MR PRESIDENT, CAN WE WRITE A CONSTITUTION FOR SEPTEMBER NOT AUGUST 2026 – LAURA MITI
She writes….
While there have been continual disagreements on how Zambia amends her constitution, there has, for decades, been the overall agreement that our constitution needs profound review.
That, reading all it’s chigambas as one, it does not have the interest of Zambia’s citizens.
Simply, the document that is supposed to direct how we will live together, and each of us fully benefit from all that this oddly shaped country has to give, has fundamental problems.
It designs that power is not distributed in such a way that it will always advance the citizen good. It does not force those who have the privilege to run the country, to do so for the weakest among us. It allows the temporary privilege of power to be used to harm the long term interests of Zambians.
Our constitution allows an unequal country. For rural citizens to be after-thoughts. It does not force equitable distribution national wealth. It allows for a child born intelligent, but poor, to be illiterate.
For the educational decisions affecting a child in Nabwalya or Sioma to be made in Lusaka. For Lusaka to be Zambia.
It does not force decentralisation of power. It makes the President a god. For this nonsense we are seeing where everyone wants to be President because all other offices that citizens could aspire for, and have real influence on the country, are but puppets of the Presidency
The Chief Justice, Speaker, Auditor General, Inspector General of the Police, Mayor, even the headmaster of a school- everyone is looking over their shoulder to the President.
Small people around the presidency have, for administration after administration, been more powerful in the everyday life of the country than holders of critical offices.
That situation should be prevented by the Constitution.
Simply, the need for Zambia to write for herself a supreme law that clearly directs the affairs of the country in the best interest of citizens, has never been in dispute.
The reason, therefore, that we find ourselves about to amend our constitution again, and the reason it is, again, a noisy effort, is that EVERY government has approached the reviews in its own interests.
Tragically, no administration, since 1964, has understood the tragedy of capturing a constitution for its own immediate political needs.
No government has loved Zambia enough to allow a constitution that is not in permanent need for critical review, to be passed.
Even when consensus has been reached on issues, government after government has thrown out the people’s views and used the constitutional review process to advance it’s politics.
Here is the question, then.
Is it possible that President Hichilema and the ruling party will do what no other administration has – facilitate the people of Zambia to give themselves a good guiding document?
Will this government display the understanding that, while it necessarily has a say in content, it is but one of many voices?
Will this government find it possible to not use the Mushabati Technical Committee to legitimise what it wants for itself?
The straight forward question is – will the Hichilema administration allow the Mushabti Technical Committee to work in the interests of a constitution for Zambia, not a constitution for 2026?
Mr President, can we write a constitution for September not August, 2026?
The suggested amendments include delimitation of a few extra constituencies so that the new 40 million CDF is available to them.
How is this not in the interests of the people?
Postponing these suggested changes to a month after elections would mean no new constituencies. Until the end of the 5 year term. Thus denying citizens access to life changing CDF funds.
We are our own worst enemies.
The issue is that of too much power vested in one individual.. not constituencies or or represention….
Malikopo, you are right. If they can’t understand your clear and plain language, what else do the opposition understand? Thanks we now have free education.
It’s difficult for Zambia to develop, when every president squashes policies based on hate,appoints and disappoints critical office bearers (who are always inevitably loyal to him).
Can’t you see what is wrong with our constitution… it’s not the number of mps… toothless parliament etc
The new president next year will tear up this useless constitution drafted by Hakainde and his party. People will get arrested for breaking the law, and immunities will be stripped so that we cage the ring leaders. Zambia is bigger than conmen.
REJECT TRIBALISM, CORRUPTION AND OPPRESSION.
VOTE FOR CHANGE IN 2026.
It’s the same constitution which will enable the new president to haunt upnd ( because our presidents are literally small gods)
MMD razed down whatever UNIP built; PF also razed down whatever MMD built. Whichever Party will takeover from UPND next year, if there will be one, also will raze down whatever UPND will have built. What a country and people we are! We are a “Pendulum” country, always swinging from one extreme end to the other. Going nowhere. We never build on previous Foundations laid.
Very vert rare to write a good constitution in time of peace, only when you are coming out of conflict then every one can be heard. Right now we have to get a constitution at any cost, for a user friendly parliament to 2031. It has nothing to do with a constitution which best serves the country, but all things favourable to power. Watch the space, there are constitutional changes before August 2026, it has to be desperately changed.
HH is the last person to want to cling onto power. The man is a millionaire cattle rancher with politics as a side hustle. Politics is not his staple. The narrative to demonise HH as a power hungry authoritarian is totally misplaced. The one’s advancing this twisted and fake narrative have nothing better to offer as solutions and alternatives to the challenges that citizens are facing.
When is the Technical Committee expected to conclude its work? Is it before the 2026 general elections or before the dissolution of the current parliament? It’s not possible to conclude this work before dissolution of parliament.