Maravi

SADC demo will go ahead - Oasis Forum

SADC demo will go ahead - Oasis Forum
By Noel Sichalwe
Wednesday August 08, 2007 [04:00]

OASIS Forum spokesperson Musa Mwenye yesterday said the government would not stop the civil society from demonstrating during the SADC heads of state summit in Lusaka next week. Mwenye was commenting on justice minister George Kunda’s statement that it was undemocratic for the Oasis Forum and their supporters to demand that their will prevail over the constitution review process. Mwenye said the demonstration would be conducted within the law and that they had followed the law to the letter.

“We intended to be absolutely peaceful and we have followed the law to the letter,” he said. “We gave our notification to the acting Lusaka commanding officer last week on Monday. We have not received any response up to now and by law they are obliged to at least five days before the planned demonstration which is today (yesterday).”

Mwenye said Oasis Forum and the Collaborative Group on the Constitution (CGC) have not broken any law and wondered why Kunda could threaten them instead of leaving such issues with the Minister of Home Affairs.

“The appropriate authority on these issues is the Lusaka Province acting commanding officer and the Minister of Homes Affairs. The statement by the justice minister is ultra vires of the public order Act unless he can confidently say that he is acting home affairs minister.”

He said Oasis Forum only gave a notification for the planned demonstration for Lusaka Province and that if people on the Copperbelt Province intended to join, the CGC would support them.
Mwenye said he had information that the labour movement and other interest groups were also planning a demonstration on the Copperbelt Province whom they would support.

“The Oasis Forum and the CGC can’t stop the other people from demonstration but they have to do it within the confines of the law,” Mwenye said.

And speaking on a Q-FM Radio programme discussing the constitution, Mwenye said the fact that Kunda was concerned about the planned demonstration was a compliment to Oasis Forum and CGC.

He said the Oasis Forum had organised marshals during the planned demonstration to control people so that the procession would be orderly.

“We are proceeding with the demonstration and nothing will stop us,” Mwenye vowed.

“We know a lot of things will happen but we will continue speaking for the will and aspirations of the people.”
Mwenye also said the National Constitutional Bill (NCC) should be withdrawn because it would not be relevant to the current constitution-review process.

He said some of the politicians in the Zambia Centre for Inter-party Dialogue (ZCID) were responsible for the mess in the 1996 constitution-review process and had no moral right to dictate the exercise.

Kunda on Sunday said the demonstrations were unnecessary then as government was putting in place the NCC to adopt the new constitution.

He stated that proponents and organisers of demonstrations, chaos and strikes would be held responsible for any damage to property, loss of life or lawlessness, which would occur during demonstrations.

Kunda stated that it was unfortunate that the Oasis Forum and “those bent on derailing the constitutional review process” intended to demonstrate against government during the SADC heads of state summit next week.

He stated that the intention of government, the ZCID and other stakeholders was to achieve a comprehensive review of the constitution in a less costly manner.

He said the NCC Bill had been presented to the National Assembly and other stakeholders could make submissions on the provisions of the Bill and make suggestions on how to improve it.

Labels: GEORGE KUNDA, MUSA MWENYE, OASIS FORUM, SADC

posted by MrK @ 3:45 AM