Government shouldn't have final say on dual citizenship, says Chipimo
By Ernest Chanda
Sun 10 June 2012, 12:59 CAT
ELIAS Chipimo says President Michael Sata's opposing view on dual citizenship causes public worry because of the history attached to constitution-making processes in the country.
Commenting on President Sata's opposition to the clause in the draft constitution, Chipimo who is opposition National Restoration Party president said the government should not have the final say on the process.
He said President Sata's view on the matter would be fine if the constitution-making process had not been hijacked in the past by successive governments.
"And if we really are to have a process which will stand the test of time, and that will produce a constitution that will be accepted by everybody, we need to ensure that the Executive does not have the final say on what goes into the constitution," said Chipimo.
"And that's where I have a concern; I have no real problem with the President making his views known on a particular issue. It's particularly worrying in this case because we know that the Executive is not intending to relinquish the right to have the final say to the people of Zambia."
Responding to a question on Wednesday from a Zambian living in England during a dinner hosted for him at the Zambian High Commissioner's residence in London, President Sata said amending the law to allow dual citizenship had its consequences.
President Sata said if the law was changed, there would be more Zambians and jobs would be taken away by foreigners living in the country.
He advised Zambians in the Diaspora to return home and compete for jobs with their compatriots.
President Sata said he had a duty to protect the majority of Zambians, especially poor citizens.
Labels: CONSTITUTION, DUAL CITIZENSHIP, ELIAS CHIPIMO
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Zambians in UK back dual citizenship clause
By Moses Kuwema
Mon 02 Aug. 2010, 04:00 CAT
ZAMBIANS living in the United Kingdom have observed that the 15-year continuous residence period needed for spouses of Zambian nationals to qualify for citizenship as proposed in the NCC draft constitution is too long.
Submitting their comments to the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) during a meeting held at St George’s Hotel on Friday, the delegates welcomed the clause that recommends dual citizenship, but bemoaned the 15-year continuous residence as being too long.
They also observed that the 40-day period given by the NCC to the nation to go through the draft Constitution and make recommendations was too short.
“A Constitution is a document of substance whose sanctity should not be devalued by depriving citizens the right of participation in its input by way of giving a short period of feedback as demonstrated by the forty days given by the NCC to the Nation. They had almost three years working on ideas which were already in public domain and were a brainchild of the people as submitted through the previous Constitutional Commissions,” they observed.
They observed that while a lot of Zambians in the Diaspora had amassed a lot of wealth after taking up citizenship in their adopted countries, they still longed to invest in their country of birth, but felt alienated because their own country did not appreciate them as exhibited by the incessant affront they faced at home for having taken up citizenship in their adopted countries.
The Zambians also observed that while the draft constitution recommends that a Presidential candidate should have been a resident of Zambia for a continuous period of 10 years immediately preceding the election, the document was silently ambiguous on the status of those who were domiciled abroad for the purpose of studies.
“This ambiguity is disturbing in a country which does not have many institutions of higher learning in that it sends most of its tertiary students outside the country, given that the minimum period of higher education from a first degree to a PhD is seven years,” they observed.
On the degree clause, they observed that some chiefs did not have degrees, and yet they administered the affairs of their people better than some degree holders who were on record as having failed to run some companies.
The delegates also felt let down by the Zambian High Commission in the UK, which they said should have been the one sensitising the people about the NCC draft constitution.
They also felt that the NCC should have also gone as far as recommending that they be given the right to vote, as they were a constituency in their own right, given the numbers of those in the Diaspora.
Labels: DIASPORA, DUAL CITIZENSHIP, NCC
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NCC adopts dual citizenship Article
Written by Ernest Chanda and Katwishi Bwalya
THE National Constitutional Conference (NCC) on Wednesday unanimously adopted an Article in the Mung'omba draft constitution that allows for dual citizenship. And attempts by some delegates to cause a division and subsequent voting failed after the majority adopted clause 1 of the Article.
