AMBASSADOR FRANK MUTUBILA CAUTIONS PARLIAMENTARIANS .
HE WRITES 👇👇👇👇
As Parliament prepares to consider and possibly pass seventy four Bills, this moment must be treated with the seriousness and caution it deserves because the decisions being made today will shape Zambia’s political, democratic, and civic future for generations to come.
Among the proposed Bills, the Public Gathering Bill has emerged as one of the most contentious because it directly touches on fundamental constitutional freedoms such as assembly, association, expression, and political participation.
While government has a duty to preserve public order and safety, citizens also have a constitutional right to participate freely in the democratic life of the nation without unnecessary fear, intimidation, or restriction.
For decades, Zambia has stood as one of Africa’s most respected examples of peace, tolerance, and democratic maturity. That reputation was built on the understanding that democracy is strongest when citizens are free to organise, assemble, speak, criticise, and challenge those in authority without being treated as enemies of the state.
The concern many citizens now have is not simply about the wording of the proposed law, but about the broader direction of governance and the increasing level of control being placed over civic space, especially when viewed alongside cyber related laws and other restrictive measures already introduced. A democracy must never create an environment where citizens begin to fear participation in public affairs.
The danger with laws of this nature is not only how they are applied today, but how they may be interpreted and abused tomorrow by future governments. Politicians must always remember that power is temporary, but laws remain.
Any legislation capable of being selectively used against opposition leaders, civil society, journalists, activists, or ordinary citizens today can easily become the same instrument used against those currently in authority when political fortunes change.
History across the world has repeatedly shown that freedoms are rarely lost all at once, but gradually, through laws that appear reasonable on paper while quietly expanding the power of the state over citizens.
Members of Parliament must therefore remember the true reason they were sent to the National Assembly. They were not elected merely to defend party positions or advance temporary political interests, but to protect the Constitution, safeguard democracy, defend the rights of citizens, and uphold the national interest above all else.
The people who elected them expect leadership guided by wisdom, justice, courage, and conscience. The electorate matters more than partisan loyalty because governments come and go, but the effects of laws passed in Parliament remain long after political seasons have changed.
This is therefore a defining and historic moment for every Member of Parliament regardless of political affiliation. History will not remember who defended party interests the loudest, but who stood firmly on the side of justice, fairness, constitutionalism, and national unity when it mattered most.
FThis is the time for deeper reflection, patriotism, and moral courage. Parliament must ensure that every Bill passed strengthens democracy rather than weakens it, protects citizens rather than intimidates them, and preserves Zambia’s democratic legacy for future generations.
Politicians have very short memories. The laws you make today to fix your opponents are the same laws that will haunt you after you leave government. The nation is watching, history is recording, and future generations will judge the decisions made in this critical moment.