A REPUBLIC IN RETREAT: A NATIONAL WARNING FROM THE NEW HERITAGE PARTY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 


A REPUBLIC IN RETREAT: A NATIONAL WARNING FROM THE NEW HERITAGE PARTY

17 December 2025 

Issued by: Office of the President, New Heritage Party 
President: Chishala Kateka

Fellow Zambians,

We issue this statement not as a routine political communiqué, but as a solemn and urgent appeal to the conscience of the nation. Zambia stands at a perilous crossroads. Under the watch of President Hakainde Hichilema and the United Party for National Development (UPND), the country is being dragged—deliberately and systematically—towards a constitutional and democratic crisis of historic proportions.

The passage of Constitution Amendment Bill No. 7 of 2025 has laid bare the extent to which this administration is willing to manipulate the very foundations of our Republic to entrench its power. What is unfolding is not reform but is regression. It is not governance but it is the architecture of autocracy.

THE DELIMITATION REPORT: A CONSTITUTIONAL BLACKOUT

At the heart of this crisis lies the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s (ECZ) revised Delimitation Report compiled in 2019, revised thereafter, and now buried in the vaults of the Executive. During its appearance before the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs, Governance, Human Rights and Gender Matters, the ECZ confirmed that the report had been submitted to either Cabinet Office or State House. This was further corroborated by the Minister of Information and Media, Hon. Cornelius Mweetwa, who publicly stated that the ECZ had fulfilled its mandate and that the report now rests with the Executive.

And yet, to this day, the report remains unpublished. The people of Zambia are being asked to accept sweeping constitutional changes without access to the very data that justifies them. This is not transparency, it is concealment. It is not democracy but it is in fact deception.

The ECZ’s original proposal recommended the creation of approximately ninety-four new constituencies. This was later revised to fifty-five, reportedly due to fiscal constraints. However, no official explanation or methodology for this revision has been made public. The absence of a published report, coupled with the lack of clarity on the criteria used to reduce the number of proposed constituencies, raises serious questions about the integrity of the process.

THE NUMBERS THAT DON’T ADD UP

Even more troubling is the numerical sleight of hand that has accompanied this process. The Parliamentary Committee’s own guidance and public statements during the deliberations on Bill No. 7 indicated that the number of elected constituencies would be increased to 211.

Yet, the final version of the Bill, as passed, reflects an increase to 229 elected Members of Parliament, excluding nominated and ex officio members.  This is 18 new constituencies additional to the number notified indicated in Bill 7.
This discrepancy is not a clerical error. It is a constitutional breach. It is inconceivable that such a significant change to the structure of the National Assembly would be enacted without a corresponding public disclosure of the data and rationale underpinning it.

A PATTERN OF EXECUTIVE OVERREACH

This is not an isolated incident. It is part of a broader pattern of executive overreach and institutional erosion. Under President Hichilema’s watch, we have witnessed:

• The suppression of dissenting voices and opposition mobilisation;
• The weaponisation of state institutions against critics;
• The erosion of parliamentary independence;
• The refusal to publish critical governance documents;
• And now, the manipulation of constitutional amendments to tilt the electoral playing field in favour of the ruling party.

As Professor Muna Ndulo has rightly stated, “Constitutions must be self-executing in their core provisions.” The late Professor Michelo Hansungule warned that “a constitution that defers its soul to statute is a constitution that invites its own erosion.” John Sangwa SC has consistently argued that “the Constitution must be a bulwark against arbitrary power, not a conduit for it.” And Professor Cephas Lumina has reminded us that “representation without demographic rationality is a constitutional fiction.” These are not mere academic abstractions, they are warnings that speak directly to our current crisis.

A FORMAL DEMAND TO THE EXECUTIVE

Accordingly, I, Chishala Kateka, President of the New Heritage Party, formally demand the following:

1. That the Cabinet Office immediately publishes the revised Delimitation Report submitted by the ECZ, including:

• The full list of newly created constituencies;
• The criteria and methodology employed in revising the initial proposal of ninety-four new constituencies to fifty-five;
• A summary of stakeholder submissions and the rationale for the final adjustments.

2. That Cabinet Office issues a formal clarification on:

• The current status of the report;
• The reasons for its continued non-publication;
• The legal basis, if any, for withholding a document that directly informs the composition of the National Assembly under the amended Article 68;
• The justification for the increase to 229 elected constituencies, as opposed to the 211 figure publicly cited during Parliamentary deliberations.

The Constitution of Zambia, under Article 8, affirms the national values and principles of good governance, transparency, and accountability. Article 173(1)(a) obliges all public officers to be accountable to the public in the performance of their duties. As Secretary to the Cabinet and a constitutional office holder, you are bound by the Oath of Office to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and to discharge your functions in accordance with its provisions.

A BOLD APPEAL TO THE NATION

To every Zambian, regardless of age, ethnicity, profession, or location, whether in the diaspora or here at home – this is your moment. The Constitution belongs to you. The Republic belongs to you and the future of this nation depends on your vigilance.

We must not be passive witnesses to the dismantling of our democracy. We must speak, organise, and resist. If we allow these undemocratic tendencies to take root unchallenged, we will soon find ourselves living not in a democracy, but in a dictatorship dressed in democratic clothing.

The uneven political field being engineered by the UPND will render the 2026 electoral process a farce. It will not reflect the will of the people, but the will of those who have captured the institutions meant to serve us all.

Let us rise, not in violence, but in vigilance. Let us organise, not in chaos, but in courage. Let us speak, not in whispers, but with one voice.

Zambia is not the property of any party or President. It belongs to the Zambian people.

Let us defend it—boldly, lawfully, and without fear.


CHISHALA KATEKA 
President New Heritage Party

A member of the We’re One Zambia Alliance (WOZA)