This was after only 97 members rose in an attempt to cause a division but failed to attain the required 120 threshold to be granted the division.
Article 21 clause 1 of the Mungo'mba draft constitution states that "a citizen, by birth, or decent, shall not lose that citizenship by acquiring the citizenship of another country."
And clause 2 of the same Article states that, "A citizen, by birth or descent, and who before the commencement of this constitution, acquired the citizenship of another country and as a result ceased to be a Zambian citizen shall be entitled to apply to the Citizenship Board to regain that citizenship."
The Article had initially been deleted by the citizenship committee of the NCC in its sittings early this year.
For the first time at the NCC, a contentious Article received support from the Executive's side, the opposition, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the church.
Supporting the clause, Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe urged other delegates to stop living in the era of primitivity.
"We should not worry so much about security issues. I think what we should worry about is to fight bureaucracy, that's what we should worry about. But if we want to write a constitution that will envelop 1950s primitivity then we are getting nowhere. I think we should be getting out of this notion that we are writing a constitution for this decade, we are writing a constitution for the future," Munkombwe said.
"I come from the old school of politics and I should be defending this bureaucracy, this primitivity, but I'm not. So I am the man of the moment. Those who think that I will be backward are disappointed because I move with time."
And Pastor Peter Mulenga who has for a long time been a proponent of dual citizenship debated that the Article was a true submission of Zambians to the Mung'omba Constitution Review Commission.
Chief Kashiba of Luapula Province observed that the fears about national security and patriotism were baseless.
"In my view, security risks come more from within the country than outside. As for loyalty and patriotism, what makes some people think that those Zambians living in the country are more loyal and patriotic than those outside? All these fears are baseless because they have no justification," chief Kashiba said.
Among other government officials who supported the Article were foreign affairs minister Kabinga Pande, finance deputy minister Chileshe Kapwepwe and home affairs minister Kalombo Mwansa.
But Lusaka magistrate Edward Musona argued that it was not easy for a person to hold dual nationality.
"Citizenship is like religion, and there is no person who can have two religions. One cannot be a Christian and a Muslim at the same time; a chrislam, no. Let us not take the issue of citizenship like a laboratory experiment," argued magistrate Musona.
He was supported by Chief Shaibila of Central Province who said the clause was not important because the country had very few Zambians living abroad.
"It will be a security risk to allow dual citizenship in this country and apart from that we have very few Zambians living abroad. So dual citizenship should not be allowed because not only is it a security risk but we cannot contain it as a country," chief Shaibila said.
Dr Antoinette Phiri from the Medical Association of Zambia said allowing dual citizenship would promote citizens of convenience.
"A double minded person is an unsafe person. We do not need citizens of convenience and that is why we are having brain drains as a country because people are not decided whether to remain in Zambia or not," said Dr Phiri.
Labels: CONSTITUTION, DUAL CITIZENSHIP, NCC
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Dual citizenship
Written by Editor
THIS week, the issue of dual citizenship will be back on top of the National Constitutional Conference's agenda. And this time we hope to see more rationality over this issue because people had time to reflect and meditate deeply. And moreover, we cannot understand why there should be much disquisition over this issue because the Zambian people seem to have made a decision on it.
In both the Mwanakatwe and Mung'omba constitution review commissions, the Zambian people supported and recommended dual citizenship. And this being the case, why should this desire, this decision be stopped by a small group of people at the National Constitutional Conference?
We are not in any way unpatriotic by supporting and calling for dual citizenship. Being a Zambian is something that we value more than ever. But we have always placed humankind above homeland. We are internationalists, first and foremost, without ceasing to be patriots. And our people's overwhelming support for dual citizenship is not only a source of pride for us but a greater privilege than ever to be Zambian. We have very great esteem - not for the land, this isn't love of the land - and love for our people who live in this land. And to borrow from Jose Marti, "Love of homeland, mother, isn't ridiculous love of the land or of the grass under our plants; it is invisible hatred of those who oppress it, eternal animosity towards those who attack it."
