The Civil Society Constitution Agenda (CiSCA) has strongly condemned what they described as the growing trend of unconstitutional utterances by some senior ruling United party for national Development (UPND) party members.
In a statement released to the media by Judith Mulenga, CiSCA Chairperson, CiSCA said that according to the constitution, Political party cadres are not mandated to protect the Republican President and that UPND should refrain from creating unnecessary tension in the country at the time that the people are struggling to come to terms with the unexpected economic hardships that we Zambians find ourselves in when we definitely expected the complete opposite.
Recently, Copperbelt Minister and Provincial Party Chairperson reportedly warned those ‘insulting’ President HH that the UPND would no longer tolerate this ‘stupidity’ and would defend the President and tie the culprits with wires.
Below is the full statement
The Civil Society Constitution Agenda (CiSCA) strongly condemns the growing trend of unconstitutional utterances by some senior ruling UPND party members. The recent utterances by the Copperbelt Minister and Provincial Party Chairperson cannot be allowed to continue in a multi-party democracy. These utterances are contrary to several provisions of the Constitution but specifically Article 5(2) which states that, “Power that is not conferred by or under this Constitution on any State organ, State institution, State officer, Constitutional office holder or other institution or person is reserved for the people.” Political party cadres are not mandated to protect the Republican President.
Therefore, CiSCA cautions UPND to refrain from creating unnecessary tension in the country at the time that the people are struggling to come to terms with the unexpected economic hardships that we Zambians find ourselves in when we definitely expected the complete opposite. The least the ruling party members can do is to deliberately be reconciliatory towards all to lull the sting of the economic hardships and to try and to focus on convincing us that the current economic hardship is temporary.
Recently during a meeting with ruling party cadres on the Copperbelt, Mr. Elisha Matambo reportedly warned those ‘insulting’ President HH that the UPND would no longer tolerate this ‘stupidity’ and would defend the President and tie the culprits with wires. These kinds of utterances are instigating violence and are sowing seeds of dictatorship. We Zambians have been consistent and unwavering in our rejection of dictatorships and we will not relent now.
CiSCA further reminds UPND members that much as they can protect the President from verbal attacks from the public, they should do so with reasoned arguments and remain within the law. Physical protection of President Hakainde Hichilema by UPND members ended after 12th August 2021 when he became the Republican President. This function is now the preserve of the State. He now has the full measure of state machinery to protect him unless Mr. Elisha Matambo and others like him think Zambia is a banana republic without functional state institutions. If ‘insulting’ the President is a criminal offence Minister Matambo and cohorts should report the perpetrators to the nearest police station which in Ndola is right across the road from his office. Remain within the law! Zambians do not and have never wished to replace PF outlaws with UPND outlaws. Never!
Many well conscientious Zambians have long suspected that the values that President HH espouses do not define the entire structures of his party. How does one explain that in the same week that the President reiterates his undesired intention to become a dictator, one of his senior members proclaims a contrary desire to introduce dictatorship through violence? CiSCA recognizes that Mr. Matambo has been a loyal long-standing member of the ruling party who also suffered extreme injustice at the hands of the PF thugs on the Copperbelt and no well-meaning non-PF person begrudges him his ministerial appointment but he needs to enjoy and exercise this power wisely rather than resorting to demagoguery.
CiSCA challenges President HH to publicly censure his Copperbelt Minister and Provincial Party Chairperson or else he, like his immediate predecessor, risks never knowing when his 2.8 million voters would have disengaged from him. We Zambians are intriguing people, very simple but complex.
Similarly, Lusaka UPND Province Chairperson, Mr. Obvious Mwaliteta should petition the Judicial Complaints Commission to remove Ms. Lilian Siyuni from the position of Director of Public Prosecution, as per Articles 182(3), 143 and 144 of our Constitution rather than holding intimidating press conferences.
Issued by:
Judith Mulenga
CiSCA Chairperson
Zambia through the continuing existence of political cadres has proven to be a BANANA REPUBLIC
It started innocently in the Unip era and now it’s grown into a full time livelihood. It’s a cancer that has no cure.
Let us all have access to the Constitutional of the republic of Zambia and read, read and read it so that we can avoid conflicts with it (the constitution). Ukubelenga kwaliwama..
If indeed president HH has ended cadreism, what is Elisha Matambo and obvious Mwaliteta?
What cadres? You mean those ugly thugs in upnd. Fuseke
Well argued. Rule of law is manipulated by party cadres to mean imposing party interests on the country. The CSO community can help but it is unlikely that culture of impunity will disappear overnight. It is like law of the jungle. Education and institutional memory cannot be substituted by trial and error. Experience from UNIP or MMD or PF is exactly what UPND needed to succeed in the crusade for economic restoration agenda..