Africa-Press – Zambia. LUNTE Member of Parliament Hon Mutotwe Kafwaya has warned that the process that the UPND has adopted to enact the constitution through Constitution Amendment Bill no. 7 of 2025 (Bill 7) will harm a lot of people in future.
Hon Kafwaya states that the UPND is poised to regret their actions because they have refused to heed to the advice from critical stakeholders on Bill 7.
Speaking at a media briefing this afternoon, he noted that the controversial bill is a great danger to Zambia hence it has been widely rejected from both ordinary citizens to critical stakeholders.
Hon Kafwaya, who is also former Transport and Communications Minister, has expressed shock that the Ministry of Justice is submitting the same bill to the Select Committee for consideration in secrecy because they do not want anyone to know what is being submitted.
“This process must be stopped to avoid consequences in future because even innocent Zambians will be caught up if this bill was to pass,” the lawmaker warned.
And Hon Kafwaya says it is laughable that President Hakainde Hichilema can make serious recommendations that Bill 7, particularly the proposal to do away with by-elections will save money because by-elections are costly.
The Lunte MP says by-elections are not a mandate because typically, they can only occur when there is a case of death as the main and unavoidable reason.
“So if it was not for these malicious arrests and jailing of opposition and independent Members of Parliament such as Hon Munir Zulu, Hon Nixon Chilangwa and Hon Ronald Chitotela among others, Zambia was only going to have had one parliamentary by-election in Kabwata to replace the late Hon Levy Mkandawire who died after an accident” he explained.
Hon Kafwaya says the justification that Bill 7 among other things aims to cure the occurrence of unnecessary by-elections therefore does not hold water because all the parliamentary by-elections, except for Kabwata Constituency, had been triggered by the ruling party.
And the lawmaker has further wondered how the UPND can claim to be trying to reduce the use of public resources through by-elections yet the same controversial bill is proposing an addition of no less than 92 member of Parliament which will even be more expensive to maintain.
“Ba UPND, your thinking does not tally with your recommendations. Instead of adding 92 more MPs, stop bullying us and stop the political machinations that tends to trigger unnecessary by-elections,” Hon Kafwaya said.
He also states that it makes no sense for the UPND to claim that they are planning on curing costs to by-elections when even Councilors and Mayors do have by-elections.
Hon Kafwaya has therefore challenged the ruling party to get their facts and be more focused because Bill 7 remains a sham hence they should find another reason to amend the constitution but certainly not through Bill 7 which is a dead bill.
Meanwhile, Shiwang’andu Member of Parliament Hon Stephen Kampyongo has appealed to Technology and Science Minister Hon Felix Mutati, Lands Minister Hon Sylvia Masebo and agriculture Ministyer Hon Reuben Mtolo Phiri to provide guidance with courage through their experience constitutional amendment matters.
Hon Kampyongo states that the said ministers were part of the discussions that informed the consensus that was reached on the 2016 constitution.
“In 2016, we managed to reach consensus despite not having the required number to meet the two-thirds majority because we had effective dialogue with our colleagues from the MMD then and there were no difficulties,” he said.
He says lawmakers have seen both the success of the 2016 constitutional amendment and failure of Bill 10 in 2021 hence the said lawmakers must take responsibility and be helpful in the process because there is lack of wisdom being exhibited by the UPND administration leadership.
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