“MUNDUBILE EXPLODES: ‘GIVE BACK THE BRIBE MONEY!’ AS BILL 7 SPARKS NATIONAL FURY”

“MUNDUBILE EXPLODES: ‘GIVE BACK THE BRIBE MONEY!’ AS BILL 7 SPARKS NATIONAL FURY”

By Staff Reporter

08.12.25

The controversy surrounding Constitution Amendment Bill No. 7 has reached boiling point, with Patriotic Front presidential aspirant Brian Mundubile unleashing a fiery attack on lawmakers accused of pocketing bribes to back the disputed measure. In a viral video, the normally composed opposition figure thundered: “If you are one of the MPs that have received that K3 million or K200, 000 to vote in favour of Bill 7, give that money back now.”

Bill 7 was earlier declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court in June 2025, which ruled that the process lacked legitimacy and bypassed the people’s involvement.

Despite this, President Hakainde Hichilema’s government has brazenly revived the bill, insisting it must be passed before the 2026 elections. Critics say this bulldozing amounts to contempt of court and a direct breach of constitutional order.

Mundubile reminded MPs that they already enjoy taxpayer-funded perks—soft car loans, sitting allowances, and even state-funded funerals—while ordinary citizens struggle.

“This is taxpayers’ money you are receiving as bribes, give it back so that unpaid farmers can be paid for the maize they sold to government. Give it back so that poor farmers going hungry can buy fertiliser for the farming season,” he charged.

The Oasis Forum, a coalition of churches, lawyers, and civil society, has joined Mundubile in rejecting Bill 7, warning that it is a “nullity” and a dangerous attempt to manipulate the constitution for short-term political gain.

Forum chairperson Beauty Katebe stressed that the process is neither inclusive nor transparent, saying: “We cannot participate in legitimising an illegality. The amendment must be withdrawn immediately and restarted through a genuinely people-driven framework.”

Opposition leaders Harry Kalaba and Fred M’membe have also cautioned that the government’s divisive rhetoric around the bill risks inflaming tribal tensions and undermining national unity. Analysts warn that bulldozing the measure through Parliament in less than three weeks has alarmed not only Zambians but also foreign observers, who fear the erosion of democratic safeguards.

Mundubile was blunt: “Bill 7 is dead. The Constitutional Court killed it. Any attempt to resurrect it is unconstitutional and a betrayal of the poor people MPs are meant to serve.” His words echoed the growing sentiment that the government’s insistence on pushing the bill amounts to a direct assault on democracy.

As the storm intensifies, Zambia faces a constitutional showdown that pits the executive against the judiciary, civil society, and opposition. With the nation’s political temperature rising, the battle over Bill 7 has become a litmus test for the country’s democratic resilience.