PARAMOUNT CHIEF MPEZENI SLAMS BILL 7 DRAFTING PROCESS AS 'DISRESPECTFUL' TO TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP - The Zambian Observer

Published 2 days ago• 2 minute read

PARAMOUNT CHIEF MPEZENI SLAMS BILL 7 DRAFTING PROCESS AS ‘DISRESPECTFUL’ TO TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP.

Paramount Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni people has launched a scathing critique of the government’s handling of Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 7, accusing the UPND administration of sidelining traditional leaders in a process he says lacks transparency and respect.

Speaking at his Ephendukeni Palace during a courtesy call by Justice Minister Princess Kasune, Chief Mpezeni did not mince words: “We have been ambushed. Government is pushing this bill without genuinely consulting those of us who have always stood as the voice of the people in our communities.”

The Paramount Chief acknowledged certain progressive aspects of the bill particularly its ambitions to empower women and youth but condemned the overall approach as dismissive and politically motivated. “Consulting chiefs after the fact is not consultation it’s tokenism,” he declared.

Bill 7, currently under national debate, is being touted by the government as a landmark reform aimed at promoting inclusivity through the creation of new constituencies, particularly for underrepresented groups, including persons with disabilities. But critics say the process reeks of top-down imposition and political expediency.

Justice Minister Kasune, in defense of the bill, said it seeks to address “long-standing constitutional gaps” that were also identified by previous governments. She insisted that the UPND administration is committed to transparency and inclusiveness.

But for many traditional authorities, those assurances ring hollow.

“Successive governments have treated chiefs as ceremonial relics rather than pillars of governance. Bill 7 is just the latest example,” Chief Mpezeni retorted, adding that any attempt to reshape the Constitution without robust, nationwide engagement risks deepening public mistrust.

As Parliament prepares to deliberate on the bill, civic bodies, traditional leaders, and political stakeholders are demanding a pause and a reset. The central question remains: Can a constitutional amendment aimed at inclusivity succeed if it excludes the very custodians of Zambia’s grassroots democracy?

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