SPEED KILLS
…Rushed Bill 7 a danger to national peace, Catholic bishops warn
By George Zulu
THE Catholic Church has warned the United Party for National Development (UPND) administration not to rush the amendment of the Constitution ahead of next year’s general elections because the country is at a crossroads.
Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) President Archbishop Ignatius Chama said it was clear that the UPND government wanted to enshrine the contents of the rejected Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No. 7 of 2025 into the current Constitution before next year’s general elections.
Archbishop Chama was speaking on Lutanda Radio in Kasama Wednesday.
“It is clear now that this government wants the content in the deferred Bill 7 to be part of the Constitution before elections next year. This is not how it should be. All of us need to be honest. We need to have integrity if we want this constitution making process to benefit our people. Pantu nacilanga apabuta tutu ukuti ubuteko bulefwaya ifyaba mu Bill 7 uwalala utulo twa mfwa fyasanguka amafunde ilyo ukusala takulaisa. Tefyo cifwile ukuba, bonse tuli no kuba abafuma cumi aba cishinka nga tukamone ukubomba uyu umulimo nao uyu wine mulimo ukabe uwa kwafwa abekala calo mukuba abana nkowa [it is amply clear now that this government wants to insert the contents of the dead Bill 7 in our Constitution before the next elections. That is not as it should be; all of us must be honest in handling this exercise so that it benefits citizens as collective],” Archbishop Chama said.
He said amending the Constitution was a noble cause that needed to meet the aspirations of the people of Zambia through consensus and unity.
Archbishop Chama, who is Kasama Archdiocese Archbishop, said Zambia’s peace and unity were at a crossroads ahead of next year’s elections.
He said it was sad that the nation had become a society that changed the Constitution frequently depending on the new government’s wishes, as opposed to meeting the aspirations of the people of Zambia.
“Let us pray to God that during this process of amending the Constitution, we take time. Speed kills. The world and our nation will not end if we don’t amend the Constitution now. The country will not end if we don’t amend the Constitution before the elections next year to elect who will lead us, so why the rush?” he said in Bemba.
Archbishop Chama said it was sad that politicians wanted to change the Constitution at every opportune time to suit themselves.
He prayed that the newly constituted technical committee on constitutional reforms would be patriotic, truthful and transparent.
“By doing things fast, rushing, we have become a country that changes the constitution depending on which political party is in power,” he said.
Last week, President Hakainde Hichilema appointed a 25-member technical committee to carry out consultations on the 13 constitutional amendments it has proposed in Bill 7.
The Constitutional Court has declared the foundation of Bill 7 unconstitutional and therefore illegal and ordered that the process be started all over again.
