Bill 7: UPND’s Desperate Bid to Prolong Power – Thandiwe Ketiš Ngoma

Bill 7: UPND’s Desperate Bid to Prolong Power

By Thandiwe Ketiš Ngoma

After learned counsel Celestine Mukandila and Hon. Munir Zulu realised that President Hakainde Hichilema and his UPND government had started the process of constitutional amendments without following the correct procedure, they made a bold step to seek legal guidance from the Constitutional Court.

In June 2025, the Court ruled that the Constitution Amendment process instituted by President Hichilema and his Justice Minister, Hon. Kasune, was flawed. The Court ordered President Hichilema to appoint an “independent body of experts” to conduct constitutional reform after “wide consultations with the people.” Today, Hichilema has instead appointed what many are calling a Committee of Praise Singers plus three others to undertake the exercise.

The composition of that Committee is a story for another day. But here is the real, hard-hitting issue: the constitutional amendment process should not be rushed. We are left with just seven months before Parliament is dissolved and barely ten months before the general elections. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. It cannot be manipulated for short-term political survival.

A Constitution Cannot Be Amended on Election Eve

Constitution-making is a sacred process that demands time, inclusivity, and genuine national dialogue. It requires input from every corner of Zambia: ordinary citizens, political parties, civil society, the Church, traditional leaders, and legal experts. To attempt this colossal task in the dying months of a parliamentary term is to cheapen the process and undermine its credibility.

No credible constitution can be drafted, debated, passed, and owned by the people in such a rushed timeframe. Any attempt to do so will only produce a partisan document designed to serve the narrow interests of the ruling elite.

“A constitution amended on the eve of elections will never be a people’s document. It will only be a partisan tool.”

Suspicious Timing, Hidden Motives

Let us not be naïve. Zambia today faces a crippling economic crisis. Citizens are battling with soaring prices of food and fuel, unemployment is rife, businesses are suffocating, and hospitals are running short of essential medicines. If the government truly had the nation’s interest at heart, every ounce of energy would be directed toward reviving the economy.

Instead, we are told that Bill 7 and constitutional amendments are the priority. Why now? Why at this time? The answer is obvious: this has little to do with building democracy and everything to do with manipulating the law to tilt the political field. The motive is clear. The UPND is seeking ways to tighten its grip on power ahead of 2026.

“Bill 7 is not about democracy. It is about UPND’s desperation to prolong its stay in power.”

What Is the Rush For?

We do not have a constitutional crisis. The Constitution in its current form is serving the country. If the ruling party insists it is not sufficient, then let the process begin after 2026, when there will be ample time for wide consultation and debate.

What is the rush for? Why bulldoze amendments a few months before elections? The answer is simple: this is not about strengthening governance but about using the Constitution as a tool to secure political advantage.

“We don’t have a constitutional crisis. What we have is a leadership crisis.”

A Recipe for Division and Distrust

By forcing constitutional reforms so close to elections, the government risks dividing the nation. Every proposal, whether good or bad, will be viewed with suspicion. Opposition parties and civil society will see it as an attempt to rig the rules of the game. Ordinary citizens will view it as another waste of resources.

A constitution born out of political expediency will never command public trust. Instead of uniting the nation, it will leave Zambia more fractured and unstable.

Parliament and Electoral Deadlines Make It Impossible

Parliament is already burdened with pressing legislative duties as the clock ticks toward dissolution. Expecting MPs to fully debate and pass sweeping constitutional changes in a few months is unrealistic and dangerous. The result will either be shallow debate or bulldozed laws designed to suit the ruling party.

Worse still, changing the rules of governance on the eve of an election risks throwing the electoral process into confusion. Zambia cannot afford that kind of uncertainty.

Misplaced Priorities Amid Economic Hardship

Constitution-making is expensive. Public hearings, expert reviews, and nationwide consultations require millions of kwacha. At a time when the country is drowning in debt and ordinary citizens are crying out for economic relief, wasting scarce resources on a rushed process is an insult to the suffering people of Zambia.

“Zambians are asking for jobs and affordable food, not Bill 7.”

Conclusion: This Is About Power, Not Democracy

The UPND government’s insistence on pushing Bill 7 now is nothing short of a political maneuver. It is not about giving the people a stronger, fairer constitution. It is about securing an advantage and prolonging their stay in power.

Zambia deserves better. A genuine, people-driven constitution must be crafted carefully, transparently, and at the right time — after elections, with all stakeholders fully engaged. To bulldoze reforms now is to betray the trust of citizens and to play politics with the supreme law of the land.

The people of Zambia must reject this dangerous distraction and demand that the government focus on what truly matters: reviving the economy, creating jobs, and restoring dignity to the lives of ordinary citizens. Anything less is a betrayal.