CSOs CALL FOR HALT TO FLAWED CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM CONSULTATIONS
A coalition of leading Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has expressed serious concern over the ongoing public consultations on Zambia’s constitutional reforms, describing the process as “flawed, restrictive, and lacking transparency.”
In a joint statement released on Thursday, the organisations including the Alliance for Community Action, Transparency International Zambia, Chapter One Foundation, the Free Press Initiative, and MISA Zambia warned that the legitimacy and credibility of the constitutional review process are under threat due to procedural and structural shortcomings.
The CSOs revealed that from October 27 to 29, their monitors observed consultations by the Technical Committee in five provinces Eastern, Northern, Central, Western, and North-Western and found numerous irregularities.
Among the key issues highlighted were limited public awareness, with many citizens reportedly unaware of the process or how to participate, and the absence of procedural guidelines, which allegedly led to cases of suggestive questioning and manipulation of public submissions.
The statement further cited poor communication of venues, lack of translation services, and inadequate submission platforms, particularly for rural citizens, as major barriers to genuine participation.
More alarmingly, the CSOs alleged that in some instances, citizens were made to sign pre-written submissions they did not understand and were then paid off a practice they said undermines the authenticity of the public consultation process.
“It would be in the interest of the nation for this process to be halted,” the statement read in part. “However, if it continues, government and the Mushabati Committee must improve the integrity of the process.”
The organisations urged the Technical Committee to improve communication by sharing details of sittings at least three days in advance through community radio and digital platforms, and to provide interpretation services in local languages.
They also called for clear and consistent procedural guidelines to ensure citizen independence and prevent manipulation of submissions.
“The Constitution is the supreme law of the land,” said Laura Miti, who signed the statement on behalf of the undersigned organisations. “It is imperative that the process of amending it be citizen-led, participatory, and legitimate.”
The coalition concluded by urging authorities to act swiftly to restore public confidence through transparency and inclusivity, warning that continued disregard of these principles risks eroding the credibility of Zambia’s constitutional reform efforts.
KUMWESU
Ask for a complete withdrawal of the process. It is being rushed for 2026 elections. The commissioners are retired people, they need the allowances. Let there be a proper constitutional review after elections.
The Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) that are complaining are merely wasting time, and their efforts have had little effect on enhancing people’s livelihoods, except for lobbying funding while contributing nothing but producing meaningless noise. The reason I may come across as harsh is that credible and concerned CSOs could have been assisting the government in conducting sensitisation campaigns to raise awareness about the proposed Constitution Amendments and other significant governance issues.
Serious CSOs could have been engaging stakeholders thorough educational campaigns to inform citizens about their civic responsibilities, participation in electoral processes, on holding political leaders and government accountable on various socio-economic issues. Instead, they remain inactive, preoccupied with making unfounded claims, fully aware that most people lack adequate information regarding governance and human rights issues.