HAKAINDE AKAMBA LATE ON BILL NO. 7, SAYS MUKANDILA
HAKAINDE AKAMBA LATE ON BILL NO. 7, SAYS MUKANDILA
…as he calls on the UPND government to respect the Con-Court judgment
Lusaka… Friday June 27, 2025 – Lusaka Lawyer Celestine Mambula Mukandila says the people of Zambia will not allow anyone to vilify the current Constitution of Zambia to suit their personal interests.
Mr Mukandila has also welcomed the judgment of the Constitutional Court saying he hopes the UPND government will respect the judgment of the court.
The Constitutional Court, has today, by a decision of the majority, declared the current constitution making process unconstitutional for lack of a structured and wide consultative process.
Addressing journalists in Lusaka today, Mr Mukandila, who is also Tonse Alliance National Youth Chairperson, wondered the coincidence of the court’s ruling a day after President Hakainde Hichilema called for a deferment of the Bill.
“Today, we are faced with a very sofiscated situation where a President withdraws a bill a day before the judgment is read, what a coincidence and I say shame on you Mr President. This coincidence leaves much to be desired. This is a time for this country and the government to undertake a self introspection and see the people that surround you,” he said.
“Today in the morning, I saw the Minister of Justice and the Solicitor General trying to justify their incompetence. But all we can say is that this judgment speaks to what the people of Zambia want. It speaks to the protection and defense of Zambia’s democracy. We thank the Constitutional Court for the magnanimity of coming up with this judgement.”
He emphasized the need to protect and defend the constitution from any form of manipulation.
“I shall protect this constitution even if it means doing so with my life. We will not allow anyone to vilify this Constitution, at least not under my watch. If anyone in this government wants to abrogate the constitution provisions at will they must know that we shall take all legal avenues,” he added.
“I hope that the government will respect the judgment of the Constitutional Court. What this simply means is that the so called Bill No. 7 will no longer be there, it is dead. We must go back to the people if the government wants to amend the constitution for wider consultations.”
Mr Mukandila said from inception, a lot of stakeholders were against this bill for lack of wider consultations.
“Country men and women, the judgment we have today speaks to the fight and the zeal that we have to ensure that democracy is protected. This judgment speaks to the fact that we are here to protect the constitution of the Republic of Zambia. We are on record indicating to this government that the process they had undertaken was fraud and did not speak to the aspirations of the people of Zambia,” said Mr Mukandila.
“And of course, when we decided to take this matter to court, I know most people thought it was a mere exercise. But at last we have been vindicated as the Constitutional Court has ruled with us and in favor of our petition indicating that the process that this government undertook was not the correct one because it was not inclusive. My grañdfather was not consulted in the village, in Bweengwa, the chief there was not consulted. Now what we need to do is to come up with a constitution that will speak to the aspirations of the Zambian people. And not where we have individuals sitting in cabinet and taking whatever drink they are taking and decide that this is what we will give the people of Zambia, no.”
The Tonse Alliance National Youth Chairperson further said the constitution of Zambia should contain what the people want.
“We indicated that the constitution should contain what the people want. We indicated that if anyone feels there are lacunas in the constitution, they must take those provisions to the Constitutional Court for interpretation. But alas our colleagues did not listen,” he concluded.
