINKING HE IS IN A COMA, 1NCAPAC1TATED,
    OR EVEN CONFINED TO STATED HOUSE BY THE opposes IN HIS CIRCLE ???

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  9. Umwine wachisushi CK want to turn Zambia into the Rwanda of 1994, were about 800,000 people were slaughtered because of tribalism . He must be caged

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  10. Tribalism was started by that party that said only a t.o.n.g.a can rule them.

    I would like to inform my followers that today there was an attempt to hack my system and account via this forum. Luckily using this UK IP address protected my sensitive government data.

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  11. In TZ their tribe is Tanzanian they ove each other regardless of their tribes They intermarry randomly regardless of their tribes or backgrounds. They help each other regardless of their tribes. They elect their leaders regardless of their tribes and backgrounds.
    Zambia can learn from this!

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  12. In TZ their tribe is Tanzanian they LOVE & RESPECT each other regardless of their tribes They intermarry randomly regardless of their tribes or backgrounds. They help each other regardless of their tribes. They elect their leaders regardless of their tribes and backgrounds.
    Zambia can learn from this!

  13. Do people still listen to this monster? He should be in a zoo at mundawanga. Kanganja should exercise his powers because we are tired of warnings. This thing should not think it’s untouchable.

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  14. #14  FutureZed 
    June 30, 2021 At 10:52 pm

    You ka KafureZed……..

    You are supposed to have a president to stop this tribal warfare brewing ?

    You were asking me what lungu has done me wrong ??

    Zambia is supposed to have a leader to stop this nonsense

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  15. It’s like LAZ is now upnd…The problem we have in Zambia is we easily forget..Mr Hichilema the only leader of a political party who practice tribalism, How many of do remember how he insulted Southern province chiefs for welcoming bembas, Hichilema has taken the lovely people of southern province hostage, Upnd is the only party that made a statement that only it’s tribe mate can rule or lead the party, I have never heard such in UNIP,MMD,PF, HERITAGE PARTY so who his practicing Tribalism. The PF members who where doing door to door campaigns were stoned in Southern province and LAZ was mute this is unfair,Have we not heard of statements such as it’s time of Tongas to rule! By the way this demon of tribe started when Hichilema became president of the under5 party during the late…

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  16. Well done LAZ. PF is done and dusted. Zambians have decided already who to vote for. CK is a tyrant full of wicked insults to the Zambian people. He should be tamed.

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  17. Tribalism is very much alive here whether Kambwili promotes it or not. What do you call an election where a person gets 100percent of the vote from his province? Yes Kambwili is wrong but don’t ignore the the elephant in the room.

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  18. But you loved him when he ditched the PF. You used him at your campaign rallies. You supported in the Roan by-election. Were your eyes shut then? Come on people for a change do a self examination.

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  19. Jet you are right. The LAZ is composed of fickle minds. Everyone from the opposition LAZ included warmly welcomed Kambwili when he ditched the PF. So what they complaining about?

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  20. @Ndoleshafye…a DC on the copperbelt has joined Upnd after failing to get a new contract. He’s from someone’s tribe. And people still don’t see this?

  21. @Spaka, why ubufontini so? Kambwili ni gelo wako? Are you telling me that it’s the president’s job to stop your nonsensical behaviour here? Get a life.
    Where was I…oh we discussing that criminal who claimed to have had tea with the queen. There was a signed petition barring him from entering the UK because of his rhetoric and hate speech. ZP don’t waste time with such animals, cage them.

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  22. Chishimba needed to be stopped; that’s not politics; it’s hurting the country we all call home. Voting for a Tonga by a Tonga is just a favour not Tribalism. In the USA candidate normally win their home states by an overwhelming majority.

  23. LAZ and ECZ have not acted professionally. We do not need this kind of guidance, it is CHEAP and very retrogressive.

  24. “Not all Muslims are terrorists but all terrorists who attacked the US were muslims”, one American was misunderstood for saying this. So now ba LAZ’o what is your issue with CK’s factual explanation of real facts on the ground. Should people now be scared of stating documented facts.
    A fact is a fact, whether you sugarcoat with sentiments of whatever kind, so it remains a fact.
    The problem is that you’re really overthinking and overreacting and overstating your misunderstanding.
    May the good lord help you.
    I am back to give PF my vote and they are winning big anso.

  25. Tribalism in Zambia will begin to be tackled when the party that rose through tribal sentiments denounces it. For as long as HH is mute on tribalism we shall continue to live under that cloud. Hakainde needs to talk against tribalism with the same vigour that he does against corruption. HH is only happy if other tribes help him to go to state house. The best HH would have done for our great nation is to tell his subjects to ascribe to democratic principles and not tribalism. HH has worn in other provinces but you cannot say the same for other political leaders. Kambwili is a very dull chap, he does not know how to explain things and so his moth is his greatest enemy.

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