ZAMBIA DESERVES LEADERSHIP — NOT LEGAL DISTRACTIONS
Fellow Citizens,
It is time to speak with clarity, conviction, and an unwavering sense of duty.
Zambia is a constitutional democracy not a personal enterprise, not a political trophy, and certainly not a private estate. Those entrusted with public office must always remember they are stewards, not owners. They serve at the will of the people, under laws designed not to protect a party or presidency, but to safeguard the Republic itself.
We have observed, with growing concern, an unhealthy obsession with constitutional amendments led by President Hakainde Hichilema and reinforced by the conduct of Speaker Nelly Mutti. What should be a solemn and people-driven process has now been reduced to a political exercise, justified only by the refrain: “Even past governments have done it why not us?”
But that reasoning is fundamentally flawed.
The Constitution is not a uniform to be resized with every change of government. Its power lies in its stability and its legitimacy in the trust of the people. Amending it must be reserved for matters of true national urgency not for political convenience or self-preservation.
At this point in our country’s journey, Zambia does not lack laws it lacks visionary leadership capable of fully utilising the progressive legal framework we already possess.
No constitutional amendment is required to put medicines in hospitals, tackle load shedding, revive local industries, protect national resources, or create jobs for our youth. These goals demand commitment, not constitutional edits. They require integrity, not theatrical pronouncements.
This administration’s continued focus on electoral clauses and presidential powers, while turning a blind eye to urgent national challenges, exposes a troubling motive political consolidation, not national development. And when a Head of State persistently seeks to rewrite the rules of the very system they are elected to uphold, it becomes clear this is not about reform, but about control. History shows us clearly, only inefficient leaders seek more power when they fail to lead within existing structures.
Equally troubling are recent pronouncements by Speaker Nelly Mutti, particularly the suggestion that even the Constitutional Court has no authority to intervene in legislative processes. Such views erode the doctrine of separation of powers, undermine the judiciary’s oversight role, and set a dangerous precedent. Parliament is not a political fortress, it is a national institution. It must reflect dignity, independence, and accountability and not political expediency.
Yet under the current Speaker’s leadership, the decorum of the National Assembly has deteriorated. What should be the highest deliberative forum of the Republic has been reduced to a chamber of censorship, where legitimate questions are brushed aside and divergent views treated with hostility as if it were a school assembly, not a Parliament.
Let it be understood with finality, the Constitution does not belong to the President, the Speaker, or the UPND. It belongs to the people. And the people have not asked for these amendments. On the contrary, they have raised genuine concerns which deserve respect, not coercion.
If this administration truly seeks legal reform, let it begin with laws that improve the lives of ordinary Zambians not those that fortify the ruling party’s grip on power. Let us see legislation that uplifts, empowers, and unites the country reform that addresses energy shortages, decentralization, natural resource protection, public procurement accountability, and access to meaningful education and healthcare.
Zambia does not need ceremonial amendments during an economic crisis. What we need is leadership that listens, leadership that serves, leadership that leads by example not by decree.
Let us restore honour to the institutions that have shaped our democracy. Let us stop treating the Constitution like a campaign document. Let every public office bearer from the President to the Speaker understand that it is not about personal pride but national progress. There is wisdom in admitting when things are not working, rather than forcing unwanted reforms onto a resistant citizenry.
We have not forgotten the disturbing evidence of political manipulation such as the leaked audio between Akafumba and Levy Ngoma exposing a coordinated effort to destabilise the opposition. These acts, combined with this push to tamper with the Constitution, form a worrying pattern of behaviour. It is both a disgrace and a betrayal of public trust.
Zambia is not a playground for experiments in power. It is a sovereign nation governed by law, guided by principles, and built by the will of the people. And in the end, it is the people who will have the final say.
Abraham Simpamba
Independent Aspiring Candidate for Chililabombwe Constituency
Together We Can
Ichalo Bantu