For us, homeland means the people, and we have tremendous, ever-growing admiration for our people, because our people constantly improve. Sometime back, our people would have never supported or called for the idea of dual citizenship.
Dual citizenship is becoming more common in our increasingly interconnected global economy. Many countries are now seeing the advantages of dual citizenship and are liberalising their citizenship laws - India, the Philippines and Mexico are recent examples.
Dual citizenship has the advantages of broadening our country's economic base by promoting trade and investment between the dual citizens' respective countries.
And it would appear to be a waste of time to prohibit dual citizenship because so many of our people are today dual citizens. But the government doesn't know it and has no means to know and to stop it. So why try to stop the unstoppable?
Of course, opponents of dual citizenship have their arguments. They say it is dangerous for Zambia because it can lead to conflicting dual loyalties. This is not true. This overblown fear is based on two misconceptions: first, that those with dual citizenship represent misplaced loyalties that are bad for Zambia, and second, that their ties to the countries of birth are something new. But in reality, dual citizenship benefits Zambia by helping to promote our country's interests around the globe. It promotes Zambia's understanding of and connections to the world, to our own benefit economically and politically, and removes practical obstacles to naturalisation.
And also in terms of good governance, Zambians with dual citizenship will be more likely to oppose than to support despots in this country. Throughout history, governments generally have been thrilled when their opponents flee into exile. This is because those who leave a land are most likely to be displeased with its existing government.
Until recently, the fiercest opponents of dual citizenship and absentee voting have been unpopular ruling governments that feared the paper votes of citizens who already voted with their feet. Emigres often have other reasons for wanting to vote in their homelands that have nothing to do with emotion but everything to do with practical issues - especially if they have left behind family they care about and want to visit and support financially.
In many countries, you must be a citizen to own land, work legally, or participate materially in certain kinds of business. We today have many Zambians living in the Diaspora, why should we complicate their lives by denying them the rights and opportunities to be citizens of those countries without the fear of losing their Zambian citizenship?
It is in Zambia's best interest to allow dual citizenship. Political loyalty is far different from nolstagia and the desire to make things better in the land of one's birth, two emotions that we should not discourage. There is clear historical precedent that affection for - and even service to - one's homeland is not incompatible with dual citizenship.
Clearly, dual citizenship does not weaken Zambian loyalty; to the contrary, it strengthens those with dual citizenships' feelings that they are welcome by reassuring them that they will not be punished for loving their homeland any more than a child should be spanked for loving his or her mother.
What kind of country would want to make citizens out of those who do not care about the fate of the land of their birth? The old saw that a man should no more have two countries than two wives is based on a false metaphor. The better comparison is between two different kinds of loyalties, to parent and spouse: an individual is bound to one by nature and to the other by choice. One can love both equally strongly, but in different ways.
Let us seek to utilise the advantages of dual citizenship by liberalising our citizenship laws. It's time we realised that dual citizenship has advantages of broadening our country's economic base, fostering trade and investment between the dual citizens' respective countries. One of the benefits of dual citizenship is the ability of dual citizens to influence economic and political decisions in their host countries in favour of their countries of birth and descent, in our case, Zambia.
Suppose you learn that you have, or a member of your family has, dual citizenship or that you might acquire it. Would dual citizenship be good for you? Would it have more advantages than disadvantages? For some people, dual citizenship offers practical advantages - for example, social security or employment. It may also enhance the feeling of belonging because they have strong personal ties to more than one country.
And as Lusaka lawyer Dr Roger Chongwe has correctly observed, dual citizenship is a human rights issue. And if we claim to respect human rights in this country, we cannot at the same time stand in its way by denying our people the right to live meaningfully in other countries without losing their Zambian citizenship. As we have already pointed out, in some countries, it is not possible to live meaningfully, to live a secure and dignified life if you are not a citizen.
