Makebi petitions HH over flawed amendment process
By Thandizo Banda
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) presidential aspirant Makebi Zulu has written to President Hakainde Hichilema demanding the halting of the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No.7 of 2025 which is before Parliament.
Zulu’s open letter wants government to immediately stop all efforts to proceed with the bill to protect Zambia’s democracy, uphold the authority of the Constitution and honour the clear will of the people.
“Evidence from professional bodies, civil society and public commentary demonstrates that Bill 7 is deeply unpopular, constitutionally flawed and politically dangerous,” Zulu, a prominent lawyer, stated.
He said Bill 7 stood on unconstitutional ground because the Constitutional Court had already pronounced that the process leading to its birth did not meet the threshold of wide and meaningful public consultation required by Article 79, rendering it inconsistent with the Constitution and therefore void.
“Continuing with, repackaging or reintroducing Bill 7 in defiance of this ruling would signal contempt for judicial authority and erode the rule of law that your administration pledged to restore,” Zulu said.
He noted Bill 7 had been decisively rejected by key democracy stakeholders.
“The Law Association of Zambia has publicly called for the withdrawal of the bill, warning that it lacks broad-based citizen participation and risks weakening democratic checks and balances, including by allowing parties to fill vacant parliamentary seats without elections and by bloating Parliament at the expense of service delivery,” Zulu said .
He said civil society organisations had issued joint statements warning that any attempt to revive Bill 7 would be an attack on constitutionalism and an assault on civic space.
The bill is substantively dangerous to Zambia’s democracy.
“Provisions that expand Parliament while centralising power, tamper with by-elections and weaken local government would entrench incumbents rather than empower citizens, turning constitutional reform into a tool for political advantage instead of national progress,” the letter reads.
Public voices, including members of Parliament and governance advocates, have described Bill 7 as “poisonous” and a threat to the hard‑won democratic gains of the past decades.
Zulu said the bill diverted attention and scarce resources from the real crises facing Zambians such as unemployment, the high cost of living, and over‑stretched social services.
“There is no evidence that increasing the number of MPs or manipulating electoral rules will put food on the table, reduce the debt burden, or improve essential services. On the contrary, adding more politicians to the payroll while citizens struggle sends a message that political elites come before the people they are meant to serve,” said Zulu.
Government has brought Bill 7 back to Parliament months after it was declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court a day after it was unexpectedly withdrawn.
