The Zambia Police Service has warned that homosexuality is a very serious offence in Zambia.
The warning comes following an article that appeared in today’s Zambia Daily Mail, edition number 080 concerning gay marriages.

In a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday , Police Spokesperson, Elizabeth Kanjela, noted that the offence attracts a sentence of not less than five years imprisonment once one is convicted under Unnatural Offences of Section 155, 156 and 158 CAP 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

Ms Kanjela, therefore, indicated that anyone who will be found wanting will face the wrath of the law as the police will be vigilant on perpetrators of such a crime.

Ms Kanjela has since appealed to members of the public to report anyone found committing such a crime to any nearest police station in order to maintain sanity in communities.
In another development, police in Central Province have arrested one man out of the four who raped a girl of 18 years old.

The remaining three are reported to be on the run after committing the offence.
Police Spokesperson, Elizabeth Kanjela, said the incident occurred between 10:00hrs and 22:00hrs on April 2, 2013, at Mpongwe turnoff area.

Ms Kanjela identified the arrested man as Mike Manyongo.

She explained that the victim was dragged into the bush by the culprits who then tied her legs and hands and started having carnal knowledge of her several times.

The victim has since sustained bruises on her private parts and general body pains.
Ms Kanjela said the suspect has been charged with rape contrary to Section 132 Cap 87 of the Laws of Zambia and will appear in court soon.

Meanwhile, police in Katete District in Eastern Province have arrested 288 rioters of which 144 are males, 117 are females while the rest are children under 18 years old.

This follows the riot that erupted in the district this morning.

Police Spokesperson, Elizabeth Kanjela, has told ZANIS in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that the screening of the culprits is still going on.

Ms Kanjela said the police have also recovered assorted goods ranging from food stuffs, groceries, generators, and farming implements among others.

She has urged members of the public not to take the law in their hands but to report any problem they may be faced with to the nearest police station.

Ms Kanjela has also thanked the Ministry of Defence and other security wings for working with the police in bringing the situation back to sanity.

ZANIS

A parliamentarian yesterday laboured to convince experts and professionals on constitutional matters to consider a clause in the constitution that would bar Members of Parliament who cause unnecessary by- elections by resigning to join another political party.

Lubansenshi Independent Member of Parliament Patrick Mucheleka pleaded with delegates attending the sector groups convention in Lusaka to add
a clause that will stop defecting MPs from contesting by – elections and further bar them from being appointed into civil service as a way of
reducing on unnecessary by- elections.

The Law maker who is also part of the professionals and experts tasked to closely look at the representations of the people sector at the ongoing sector groups’ convention said some MPs are induced to defect from their political parties in order to take up positions in the civil service thereby causing by – elections.

He noted that by elections cost the country a lot of money which could be used on other developmental programmes but further noted that some
by – elections such as those that arise due to death are unavoidable.

And Chairperson of the group Francis Chigunta noted that the constitution provides for the holding of a by- election and that no article in the current constitution bars members who cause such from being appointed which he said could be stopped if an article or a clause is added to the existing articles to ensure that such MPs are pinned down.

Contributing to the debate Southern African Centre for Conflict Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) Information Officer Obby Chibuluma observed that some MPs feel they are not accountable to the public because they have no job descriptions which would be used to pin them down when
they go wrong hence the need to enact a law to regulate their privileges.

Mr. Chibuluma said the need to ensure that MPs stop crossing the floor should be looked into seriously adding that the trend can only be
stopped if there is a legal provision in place to stop them from defecting anyhow.

However, after a long debate, the convention unanimously agreed to the proposal but did not decide whether it will be a stand alone or as a
clause in an already existing article.

Earlier, the group facilitator Kasuka Mutukwa who is also an expert in governance issues observed that the country’s electoral system is very
weak to offer a free and fair election.

Dr. Mutukwa said there is need to strengthen the electoral system if the marginalized groups such as the disabled and women are to participate fully in an election.

He noted that the current electoral system only favours the politically strong and can be easily manipulated by the party in power because of the way commissioners are appointed and the funding system.

Meanwhile, contributing on the same topic, UPND Secretary General Winstone Chibwe said there is need to find a better system of appointing commissioners to serve at the Electoral Commision of Zambia.

He objected to the current system where the republican president is the appointing authority.

Both Mr. Chibwe and Mr. Mucheleka noted that it is possible for commissioners to favour the appointing authority in order to protect their jobs hence the need to change the system.

He said people have no confidence in the country’s electoral system which could be proved by the number of electoral petitions in the past elections.

He cited the 2006 elections as the worst elections ECZ has ever conducted where 65 parliamentary seats were petitioned while in 2001
41 parliamentary seats and 3 petitions in the Presidential elections were filed.

Commenting on the declining number of women participating in elections, Mr. Chibwe said political parties field best candidates who
could win a parliamentary seat regardless of their sex.

He said women are given the opportunity to contest elections but that they fail to win which leaves political parties with no option but to pick candidates who have the capacity to retain or scoop a parliamentary seat.
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Mr Chibwe said his party like others have been giving women, youths and the disabled persons chance to participates in elections but that it will not be forced to field a candidate based on their gender.

Delegates to the sector group convention have unanimously adopted the 50+ one system of electing a republican President.

The group has recommended that Article 99 (7) which states that a presidential candidate who has qualified for the second ballot dies or is disqualified for any reason under the Constitution should be amended so that the next candidate can assume the place of the first candidate.

During the sector group convention at Lusaka’s Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC) yesterday, the delegates also proposed for the mixed proportional representative system for electing Members of Parliament (MPs).

Earlier, the delegates were reminded that Zambians are looking up to them to provide the best technical expertise that will help produce the constitution that will stand the test of time.

Chairperson for the Technical Committee on Drafting the Zambia Constitution Annel Silungwe said this to the delegates during the official opening of the three-day sector groups convention at Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC) in Lusaka yesterday.

Justice Silungwe told the participants comprising professionals and experts from various Governmental and Non-Governmental institutions that they should set a firm foundation that the subsequent generations would be able to build upon.

“I would like to underscore the fact that, as the majority of Zambians out there do not have the privilege of participating in this important process, they and we in the technical committee look up to you to provide the best technical expertise,” Justice Silungwe said.

He said this would only be achieved if all the delegates would be selfless and generously use their talent, skills and experiences to shape an admirable new Constitution for Zambia.

He said the sector groups’ convention was convened to assist the technical committee to technically improve on the content of the first draft Constitution.

He urged the participants to be broad minded, objective and above all put national interest first.

The recommendations of the convention together with submissions of local and international experts in constitutional law and practice as well as resolutions of the national convention would be used as the basis for producing the final Constitution.

He commended the people that had been given the opportunity to participate in the Constitution consultative process so far for doing so with great sense of patriotism.

He maintained that the final draft would be ready by June 30, 2013 and would be presented to the President and subsequently to the general public.

“During the period September 2012 and February 2013 the technical committee reached out to stakeholders and other interested parties at district and provincial levels by holding district consultative foras in 82 districts and conventions in all 10 provinces,” he said.