LUSAKA – Small and Medium Enterprise Development Minister Elias Mubanga has asserted that the characterization of the Catholic Church, and other churches, as being against Constitution Amendment Bill 7 is incorrect. He contends that opposition to the proposed law came from selected individuals, not the institutions themselves.
Speaking shortly after the bill’s passage in the National Assembly yesterday, Mubanga stated that the Catholic Church should not be “dragged in the mud.” He argued that the views of those who spoke against the bill did not represent the entire church.
“We have some individuals from the Catholic Church who spoke against the Bill, people from the Pentecostal Church, they spoke against the Bill. It’s individual members. The issue of saying the church said no to Bill 7 is wrong. It’s just few members of the church that said no and that should not be married with the church,” Mubanga said.
He extended this point to pastors and bishops from various churches who voiced concerns, stating they did so in their personal capacities and their views did not officially represent their congregations.
The minister’s comments followed the successful parliamentary vote on the legislation. Bill 7 passed both the Second and Third Readings yesterday, meeting the constitutional two-thirds threshold each time. At the Third Reading, all 135 Members of Parliament present voted in favor. Earlier, the Second Reading passed with 131 votes in support, two against, and no abstentions. The bill now awaits the President’s assent to become law.
Mubanga concluded that the passing of Bill 7 demonstrates to Zambians that, despite vocal public debate, it is Parliament that holds the constitutional mandate to make laws after consultations.
