Kazabu urges chiefs to 'bend' Levy on constitutional reforms

Kazabu urges chiefs to 'bend' Levy on constitutional reforms
By Sheikh Chifuwe in Kitwe
Sunday April 22, 2007 [04:00]

FORMER Kitwe Mayor Lackson Kazabu has appealed to traditional rulers to stop President Levy Mwanawasa from being stubborn over constitutional reforms. During a Newsmakers Forum organised by the Press Freedom Committee of The Post at Edinburg Hotel in Kitwe last Wednesday, Kazabu said although President Mwanawasa had proved to be the most stubborn over the reforms, traditional rulers had the capacity to bring him down on his knees.

He wondered why members of parliament and traditional rulers had remained silent when the people needed their support.
"The hour of reckoning has come, speak out and Levy will cease to be stubborn," he said.

He expressed sadness that President Mwanawasa had closed the door for other stakeholders to dialogue over the constitutional reforms.

Kazabu said although government's role was to facilitate the constitution-making process, it was unfortunate that there were people who believed that they owned the process.
And a Catholic priest, Father Augustine Mwewa, said it had become increasingly difficult to trust President Mwanawasa over the constitutional reforms.

"President Mwanawasa is acting contradictory to what he promised the people of Zambia. It is clear him and his government cannot be trusted anymore," he said. "I am certain that President Mwanawasa's ship will be sunk."

And former Copperbelt University Students Union president Emmanuel Mwange said although the government through President Mwanawasa had pledged to respect the people's demands, Zambians could not rely on them to facilitate a people driven constitution.

He urged Zambians to take responsibility by applying massive pressure on the government in order to give themselves a new constitution.

He said the government was swimming against a tide and could easily be defeated by the will of the majority Zambians.
Dr Kalongansomfu Mumba proposed either petitioning President Mwanawasa to direct the National Assembly to reconvene before the end of May specifically to enact the Constituent Assembly Bill into law or instituting mass public action immediately.

He said Zambians should be ready for sustainable countrywide demonstrations because the logical option for a round-table discussion had been closed.

Dr Mumba called on Zambians to actively participate in the demand for the new constitution, which should be enacted by June 2008.
"Without a good constitution, poverty among the majority of the Zambians will continue. Leaders who are corrupt and who are not accountable to the electorate will continue to be elected and appointed; and the social, political and economic injustices from which many Zambians have suffered will continue," he said.

Dr Mumba urged President Mwanawasa and his administration to subordinate their personal interests to the national interests.
Meanwhile, former Kalulushi member of parliament Anthony Mwila has said Zambians had a casual approach to constitutional reforms.
At another Newsmakers Forum at Kalulushi High School last Tuesday, Mwila said speaking the loudest without understanding contents of the draft constitution was dangerous and a mockery to the whole process.

Mwila said the government had shown political will and urged other stakeholders to be reasonable in their demands so that a very good constitution was enacted.

Another discussant, Newton Nyeleti called on the stakeholders to seek harmony as they aspired for a new constitution.

"What is happening now is that government has become arrogant and the civil society is confrontational, we need both the governors and the governed, we need to harmonise our interests," Nyeleti said.
He also expressed confidence that President Mwanawasa would leave a good constitution for the people before he leaves office in 2011.

Nyeleti expressed confidence that if President Mwanawasa left behind a good constitution before leaving office, everyone would forget about his inadequacies.

Joseph Mulenga said Zambians needed to liberate themselves from unfair laws by ensuring that a people-driven constitution was put in place as soon as possible.

A resident, Thabo Kawana said the investors especially on the mines behaved funny because the current Constitution protected them at the expense of the citizens.

He said President Mwanawasa was not very keen to lose some of the presidential powers and would do everything possible to delay the adoption of the constitution until a few months before he leave office in 2011.