CONTEXT | Bill 7 Returns to Parliament as Political Tempers Flare
Parliament officially reopened debate on Constitution Amendment Bill 7, setting off a fresh wave of confrontation between the Executive, opposition parties, and the Oasis Forum.
The First Deputy Speaker Attractor Chisangano confirmed the development this yesterday, telling the House that she had “received communication from the Minister of Justice seeking the House to immediately resume consideration of the Bill.”
She added that the select committee tasked to scrutinise the amendments “commences its work immediately.”
The announcement came less than twenty-four hours after President Hakainde Hichilema received the Technical Committee report that documented 11,860 submissions from citizens across the ten provinces.
Hichilema Monday night that the Committee had “successfully concluded its nationwide consultation process… having received the highest number ever recorded in any constitutional review effort.”
But yesterday’s parliamentary restart lands in the middle of an escalating political war.
Opposition Leaders Deliver a Scathing Letter at State House
On December 2nd, twelve opposition parties walked into State House to deliver an extraordinary joint letter accusing the President of “reckless” and “divisive” conduct. They warned that “the nation is boiling,” and accused Hichilema of pursuing a “non-inclusive, rushed and politically engineered” process.
Harry Kalaba, signing on behalf of the coalition, wrote: “Your actions surrounding Bill 7 constitute a real and immediate threat to national peace, security and unity.”
The group further claimed that Hichilema had “chosen to demonise and humiliate the Oasis Forum” and accused him of weaponising ethnicity by suggesting critics oppose him because of his tribe.
The letter marks the first time since 2021 that this many opposition parties have taken a unified public stance. Ironically, most of these parties have failed to form a single electoral alliance since 2016. Bill 7 has now become their closest point of cooperation.
Oasis Forum Accuses Government of Illegality
The Oasis Forum has doubled down on its position that Bill 7 is unlawful. In a statement, Chairperson Beauty Katebe wrote that “the current process is in breach of the orders of the Constitutional Court” and insisted the Bill must be withdrawn.
The Forum said it is considering “engaging the international community” because government “refuses to withdraw an illegal process.”
However, the Forum did not participate in the Technical Committee hearings and provided no submission out of the 11,860 collected. Their stance, therefore, demands the abandonment of every citizen submission, including those from churches, student bodies, women’s organisations, community groups and rural cooperatives.
UPND Hits Back: ‘The Mask Has Fallen’
The ruling party has responded sharply. In a statement today, the UPND Media Team said:
“Recent events have exposed the intentions of the Oasis Forum. Their visit to State House confirms what we have highlighted. The Oasis Forum is not a neutral civil society platform, but a coordinated political project.”
The ruling party further accused some opposition figures of operating from behind Katebe’s leadership, saying they want to “undermine the Presidency and influence the constitutional reform process through pressure and misinformation.”
UPND also defended the President, stating:
“We remain committed to defending the Presidency and safeguarding the office from coordinated political hostility.”
Church Divide Grows
A new dynamic has emerged within religious circles. While the Catholic bishops and CCZ leadership have called for withdrawal of the Bill, other church groups including the SDA clergy, Pentecostal networks, and rural pastors have publicly rebuked what they call “entitlement” and “dominance” in the constitutional debate.
The pastors who appeared at Monday’s Livestream framed their stance bluntly:
“No church is more Zambian than another.”
They argued that thousands participated across the provinces and “their views must not be silenced because a small group refused to take part.”
This fracture within the religious community is now one of the most significant subplots in the national debate.
Competing Narratives and Growing Misinformation
Social media is flooded with unverified claims that MPs have been bribed with three million kwacha. No evidence has been produced. Yet the allegations are shaping online arguments, especially among anti Bill 7 groups who insist MPs are compromised.
Meanwhile, others argue that Parliament must be given the chance to vote, just as the UPND did when it defeated Bill 10 in 2020. Their position: “If PF MPs believe the Bill is wrong, let them collapse it on the floor.”
The opposition letter, however, takes an opposite route by calling for withdrawal, external intervention and international pressure.
The Central Question: Who Speaks for the Majority?
Pro Bill 7 groups argue that the Technical Committee’s 11,860 submissions represent the real national consensus, not elite pressure groups.
The Oasis Forum argues that the process is illegal and must be restarted.
Opposition parties argue that the President is pushing a divisive agenda. The ruling party argues that civil society critics are masking political intentions.
What is clear is that neither side trusts the other, and the constitutional reform debate has now become a proxy battlefield for 2026 political alignments.
Next Steps
With Parliament officially reopening debate, all roads now lead to the select committee hearings. The fate of Bill 7 will depend on Parliament’s arithmetic, not statements at prayer rallies or submissions at State House.
Whether it reaches the two-thirds threshold remains the most decisive question.
EDITOR’S NOTE
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