HICHILEMA HAS NEVER BEEN COMMITTED TO GENUINE DIALOGUE ON BILL 7
Mr Hakainde Hichilema’s suspension of dialogue with the Oasis Forum doesn’t come as a surprise to us. It was expected. It simply confirms what we have been warning Zambians about for months. Mr Hichilema has no genuine intention of listening to divergent views, no commitment to consensus, and absolutely no respect for constitutionalism when it threatens his continued hold on power.
From the very start, Bill 7 has been packaged as a reform, but its real DNA is dangerous, divisive, and authoritarian. Any politician who genuinely seeks national consensus on such a far-reaching amendment does not walk into a dialogue room with a predetermined position. They listen. They negotiate. They adjust. That is what true democracy demands. But Mr Hichilema has once again demonstrated that consultation is not part of his political culture.
What we are witnessing is a tired pattern. Mr Hichilema calls stakeholders to the table purely for public relations. He creates an illusion of engagement while refusing to shift even an inch from his predetermined agenda. He then walks away, blames the stakeholders, and pretends to be disappointed. Meanwhile, in the background, his machinery continues to push forward with the same destructive plan. He did it to the Lungu family. He has done it on countless national issues. And he is doing it again with Bill 7.
The attempt to accuse the Oasis Forum of being “unprepared to engage constructively” is nothing but a smokescreen. When a group raises principled objections, that does not make them unreasonable. It means they have strong grounds. It means they are thinking about the nation, not about pleasing Mr Hichilema. Mr Hichilema’s problem is not that stakeholders have no alternatives. His problem is that he don’t want alternatives. He wants submission.
Bill 7 is a direct attempt to concentrate power in the hands of one office. It is a carefully engineered assault on the democratic character of our Republic. Any attempt to bulldoze it without broad national consensus must be understood for what it is: an attack on the people of Zambia.
We want to make it absolutely clear that this suspension of dialogue is neither innocent nor procedural. It is tactical. Mr Hichilema is buying time. He is trying to weaken public outrage and break public resistance. He is preparing the next move, quietly and strategically. This is how Mr Hichilema executes his mingalato .
Zambians must not fall for this deception. We shouldn’t allow ourselves to be lulled into silence while our Constitution is being raped in broad daylight. The destiny of this country can not be shaped by one person hiding behind bureaucratic language and staged consultations.
If Mr Hichilema refuses to listen to the people, then the people must respond in the only language tyrannical power understands —protracted and sustained peaceful, well organised, and resolute protest. Zambians have a constitutional right to stand up, to speak out, to speak up and to resist any attempt to tamper with the foundations of our democratic order.
We therefore make a clarion call to all citizens of our homeland, civil society organisations, churches, labour unions, professional associations, and youth movements to unite in defence of our Constitution. The time for passive observation is over. This is a national emergency. Bill 7 is not a small administrative amendment. It is a threat to our future.
Let’s refuse to be accomplices in the dismantling of our democracy. This country does not belong to Mr Hichilema alone. It belongs to us all in all our diversities and complexities.
Let’s bury Bally in Bill 7!
Fred M’membe
President of the Socialist Party
EMPTY NOISE.COFFEE. SELFIES = DIALOGUE, the Hakainde Way..and the illegitimate and unconstitutional Bill 7 continues it’s illegal stay in Parliament, and he is there pushing it to become law.
For him Dialogue means listening to empty noise, drinking coffee, posing for selfies, and agreeing to Bill 7.
So it has been with all the issues with Mr Hakainde.
The 6th President Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu lies in the Mortuary 6 months after his death. Until Hakainde stands next to his Coffin, and gives an empty speech , the needle won’t move and Edgar Lungu will remain unburied. That’s Mr Hakainde Hichilema.
The Man should be stopped on the Illegitimate and unconstitutional Bill 7.
.. LAWFUL PEACEFUL protests as was envisaged by the OASIS FORUM is what will work.
Not once, but every Friday.. National Wide LAWFUL PEACE FUL Protests as enshrined in our Constitution. We are back to the status quo of 28th November, before the so called Dialogue.
… Meetings with Members of Parliament to
lobby them to vote against the Illegitimate and unconstitutional Bill 7
… Meetings with Traditional Leaders by the Oasis Forum to discuss the devil in the Illegitimate and unconstitutional Bill 7.
…The Catholic Church Bishops Conference to write to the congregants through out the Country on the dangers of Bill 7 using a Pastoral Letter . There are 2 moles in ZCCB who might resist this, but the majority should rule.. Carnitas to follow up with specific engagements in communities.
Bill 7 is Dead. It will never be resurrected again in Zambia.
Thank you
The government came up with the technical committee which went flat out throughout Zambia and got submissions overwhelmingly on the amendment of the constitution.Ba Fred you must have yourself to blame if you didn’t participate.It is unfortunate that people who never wanted to participate are the ones championing the withdrawal of the document.Initially they are the ones who agitated the government to come up with the amendment.
Mmembe is joining those insulting and disregarding the majority of people who made submissions to the technical committee. The government established the technical committee to adhere to the constitutional directive that amendments to the constitution should be based on broad consultation of people. Submissions have been made from all 10 provinces, traditional leaders, churches and civil society organisations. The Oasis forum has these 3 preconceived outcomes of the dialogue with government on the constitutional reform process. Perhaps Mmembe should tell Oasis forum that they should not come to a dialogue if their desired outcome are the basis for continued dialogue on the constitutional reform process. This is arrogance!!