OASIS FORUM TELLS HICHILEMA TO WITHDRAW BILL 7 AND PRIORITISE THE BILL OF RIGHTS

OASIS FORUM TELLS HICHILEMA TO WITHDRAW BILL 7 AND PRIORITISE THE BILL OF RIGHTS

By Brian Matambo | Lusaka

Oasis Forum Chairperson Beauty Katebe delivered the clearest message yet in Zambia’s escalating constitutional debate, telling President Hakainde Hichilema to withdraw Bill 7 entirely and redirect the nation’s attention toward the long-neglected Bill of Rights.

Speaking during a consultative meeting at State House this afternoon, Katebe did not temper her words. Her intervention, shaped by years of civic advocacy and sharpened by public frustration, placed responsibility squarely on the President’s shoulders.

“Bill 7 must be completely withdrawn from the floor of the House,” she told him. “What Zambia needs is a fresh, inclusive and properly safeguarded process, centred on the Bill of Rights.”

Her remarks came just hours after Oasis Forum held a prayer rally against Bill 7, a sign of the growing discontent among civil society, church groups and ordinary citizens who believe the current amendment effort has lost legitimacy.

At State House, Katebe reminded President Hichilema that the Constitution is not a partisan trophy but a national covenant. She criticised the government for attempting to push through an amendment process that she said was neither transparent nor grounded in the correct legal foundation.

“We wanted to come here for a celebration, not to raise alarms about a process that should have been straightforward,” she said. “Something is not adding up.”

She noted that women’s groups, in particular, had expected meaningful inclusion, only to find themselves forced into public protest and media confrontations because the government failed to follow proper procedure.

Drawing on the shared history between civil society and the once-opposition UPND, Katebe reminded the President that he had been part of the very struggles that shaped Zambia’s demand for constitutional clarity and expanded rights. She referenced the “dungeons” of previous regimes, where the fight for freedoms and accountability united activists and opposition leaders alike.

“That experience should guide the process,” she said. “The people expected leadership that remembers what we cried for together.”

Katebe then laid out the expectations of the Oasis Forum and the broader public:

• immediate withdrawal of Bill 7
• initiation of a fresh constitutional process with legal safeguards
• a genuinely inclusive and unrushed consultation
• and the prioritisation of reopening the Bill of Rights, which she described as the heart of Zambia’s constitutional identity

Her intervention marks a pivotal moment in the unfolding debate. While government officials continue to defend Bill 7, Katebe’s message reflects the growing consensus among civic organisations that the amendment must restart from scratch.

For a President who campaigned on restoring constitutional order and strengthening rights, the confrontation at State House underscores a widening gap between public expectation and government momentum.

Beauty Katebe’s message was unmistakable. If Hichilema wants to regain public confidence, the path begins with one action: withdraw Bill 7, and open the long-awaited discussion on the Bill of Rights.