CABINET ORDERS RELEASE OF CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT REPORT FOR PUBLIC SCRUTINY
CABINET has directed that the Technical Committee Report on proposed constitutional amendments be made public to allow citizens full access and input into the ongoing reform process.
Acting Minister of Justice Jack Mwiimbu, says the decision is aimed at reinforcing the Government’s commitment to transparency and ensuring broad public participation in shaping the Constitution.
In a statement issued, Mr Mwiimbu said the full report, detailing consultations, findings, and drafting proposals, would be published both on the Ministry of Justice website and that of the Technical Committee.
The Acting Minister further revealed that a Parliamentary Select Committee tasked with scrutinising the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No. 7 of 2025 began receiving submissions from stakeholders last Friday. The process will continue until Saturday this week.
“During this period, the Technical Committee will present its findings, and stakeholders will submit evidence for the Committee’s consideration. Upon completion, a report will be published ahead of parliamentary debate,” Mr Mwiimbu said.
He emphasised that this stage of consultations was critical to ensuring that the Committee’s recommendations are accurately incorporated into the Amendment Bill in line with Article 79(6) of the Constitution and the National Assembly Standing Orders of 2024.
Mr Mwiimbu said that once the Select Committee concludes its deliberations and compiles its recommendations, the Bill will return to the National Assembly on Monday, December 15, 2025.
It will then undergo the required legislative stages, including the Second Reading, Committee Stage, Third Reading, and the Final Vote.
He reiterated Government’s commitment to conducting the legislative process for Bill No. 7 with full transparency and strict adherence to constitutional provisions.
“The Government remains fully committed to ensuring that this process is open, accountable, and reflective of the will of the Zambian people,” he said.
TFN
Orders Cabinet to Release the Technical Amendment committee report? Was this report ever tabled in Parliament. This report is not the paper it is even written on . It’s just Trash..An Ungazetted Trash , and the so called consultative exercise was just a waste of money.
An ungazetted report from the Technical Committee has no official legal standing on Bill 7 in the formal legislative process.
It’s role is primarily advisory and political with it’s contents being used to inform debate and public opinion…in informal settings like when drinking Chibuku or Kachasu.
In short it’s just noise, and ofcourse empty political noise for propaganda purposes.
An ungazetted report is essentially an informal document in the eyes of the law. A document only becomes legally binding or officially recognized in the legislative process once it is formally gazetted . The Government has however failed to Gazette the Technical Committee Report.. neither has it been presented to Cabinet.
All we see now is that it has found itself with the Select committee in our National Assembly looking at the Clauses of the Illegitimate and Unconstitutional Bill 7.
This lack of formal gazzetting adds on to the procedural illegalities surrounding the illegitimate and Unconstitutional Bill 7.
Because of its ungazetted nature, it lacks the formal legal authority to influence changes to Bill 7.
It’s also important to note that the Technical Committee Report cannot absorb or legally validate the procedural illegalities surrounding the illegitimate and unconstitutional Bill 7.
The constitutional Court declared the original process of the Bill’s initiation unconstitutional due to a lack of a broad based public consultation and an INDEPENDENT BODY leading to the process.
The Procedural illegalities once declared by a court , remain in force , and a technical report sneaked into Parliament at committee stage is not a legal fix to the initial unconstitutional process.
The illegitimate and unconstitutional Bill 7 therefore remains so, Illegitimate and Unconstitutional, until the Constitutional Court vacates it’s earlier ruling. The misadventures in our National Assembly by the Parliamentary Select committee cannot change the status quo.
That’s my humble understanding.
” ever tabled in Cabinet” typo