The Civil Society Constitution Agenda (CiSCA) has said that it is hopeful that President-Elect Hakainde Hichilema’s maiden press briefing on 16th August 2021 set a progressive tone of pledging his administration’s upholding of human rights, constitutionalism, non-interference in state institutions, zero tolerance to cadre terror, non-tolerance to corruption, promotion of unity and most critical, revamping the economy.
In a statement issued to the media, CiSCA said that Zambians have heard these good intentions before and that the proof is in the pudding. Among the demands being made is the scraping of ZICTA, IBA and NHIMA, and the restoration of the Post Newspapers and Prime television
CiSCA ON HH’S VICTORY IN THE 12TH AUGUST 2021 GENERAL ELECTIONS
Lusaka, 17 August 2021: The Civil Society Constitution Agenda (CiSCA) congratulates the people of Zambia for once again demonstrating to ourselves and others of our unshakable belief in democracy. The large numbers that voted and in doing so unequivocally replaced a corrupt stifling dictatorship of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu with that of the President Elect Hakainde Hichilema under very oppressive and repressive conditions is nothing short of a miracle.
CiSCA wholeheartedly congratulates the United Party for National Development for affirming the tenets of democracy by the Party’s consistency, perseverance in the harsh environment of the opposition among most of the party’s rank and file when it was far much easier for individuals to defect to the ruling party because it was the only party with a ‘clear development agenda,‘ as per the defecting mantra.
CiSCA is hopeful that the President Elect’s maiden press briefing on 16th August 2021 set a progressive tone of pledging his administration’s upholding of human rights, constitutionalism, non-interference in state institutions, zero tolerance to cadre terror, non-tolerance to corruption, promotion of unity and most critical, revamping the economy. All these a positive marked departure from what was prevailing in the previous regime leading to Zambians resounding rejection on the 12th of August 2021. However, like the English adage goes, ‘the proof is in the pudding,’ because Zambians have heard these good intentions before.
Other than the previous ruling parties, CiSCA contends that the other parties’ loss was not an outright rejection by the Zambian people but fitting into the election’s trajectory of giving a chance to the longest serving opposition party. Therefore, to the other candidates CiSCA asks you to stay focused and be consistent and we the Zambian people who have the ultimate authority will give you a chance in the future.
In congratulating HH, CiSCA has the following asks:
Constitution
As per the UPND’s manifesto, CiSCA would like to see the immediate revisiting and hopefully final people driven review of our Constitution not only to deal with the lacunas that were caused by PF dominated National Assembly’s cherry picking of the so called non-controversial provisions in the final draft of the Technical Committee on the Constitution but also to comprehensively expand the Bill of Rights to include economic social and cultural rights. The Bill of Rights to further include special rights for the usually marginalized sectors of our society. However, this should be done through building consensus among citizens if the new constitutional order is to engender loyalty and legitimacy.
Electoral Commission of Zambia
As per the new ruling party’s manifesto, CiSCA requests the immediate prioritizing the strengthening of the Electoral Commission of Zambia by guaranteeing not only its independence but also strengthening its capacity. The high levels of anxiety that each general election brings to this nation is unacceptable in the digital age. There is too much hustle and bumbling from registration, to campaigns, to voting, to counting and announcements. Voter education should be continuous and not be an event. The number of spoiled ballots at 124,906 thus far recorded, far surpassing the collective number of votes for numbers 3 to 15 presidential candidates is not only embarrassing but is a violation of the right to vote.
Corruption
CiSCA noted the President Elect’s assurance of the safety of the outgoing President and his cohort. Well and good but there is unfinished business with the Zambians. We want all the funds stolen back to a ngwee. Mr. President Elect you can cozy up all you like but recover and give us back our money! Use it to improve our schools so as they look like real learning centres and not deserted beehives! Pay our retirees immediately! Zambia being among the 5 hungriest nations in the world as per the Global Hunger Index, use the money to expand the numbers of social cash transfers beneficiaries. CiSCA is happy that the usual suspects aligned to grand theft won Parliamentary seats and therefore they are within reach of retrieving our money. CiSCA contends that they probably used our money to lay out massive campaigns that poor hungry voters could not resist and therefore leading to their victory. We want each and every coin back in our public coffers.
Unity
CiSCA applauds the President Elect’s intention of uniting the nation from the worst polarisations that Zambia has ever had the misfortune to experience. Nonetheless, CiSCA has noted that in Zambia there is a kafkan type of metamorphosis after each election when the losing side and violent cadres suddenly disappear only to remerge in the ruling party. This has contributed to former ruling parties going into oblivion immediately after losing power and just existing by name. This has also contributed to a weakening of our democracy by ruling parties desperately making serious sometimes criminal efforts to hang on to power at whatever cost. Therefore, CiSCA urges the new ruling party not to embrace former PF members no matter how lowly they claim they want to contribute or to work with your party. Thank them for the offer but reject them. Yes politics is about numbers and you have your numbers. Your necessary numbers are the millions that voted for you. Kwamana! Toxic politicians should remain ku wire. The nation knows who these are.
