PRESS STATEMENT
From the office of PF Directorate of Media
For immediate Release
11/12/2025
The Patriotic Front/PF/ through it’s media directorate wishes to issue a firm and urgent appeal to all Members of Parliament across party lines to reject bill 7 in totality especially after the ruling by the constitutional courts that Bill 7 is unconstitutional.
It should be rejected in totality by all the MPs and the people of Zambia.
MPs cannot debate what is unconstitutional and bill 7 must fall.
This is not a partisan issue,this is about the soul of our democracy and the suffering of our people we all claim to serve.
At a time when Zambians are enduring unprecedented economic hardships,the role of Parliament must be to provide relief,not impose further burdens.
We call upon MPs with influence, integrity and a strong voice to stand up not for the party,not for political expediency but for the people.
Let your legacy be one of courage and not compliance.
Your constituents did not elect you to be echo chambers of the executive.
They chose you to be defenders of justice, equity and economic dignity.
Rejecting bill 7 is not an act of rebellion,it’s an act of leadership .
The PF Directorate of Media stands with every MP who chooses conscience over convenience and the people over politics.
The time to act is now.
Constitutional invalidity infects the entire process.
The Doctrine of constitutional invalidity dictates that if a legislative process is initiated through unconstitutional means,then all subsequent steps however procedurally proper,are vitiated ab initio.
The constitution is very clear where a bill is introduced without complying with constitutionally mandated public participation, any law enacted from such a bill is invalid in it’s entirety.
The constitutional court ruling that the process of formulating bill 7 was unconstitutional renders the bill legally void.
It is trite law that,you cannot put something on northing and expect it to stand.
A defective process yields a defective outcome.
Therefore allowing Parliament to proceed with bill 7 is tantamount to legitimizing a constitutionally tainted act ,a direct affront to the rule of law.
Parliamentary autonomy does not extend to defying court orders Article 1/2/ of the laws of Zambian constitution states unequivocally this,;this constitution is the supreme law of the republic of zambia and any other law or custom that is inconstent with it is void to the extent of the inconsistency.
Permitting bill 7 will set a dangerous precedent that constitutional violations can be introspectively cured by mere parliamentary discretion.
In light of the above it’s legally improper and constitutionally indefensible for Parliament to proceed with bill 7 of 2025 after the constitutional court has declared the process leading to it’s formulation unconstitutional.
The executive cannot affirm an unconstitutional process into legitimacy.
MPs MUST REMEMBER THEIR OATH
MPs are not ordinary politicians they are representives, public servants chosen by the people to protect the people s interests.
When citizens queued for hours to vote for you , they did so in hope,hope for a better future,for fair policies,for leaders that would speak and act on their behalf.
To support bill 7 now would be a betrayal of that trust.
We must remind our MPs, your first loyalty is not the party,nor to personal advancement
It is to the people who believed in you.
Political responsibility demands moral courage.
Now is the time to show it.
REJECTING BILL 7 IS NOT REBELLION ITS ACTUALLY LEADERSHIP.
Some may argue that rejecting the bill is an act of defiance against the leadership that is misreading democracy
Real leadership is not about blind loyalty it’s about standing up for what is right even when it’s politically inconvenient.
To MPs who are being pressured to support bill 7, courage is doing what’s right when it’s hardest and history will remember who stood with the nation and who stood against it.
THE CALL TO ACTION
This is the pivotal moment in Zambia s democratic journey.
The people have spoken
The time to listen is now
Reject bill 7 stand with your electorates
Prove that Parliament still belongs to the people
Choose the people
Choose justice
Choose to be remembered as a leader that stood firm when it mattered most
Reject bill 7
Bill 7 must Fall
Zambians are counting on you.
Edwin Lifwekelo
Pf media director
Lusaka Zambia S
Yes, it is poor leadership.
Leadership to who when your party doesn’t even have a leader.