In some countries, you cannot own property in your own name, run businesses profitably, and so on and so forth if you are not a citizen. Let us not deny our people the right and opportunity to live in other countries meaningfully by denying them dual citizenship.
For these reasons, we urge the National Constitutional Conference to respect and uphold the wishes and desires of the Zambian people over the issue of dual citizenship as expressed in the recommendations of the Mwanakatwe and Mung'omba constitution review commissions.
Labels: CONSTITUTION, DUAL CITIZENSHIP, NCC
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Consider adopting dual citizenship clause, Chongwe appeals to NCC
Written by Ernest Chanda
Monday, May 04, 2009 2:57:46 PM
LUSAKA lawyer Dr Roger Chongwe has called on the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) plenary to consider adopting the dual citizenship clause as proposed in the Mung'omba draft report. In an interview ahead of the NCC final sitting mid this month, Chongwe said the idea of dual citizenship had more legal advantages than disadvantages.
He said it was a submission that came from the majority of Zambians and should not be overshadowed by the minority in the NCC.
"I welcome the Mung'omba recommendation for dual citizenship. In fact, it was also reflected in the Mwanakatwe report and this means that the proposal came from the majority Zambians. Legally, all those children born and brought up outside Zambia will be free to assume Zambian citizenship and bring their money here to invest. This will be a clear demonstration of respect for human rights. It will also give us some economic advantage," Chongwe said.
"We have Zambians living in countries like the United States, Australia, South Africa, Canada and many others. Already their children have been legally adopted as nationals of those countries, so why should it be a problem in this country?"
Chongwe said times were changing and it would not help Zambia to dwell on old systems.
"I know that it was opposed by a small group of people last year, among them my late brother Lieutenant General Christon Tembo. Of course as a military man he had his own reasons, but those reasons do not suffice in modern day Zambia. If we claim to have respect for human rights in this country, then we should seriously consider adopting this clause," Dr Chongwe said.
He said the NCC delegates should have adopted the dual citizenship clause instead of recommending for an appointed Vice-President to take over when the President dies.
"There is absolutely nothing wrong with the dual citizenship clause. There should be no unnecessary controversy on this issue because it is straightforward. It is far much more desirable than the nonsense of an appointed Vice-President taking over automatically when the President dies. This is nonsensical and it should be rejected at the plenary. It did not come from people, but it was their own view, which has been supported by their Vice-President [George Kunda]. After all he is also a member of the NCC so I'm made to believe that they hatched it together," Chongwe said.
According to the Mung'omba Constitution Review Commission (CRC) report of 2005, there were more Zambians who submitted in favour of dual citizenship than those who opposed it.
The petitioners submitted that the Constitution should provide for dual citizenship because there was need to encourage Zambians living abroad who had acquired foreign citizenship to retain their Zambian citizenship.
In its report on page 103, the Mung'omba CRC recommends that the Constitution should permit dual citizenship only in respect of Zambian citizenship acquired by birth or descent.
And the Mung'omba Draft Constitution of 2005 states in Part V clause 20 (1): "A citizen, by birth or descent, shall not lose that citizenship by acquiring the citizenship of another country. (2) A citizen, by birth or descent, and who, before commencement of this Constitution, acquired the citizenship of another country and as a result ceased to be a Zambian citizen shall be entitled to apply to the Citizenship Board to regain that citizenship."
Labels: CONSTITUTION, CRC, DEAN MUNG'OMBA, DUAL CITIZENSHIP, NCC, ROGER CHONGWE
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Malawians debate on dual nationality
Thom Chiumia 09 January, 2009 01:46:00
Malawian bloggers and “netizens” have been debating on the issue of Malawians having dual nationality following Nyasa Times story that brother to the President, Peter Mutharika has dual nationality.
