Lusaka, Zambia — Kanchibiya Member of Parliament Sunday Chanda has explained his decision to vote in support of Constitution Amendment Bill No. 7, saying his position was guided by the interests of his constituents and the practical realities of representing a vast rural constituency. Chanda emphasized the importance of thoughtful representation in this process.
In a public statement issued after the vote, Chanda said he undertook a detailed review of the Bill before Parliament, studying it line by line and making his analysis publicly available in the interest of transparency. He said he also followed the proceedings of the Parliamentary Select Committee, examined the technical committee report, and reviewed government amendments made in response to concerns raised by stakeholders, which highlighted Chanda’s commitment to accountability.
Chanda said he devoted significant time to understanding the contents and implications of the Bill, including over a full weekend, before reaching his decision. His thorough approach reflects Chanda’s dedication to informed legislative action.
He stated that his vote was guided by what he described as an overriding principle, the interests of the people of Kanchibiya and the people of Zambia.
Kanchibiya Constituency, which Chanda represents, covers more than 8,800 square kilometres and is largely rural, with communities spread across long distances. He said this has made access to leadership, basic services, and development opportunities a persistent challenge.
According to Chanda, the size and rural nature of the constituency make it difficult for a single Member of Parliament to consistently reach all wards, engage every community, and effectively oversee development projects. He cited long and often difficult road networks, scattered schools and health facilities, and communities that have historically felt underserved.
He said his support for Bill 7 was influenced by the proposed delimitation of Kanchibiya into two constituencies. Chanda said this would allow for closer representation, improved service delivery, increased development resources, and greater participation by youth and women in governance and decision making.
Chanda said his decision was not about altering boundaries for their own sake but about improving equity, efficiency, and ensuring that residents of Kanchibiya are better represented.
He said he respects colleagues who voted differently and stated that he does not regret his decision to support the Bill.
Who asked for his defence?
As in the past most will wake up when it’s too late
such a shame
Trust me, its not that with the passing of the bill, economy will improve and livelihoods of Zambians will change. No, Everything will remain the same, so I dont understand the fake excitement from some people, some even dancing. Even with the argument that some constituencies will be smaller. You will remain the 6th poorest country in the world, and maybe even decline further. As Zambians, you must be very alert to the propaganda politicians feed you…
I support the delimitation that is envisaged in the bill. Think of Mandevu constituency for example, the largest by population having only one M.P!
Now, this a sober MP………….
He based his vote on the needs of the people who voted for him , not………..
Some emotional hysteria of opposing for the sake of opposing………..
I have a lot of respect for Sunday chanda and expect him to be president in the future or even VP or senior minister under the current administration……….
What a lose it would be for kanchibuye , but a massive gain for the country…….
Does not make unnecessary noise, just gets on with the job of delivering for his constituents………….
He should be an example to those young MPs who think going to parliament means fighting GRZ as a means to appear in the news…..,..
FED2041
He is not a factor. He does not feed any one.
Can the farmers in his constituency be paid please. There is no one talking for them. This is more urgent than what he is calling his defence, which in any case has not been asked by anyone
Milimo Mochat ??
“He is not a factor. He does not feed any one….”
The culture of brown envelopes and free hand outs ended with PF……
UPND are here to work
FWD2041
Very few MPs do work, there is absolutely, and i mean absolutely no guarantee that if their constituencies are reduced, we will have heaven on earth. So stop misleading the Zambian people. I have a hard working MP who even wants additional territory to his constituency
He has his constituency in mind, not Zambians becoming rich or whatever. If Kachimbiya constituency is delimited into two, it will have two MPs to supervise development, K80 million CDF instead of K40 million and better chance of improving livelihood.
They danced when we went “One party participatory democracy'” with Unip as the only party we built a monster in KK…It took 27 years to find a route out of the maze……in the 90s they danced when the parentage clause became law singing ‘Kaunda ala la” the plan was to block Kk from standing it blocked many our brothers ‘deep pack, guy, zoo kas, de sai…amongst others and we lost a chance to bring sanity because guy could not rule….now zayelo wont rule….”” Bill seven”has brought dancing but some of the losers include MPs …your party can replace you if you misbehave….lelo