The Media
Mr. President we as CiSCA are happy that in your maiden speech there was some connotation of Zambia finally getting our Right to Information Act. We therefore request you to show goodwill by restoring the Post Newspaper’s assets to the owner and work out a payment plan for the proprietor(s) for the unpaid taxes as per the court ruling. Restore Prime Television. Restructure, rebrand and commercialize the public media houses such as Times of Zambia, Daily Mail and Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation to give confidence to us the public. In their current forms and organizational cultures these media houses are untenable. Maintain ZANIS for government information.
ZICTA, NHIMA, IBA
CiSCA requests you Mr. President to disband authorities that just serve the purpose of providing employment to supporters or ruling party sympathizers and place their functions in the relevant government ministries.
Judith Mulenga
CiSCA Chairperson
I agree with most that CiSCA reiterates. Disbanding ZICTA, IBA, etc seems the wrong approach though: these organisations have a legitimate function, only they were highjacked by Edgar China Lungu and his corrupt party. Remove all the PF cadres, appoint an MD with integrity and start afresh – seems a better idea. The same applies with the parastatals (ZESCO, ZNBC to name a few) and genuine government organisations like ZRA, ZP, the military: get rid of the artificial directors and heads which remotely smell like PF and give them a new agenda.
KZ where are you to comment and insult us. You thought Zambia was your father’s backyard.
Come to think of it, the IDC owns and runs most of those parastatals, and is riddled with PF criminal cadres. I even doubt whether there is even one legitimate manager inside IDC. So totally abolishing that would probably going a long way of restoring normality!
Well said madam. Our president elect please listen to this wise woman. PF members please start bringing back 100% of the money belonging to Zambians. This is money for all Zambians. Furthermore, answer to Zambians why you abuse authority through the courts of laws.
Good.i agree.
Also chiefs must remain in their palaces not to be politicians.pf reduced chiefs to politicians.you can see the guiltiness is their eyes
Hoping you will be given a parliamentary seat
They have started…. these are mere mortals, they are not gods, please don’t put too many demands on them. They may find things different from the inside.
Chipasha I never thought zambia was my father’s backside. What I know is that it is not a tall-ngas backside. Don’t think those red votes outside of southern will remain so in 5 year’s time when they realise how tribal hh is. The violence is worse since he was announced as elect. Wait to see what happens after inauguration. Zambia will burn under his leadership. Mark my words
“The number of spoiled ballots at 124,906 thus far recorded, far surpassing the collective number of votes for numbers 3 to 15 presidential candidates is not only embarrassing but is a violation of the right to vote.”
Amen to that! The number of spoiled ballots is almost 2% of total registered voters and larger than the margin of victory in 2016. So many people should not be disenfranchised.
Can a liquidated company be reinstated?
Post and prime are private enterprises. It is their owners to bring them back please.
I think there is nothing wrong with the institutions but they must be left alone to professionally do their work. What is wrong is to use these institutions to go at those that have opposing views. As for media houses that were closed, it is up to them to reapply. It is not the president to reinstate them. That would be ultra vires. Let the system as designed to function do its job. Asking the president to do that is again endorsing that the president can interfere in the functions of these agencies. The separation of powers must now be respected and enabled to do its work in the spirit of one Zambia One Nation One people.
@Eye of an Eagle… it’s sad to see how far people can go to demonize other people. Those institutions as you pointed are important and essential and they exist even in developed countries. It’s the way they are used or abused that should be the issue. Institutions cannot operate without a controlling body. Infact it’s not Lungu who created these bodies, they were created long before he became president. If he abused them, it was him who was wrong not these bodies.
Faka pressure paka Kaizar apolike
Is the mutual exclusive existence of NRFA and RDA necessary? Cannot they exist and perform there functions as one?
Agreed with most of your suggestions, particularly on the return of stolen money; cadres rearing their head and ZNBC.
You forgot that Kangaroo court called the ConCourt; the abuse of the police and abolition of the Public Order Act.
What we need is proper separation of powers of the 3 arms of govt… plz use Botswana as your model and not d!ctat0rs like Mu7.
And yes HH has an overwhelming amount of support from the Zambian people and he derives his mandate from that, so he doesn’t need cadres to insulate him… he weathered the storm within his own party so he doesn’t have to fear his own shadow of someone overthrowing him from within. So he can really lead by doing good by the people and not worry about anything.
As for the UK based troll who thinks he is Kaizar Zulu, just ignore it… it craves attention. FYI that’s Mushota masquerading as Kaizar Zulu… you can do what he did by registering your email with WordPress and uploading Kaizar Zulu picture and post by adding your WordPress registered email.
well said, the law should visit mr lungu and his cadres such as kz they must pay and be offered free accomodation at our fine prison cells we need all plundered resources returned not forgetting national land taken by tasila they all must pay.
Governing an african govt is a curse. very soon they will fall into the trap .