UPND GOVERNMENT THREATENING THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT- Chishala Chilufya

UPND GOVERNMENT THREATENING THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

8th July 2024.

By Chishala Chilufya

YESTERDAY, 7th July, 2024 a very unprecedented statement was made by government through Minister of Home Affairs Jack Mwiimbu. In this address to the nation through the press briefing he was basically confirming what many stakeholders have been saying concerning the independence of the JUDICIARY. The UPND are now policing the courts on what case to allow citizens to attend and what outcomes to deliver. The UPND have been given the ruling before it’s delivered, because how does Jack Mwiimbu know the section of society that will protest.

We are made to believe that Mr Jack Mwiimbu is a lawyer at the same time a state counsel who understands the constitutional provisions that Zambians are free to protest or to assemble in a Peaceful way, what are the UPND trying to do to this country? According to the constitutional provisions and the BILL OF RIGHTS it indicates that people are free to protest peacefully or to assemble.

Where did Jack Mwiimbu get the audacity to address the nation about a matter whose outcome no one knows in a manner he did as if to suggest he knows the outcome on Former President Edgar Chagwa lungu’s Eligibility case hence the protests. The constitutional court will be presiding over it on 9th July 2024 but this will not be the first time, the same court presided over it 3 times that president Lungu is eligible to contest 2026 elections.

If the Former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu was not eligible how did he contest elections in 2021? It means if the former president does not qualify it means the elections President Hakainde Hichilema participated in 2021 were illegal null and void. Hence fresh elections should be held immediately.

Jack Mwiimbu is a lawyer, he understands once the court like the constitutional court has passed the verdict over the case it cannot change its decision, this is the precedence set all over the world unless in banana republics like the one the UPND is presiding over. Why are the UPND trying to intimidate and damage the character of the courts in this country.

To begin with, even to allow this case to be brought before the constitutional court is an embarrassment to the judiciary. Zambia is being turned into a laughing stock, this amongst other reasons is why Zambian judges rarely succeed to be admitted at an international bar hence we will be very isolated as a country.

UPND can’t start threatening citizens against their constitutional rights to assemble and protest peacefully within the frame of the law.

For government to address the nation on the eve of the constitutional court for delivering its ruling on the eligibility for Former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu to contest for elections in 2026.

Does Jack Mwiimbu already know the outcome or what is he trying to communicate to the judges?

Secondly this case has got no loci standi in the constitutional court because the court has already dealt with it more than 3 times. These people should not destroy this country because they want to satisfy their narrow political needs .

Zambia is a country established by the rule of law ,let the constitutional provision take place not what a certain individual feels like, what Jack Mwiimbu and the UPND are trying to do is to Arm twist the constitutional court and he wants to be pretending like he is communicating with people who cannot see what they are trying to achieve. We want to tell him it’s not about Former President Edgar Lungu it’s about the Zambian people and what they are going through.

The Kenya Saga he refered to is just an eye opener that people can give you time to play around with them but they’ll catch up with you just the way they have been cheating the Zambian people from the time they came into Government, no matter what they do Zambian people will catch up with them.

Any judgement other than what the court had ruled previously on the same matter, will be unacceptable for this reason UPND through Jack Mwiimbu have undermined the constitutional court outcome it’s like they already know the outcome.

Jack Mwiimbu who has told the country that he knows the judgment through his press briefing that Edgar Lungu is not eligible to contest elections that’s why they have put up security measures.

Thank you!