A number of Non-Governmental Organisations have been angered by remarks attributed to Finance and National Planning Minister Alexander Chikwanda.

Mr Chikwanda is quoted in the media to have said that people only form CSO/NGOs when they are failures and want to make ends meet.

But Action Aid Executive Director Pamela Chisanga urged Mr Chikwanda to go back to his Civics and understand the role and functions of the Civil Society Organisations in the world.

Ms Chisanga says it is highly regrettable and embarrassing for a man of the Minister’s caliber to utter such a statement because he should be in a position to know the three sectors of society which include the public sector, the private sector and the civil society something she says the minister should be conversant with.

She said the Minister should realize that he is a Minister today because of the role the civil society played in bringing about change hence belittling the efforts of CSOs/NGOs is highly regrettable.

She further says NGOs/ CSOs have been helping very poor people which his government can not reach hence it baffles them to see the Minister turn around and attack them .

“CSOs, NGOs in this country have stepped in to work with the very very poor people that his government does not reach particularly under the PF government and him as Minister of Finance, he has failed to prioritize poverty reduction in terms of ensuring that funds trickle down to each Zambian that needs to be served with various public services and NGOs and CSOs are doing some of the work that government is doing so we fail to understand why the Minister would turn around and start attecking CSOs”. She said.

Ms Chisanga further cautioned Mr Chikwanda to stop attacking CSOs when it is him who is in office because of money saying the public has been told on several occasions that he has tried to resign but has not done so because of fear of being hounded for corruption.

“On the other hand he is the one in that position because of money. We have head that he has tried to resign so many times but he has stayed there because if he leaves he will be hounded for stealing money or whatever it is that he is accused of, so he should not turn that around and start attacking CSOs cause if there people that are in that position because of money it is the current crop of politicians”. Ms Chisanga said.

And Young African leaders Initiative YALI Executive Director Andrew Ntewewe said it is unfortunate that a person that young people should look up to for wisdom has decided to insult them.

He said Mr Chikwanda should first look at himself before venturing into unwarranted attacks on the civil society as the same would be said about him for being in the position he is today after serving in the same position in the UNIP government.

“We expect wisdom from him but the fact that he is uttering what I might simply refer to as insults as a young parson I will not retaliate the way he has insulted us but I want tell him that we feel very insulted because whatever we are doing is for the people of Zambia” he noted.

“It is him who should feel ashamed that having been a Minister in UNIP somewhere in the 70s when some of us were not even born he can still go back and barge for a job as Minister of Finance, its him who has failed in all spheres of life apart from the fact that he is able to milk from the tables of politicians”. Mr Ntewewe added.

Meanwhile NGOCC board chairperson Beatrice Grillo challenged Mr Chikwanda to prove his sweeping statement as some NGOs such as the NGOCC which has a membership of over 125members were in existence before the PF was even formed.

She urged the Minister not make general statements of that nature because some of the people running NGOs run their own firms and do not get any money from their organisations and that doing so would be proving the minister’s ignorance on the role of the civil society in the world.

“Its unfortunate that such statements are coming from our leaders, it shows that they do not understand the role of the civil society as world over there is no government that governs without the civil society, CSOs provide checks and balances to the government”. noted Ms Grillo.

She also noted that if most of the organisations that are operating were founded by frustrated people then they would not have lasted long.

“All these credible organisations they can not be branded that they were started by frustrated people as the founders of the organisations have moved on but the organisations have continued which shows that they were based on sound foundation, if they were not founded on strong foundation they would not have lasted that long”. Said the NGOCC board Chair.

The Non Governmental Organization Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has urged Zambians not to be intimidated in their quest to demand for the enactment of a new constitution.

NGOCC Chairperson Beatrice Grillo has since condemned the use of state agencies to intimidate citizens demanding the release of the constitution.

Ms Grillo said the NGOCC is deeply concerned with the increasing levels of intolerance of divergent views and attempts by the Government to stifle fundamental rights of expression and assembly as enshrined in the Republican constitution.

She said the detention and subsequent stripping of ActionAid young activists who were putting on t-shirts demanding the immediate release of the final draft constitution should be condemned in the strongest terms.

Ms Grillo said the detention and stripping of the activists on Youth Day is not only barbaric but also undemocratic and an assault on the country hard earned democracy.

Ms Grillo has since demanded that Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani immediately institutes investigations into the stripping of the young girls so that the officers responsible can be brought to book.

Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema has observed that the rejection by Parliament of the motion urging Government to put in place a roadmap for the enactment of a new constitution is a confirmation that PF will not deliver the constitution.

Parliament on Tuesday rejected by 69 to 42, a motion moved by Mazabuka Central MP Garry Nkombo urging the PF Government to put in place a roadmap for the enactment of a new republican constitution.

Mr. Hichilema told QFM News in an interview that the rejection of the motion is a clear indication that no PF official is willing to give Zambians what they were promised.

He said the PF government is mistakenly comforting itself if they think they will shelve the constitution making process just like that.

Mr. Hichilema said now is the time the Zambian people from all sectors of the society to be united and stand up for what rightfully belongs to them.

He said the opposition and other concerned stakeholders will not rest until the PF gives the people of Zambia a new constitution.

And MMD President Nevers Mumba told QFM News in a separate interview that the rejection of the motion in parliament is confirmation that the PF government has willingly denied the people of Zambia a people driven constitution.

Dr. Mumba said it is for this reason that some genuine opposition political parties, Church Mother Bodies, Civil Society Organizations and other relevant stakeholders will be holding a meeting over the weekend to strategize on the way forward.

Foundation for Democratic Process FODEP has challenged the Zambia Police Service to explain why it has continued to religiously apply the Public Order Act in a selective manner.

Speaking in an interview FODEP Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi condemned the arresting of Youths from Action Aid and other organisations for wearing T-shirts demanding for the release of the constitution.

He said the behavior of the police was uncalled for and a source of anarchy as well as disorder in the country.

Mr Chipenzi said their actions was pure evidence of how the police have continued to misapply act, abuse and oppress the people in the country.

Mr Chipezi said it is shocking that the youths who breached the law by wearing military uniforms were not arrested as required by the Public Order Act while the same act was used to arrest the peaceful youths from Action Aid who were just demanding for the constitution which is their right.

“Section3 of the Public Order Act subsection 1 reads subject as herein after provided any person who is in a public place or at any public meeting wears a uniform or displays any flag signifying his association with any political organisation or with a promotion of any political organisation is guilty of an offense”.explained Mr. Chipenzi.

He wondered who was guilty of an offense between the youths from Action Aid and those from the ruling Patriotic Front who were clad in uniforms saying the law is clear on who was suppose to be arrested.

He further noted that one can only wear a uniform when he/she has applied todo so in their own hand writing hence the Zambia Police should produce evidence that the PF applied to wear their uniforms during the celebrations yesterday.

Mr Chipenzi also challenged the Police to explain as to why the youths were arrested as they were only wearing T-shirts demanding for the constitution which is a supreme law that will protect everyone in the country including the police themselves from being abused by politicians.

“The act further states that a person shell not be guilt of an offense of wearing a uniform in a public place otherwise than at a procession or public meeting unless he is at the time acting or purporting to be acting on behalf of a political organisation”. He noted.

He appealed to the Police to apply the Public Order Act holistically as well as fairly without any bias adding that the law must be applied equally and equitably regardless of who has breached it.