Maravi

Chiluba’s remarks annoy SA govt

Chiluba’s remarks annoy SA govt
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Tuesday, September 29, 2009 5:08:24

THE South African government has charged that it is ridiculous for Frederick Chiluba to suggest that that country's Constitution was imposed on its citizens by Western donors and contains "rights of the devil." Reacting to former president Chiluba's remarks last Friday that South Africans were given money when they were making their Constitution on condition that they include rights of the devil in the Constitution, South African government spokesperson Themba Maseko expressed displeasure at Chiluba's attacks on South Africa and its citizens.

"I know that South Africans negotiated the Bill of Rights themselves. It was a very elaborate process which involved more than two million submissions from ordinary South Africans. The Constitution was debated in our newly-elected Parliament. To suggest that anybody imposed the Constitution to us would not be true and would be ridiculous," said Maseko in a telephone interview from South Africa yesterday.

He argued that the South African Constitution did not have rights for the devil.

"There is nothing like that," said Maseko.

On Friday, during the launch of Save Rural Africa Foundation (SARAF) in Lusaka, Chiluba said the South Africans were given money when they were formulating their Constitution with instructions that they include rights of prostitutes, homosexuals and lesbians.

"A few months back, my wife and I watched a presentation in South Africa of an organisation which has been formed to protect the rights of prostitutes. And that may sound a little peculiar and strange. It isn't. That is the worldwide movement. I don't want us to be simplistic. It's not easy going. Why did that come about? I was told by one South African brother that on their way towards the inauguration of their Constitution they were given aid, money and they were told, 'if you embrace the rights of the individual, the liberties of everybody including prostitutes and allow for homosexual and lesbian marriages, we will give you this money'. We politicians face a lot of difficulties," said Chiluba.

"We are living in very difficult times not only have our friends in South Africa accepted that which they didn't want and implemented in their Constitution the rights of the devil. This may be slowly coming but we have to watch out because there have been attempts in this country to put the same rights in our Constitution. We have to be wide awake and particularly if our children understand fully what this means to them and to those after them, then we will have a firm, strong foundation and that is what we do need."

Labels: CHILUBA

posted by MrK @ 4:09 PM