By Fr. Chris Chanda Mukuka
Catholic Diocese of Mpika
Date: 3rd December 2025
MY POSITION ON THE CONSTITUTION (AMENDMENT) BILL NO. 7 OF 2025
As a Catholic priest serving in the Diocese of Mpika, I feel morally obliged to speak with clarity and pastoral responsibility on matters that affect the nation’s democratic life, the dignity of citizens, and the future of our children. The Constitution is not a political tool. It is the sacred framework that protects our freedoms, our rights, and the orderly governance of the Republic.
After studying the contents of the Constitution (Amendment) Bill No. 7 of 2025, and listening attentively to the concerns raised by the Church, the Oasis Forum, the Law Association of Zambia, and many citizens of goodwill, I stand with the Oasis Forum in calling for the withdrawal and reconsideration of Bill 7.
1. The Bill Weakens the Voice of the People
Bill 7 removes by-elections for party-sponsored Members of Parliament and gives political parties the power to appoint replacements. This takes away the people’s constitutional right to choose their representatives. Democracy flows from the people—not from party headquarters.
2. It Expands and Politicizes Parliament
By increasing parliamentary seats from 156 to 211, and expanding nominated and party-list positions, the Bill grows government unnecessarily and risks turning Parliament into a space dominated by political interests instead of citizens’ welfare..
3. It Concentrates Power in Political Parties
Through mixed-member proportional representation and party-appointed MPs, the Bill shifts power from voters to political party structures. This weakens accountability and creates a Parliament that answers more to party leaders than to the electorate.
4. It Risks Weakening Local Governance
By removing the two-term limit for mayors and council chairpersons and allowing MPs to sit on councils, Bill 7 opens the door to entrenchment of power and reduces the independence of local authorities.
5. It Moves Important Offices Away from Neutrality
Allowing the Attorney-General and Solicitor-General to remain in office after elections threatens the impartiality and balance required in legal and governance processes.
6. It Was Not Subjected to Genuine National Consultation
Constitutional changes must be driven by wide consultation and national consensus. The Constitutional Court’s ruling that Bill 7 is invalid due to lack of public participation confirms the concerns raised by many Zambians.
MY PASTORAL APPEAL
As a priest, I do not speak for any political party. I speak for justice, for moral order, and for the common good. The Constitution belongs to all Zambians, present and future. It must not be amended in ways that weaken democracy, undermine accountability, or silence the voice of citizens.
I therefore join the Oasis Forum, civil society, and all people of goodwill in calling for:
1. The withdrawal of Bill 7 in its current form.
2. A fresh, inclusive, and transparent national consultation process.
3. A Constitution that strengthens—not weakens—our democratic institutions.
CONCLUSION
Zambia is bigger than any political interest. Our duty is to safeguard the nation’s unity, peace, and democratic foundations. As a shepherd of God’s people, I stand for a Constitution that respects the dignity of every Zambian and upholds the principles of justice, transparency, and accountability.
God bless Zambia.
God bless our people.
God bless our democracy.
Fr. Chris Chanda Mukuka
Catholic Diocese of Mpika
Lobby the Parliamentarians now so that they may get your ideas.Dont waste your enegies in social media or Church on this matter, and people must stop attacking the persona of others.
This is how a true shepherd of God’s people should come out because he has people at the centre and the power to yield fruits of his wish he knows is from God. Truly you are a Priest for ever in the order of Melchizedek. There is no iota or trace of personal hatred in you this is why your words are not minced with politics and personal hate. How i wish you had condemned the suggestion of street protests and better to rig statements equally from some men of the collar. Those statements are the ones that make everyone including yourself look like you are prophets of doom. Indeed you are one Priest in a million and how i wish every other observation was personalized like yours. And this which you have personalized should have been the one to represent the Church, because the power to overcome comes from God and not from our own physical participation, like what Archbishops Chama and Banda suggested falling in the trap of politicians. The Catholic faithfulls are your spiritual children thereby commiting them to spiritual engagements, yet a senior most Archbishop wants them to engage in physical confrontation exposing them to physical harm. Let the clergy realize that it is not all the people who are called by God to speak with a voice of sense certain statements they make go directly into the ears of the devil and when he answers back they should not cry foul he also has some ego to satisfy, and as Christians we must be careful not to dare the devil. As long as it depends on you live at peace with everyone.
Those are the submissions you were supposed to make. That was what the technical committee was doing. There is nothing new in them, the terms of reference came from the submissions in all the constitution review commissions.
Other people hold a different view and that is why in the end, parliament will debate and put to a vote.
The majority will carry the day. If at another time they will be need to increase or remove, let it be so.
For example, I totally disagree that we should not increase representation because the cost will high. Zambia is too big and it is upto us to find resources. Representation is better than no representation. In any case, it is the excesses they have started having, obscene money they are demanding in gratuity. Remove those if at all they are serving the people.
Grandstanding here after the fact…so that you can attain what? What you are doing is self agrandisment. Stroking your ego father. Forgetting that you made your submission through your bishop and it was in turn submitted through the joint Bishops statement. Is that not enough? Have you not faith in them and their leadership? The Gull we have today. The lack of confidence in our leaders. The lack of faith in what they stand for is exmplified here. Just plain arrogance by this young priest and many like him who force their voices like they are not heard when they speak among themselves or in their prayers. The force us to want to believe their views yet God gave us decernment. What bullys…. who have no or little faith.
Catholic priests are overrated. Why should we even listen to them as if everyone eats their eucharist? They have tried hard to exaggerate their concerns over Bill 7, when the truth is plain to see. They are just bitter sympathisers of PF.
I thought Catholic priests are supposed to be learned, but I’m surprised to read reasoning of this priest regarding the clauses in bill 7. For instance, on point 5, he says the bill 7 will remove neutrality from the Attorney-General and Solicitor-General if they remain in office after elections. Is this not supposed to be opposite of what the priest is saying? In other words, bill 7 brings in a level of securiity of tenure by allowing these officers to stay in office after change of government, meaning they no longer need to align themselves with the government of the day for fear of dismisal, but would be protected by law to discharge their duties independently.