HAABAZOKA CALLS FOR INFORMED, CLAUSE–BY–CLAUSE DEBATE ON BILL 7
Lusaka… Wednesday November 26, 2025 – Economist Lubinda Haabazoka has expressed concern over politically driven debates surrounding Bill 10 and Bill 7, arguing that many citizens are unfamiliar with the actual contents of the documents.
He said public discourse had been dominated by emotion and speculation rather than informed analysis.
Dr. Haabazoka noted that a significant portion of Zambians rarely read official documents in full, saying this contributed to widespread misunderstanding of both bills.
He argued that even basic national documents such as NRCs were often not fully understood by many citizens, adding that this lack of engagement had allowed political rhetoric to overshadow substance.
He said those involved in promoting or opposing the bills had not taken sufficient time to explain the key provisions to the public, and that genuine support or opposition required proper civic education.
According to him, Members of Parliament would be better placed to vote responsibly if debates in Parliament were done clause by clause.
He emphasized that no one could realistically “love everything” in Bill 7 or “hate everything” in it, stressing that the Constitution was too important to be treated in a partisan manner.
Dr. Haabazoka stated that he supported some provisions in the bills and disagreed with others.
For instance, he said he did not support the idea of individuals being in Parliament purely because they met a demographic quota, arguing instead that representation should be based on calibre.
He added that one reform worth considering was allowing the President to appoint cabinet ministers from outside Parliament, while still retaining the option to appoint MPs when necessary.
He further expressed support for the delimitation of certain constituencies but said the constituencies identified for this process should be made public.
He added that he believed MPs should also be part of councils, a matter he said had previously been proposed under Bill 10.
On the question of mayoral term limits, he said he did not see the need for restrictions.
Dr. Haabazoka urged legal experts to offer pro bono support to help citizens clearly understand the bills they were supporting or opposing.
He said that Zambia needed healthier and more constructive deliberations in national debates, warning that the country’s Constitution contained several lacunas that required informed refinement.
He argued that if MPs consulted their constituencies and voted clause by clause, public accountability would improve significantly.
He also stressed that national consensus would always be difficult to achieve in a population of 21 million people with different opinions, making structured debate even more important.
Dr. Haabazoka added that some citizens might find themselves agreeing with most parts of Bill 7 once they read simplified summaries, saying that many people disliked or supported the bills without understanding them.
He suggested that the Ministry of Justice, working with organisations such as the Oasis Forum and the Law Association of Zambia, should make the contents accessible to ordinary citizens, noting that many people did not even fully read their payslips and often relied on rumours.
Meanwhile, Dr. Haabazoka questioned how many Zambians had actually seen Bill 10 and Bill 7, emphasising the need for informed participation in the law-making process.
Smart!!