The President’s brother holds two passports now, U.S and Malawian passports respectively and there are questions on his eligibility to run for the Thyolo East constituency parliamentary seat this year and the presidency in 2014.
Malawi’s Presidential and Parliamentary Elections Act does not allow citizens of other countries to run for elections.
A Malawian blogger Cryton Chikoko on his pleads to the powers that be to revisit (with the aim to amend) the archaic citizenship and nationality law - Malawi Citizenship Act, dated July 6, 1966.
“This is not only for the good of Malawians stuck abroad but also for the good of the country,” argued Chikoko on his blog.
“I therefore advocate a new citizenship law allowing dual citizenship. This is good to Malawians who are still interested in Malawi but have embraced other citizenship as they will be allowed to maintain dual citizenship with unrestricted rights to work and own property in Malawi,” he wrote.
Chatonda Mtika, co-moderator of Nyasanet discussion forum, posted his view in favour of dual citizenship for Malawians.
“I am for dual citizenship. I have yet to hear a convincing reason why we shouldn't have it. But, at the same time, I expect the laws of Malawi to be followed, without exception,” he wrote on the forum.
Mtika went on to state that he was not okaying Prof Mutharika to run for office.
“I'm not saying it's ok for Peter [Mutharika] to run for office. The laws of Malawi need to be followed. I am staunchly against changing the law (or looking the other way) to satisfy certain individuals.”
Trevor Chimimba added his voice to the debate.
“The right to run for elective public office is guaranteed by the Constitution subject only to its provisions. If one is running to be a Member of Parliament, the Constitution is very clear. One has to be a citizen of the Republic, but one may be rendered ineligible if he or allegiance owes allegiance to a foreign government.
“If owing allegiance in this particular case was intended to proscribe one from having dual citizenship the Constitution should have said so expressly. As already conceded having a citizenship of another country may be a pointer to owing allegiance to that country but for the purposes of the Constitution is not necessarily conclusive,” wrote Chimimba, a lawyer based in the US.
London based Nyasanetter, Pia Likoya also posted his reaction:“When you stand before the judge and he declares you a citizen of the United States of America don't you pledge to owe allegiance to the constitution of that country. What’s the point if you don't mean it.”
Labels: DUAL CITIZENSHIP, INTERNET, MALAWI
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Dual citizenship isn't an absolute necessity, says Mwanakatwe
By Mwila Chansa
Monday June 16, 2008 [04:00]
THE issue of dual citizenship for Zambia is not an absolute necessity, academician John Mwanakatwe has observed. And Mwanakatwe said although remuneration of freedom fighters was justified, there was no need to constitutionalise their benefits. In an interview at his Kabulonga residence, Mwanakatwe said the question of dual citizenship for Zambia was quite controversial.
“It is certainly not an absolute necessity for the people in Zambia today. That is my opinion, other people are free to hold their own opinions in a democratic state,” he said.
However, Mwanakatwe said provisions of the constitution needed to reflect the views of majority Zambians and if it was their wish that dual citizenship be included, then it should be adopted.
“In other words if the people of Zambia would like dual citizenship for whatever reason, then it can be adopted. I do not know what those good reasons would be,” he said
And Mwanakatwe said it was not necessary to constitutionalise the benefits of freedom fighters.
“I belong to the group of Zambian men and women who strongly feel that remuneration in one form or another of freedom fighters is justified and necessary,” he said. “However, how should that be done? Speaking as a senior lawyer in our country, I do not think it is necessary at all to make a provision in the constitution merely in order to promote the concept of remuneration or support for freedom fighters and their families.”
Mwanakatwe said the constitution should be used to provide for policies of importance today and for many years to come.
Mwanakatwe said in his opinion, this did not apply to the issue of finding support and livelihood for freedom fighters as this could be done by passing a law in Parliament that would authorise the provision of benefits in addition to defining the terms applicable.
He said passing a law in Parliament would be a better approach as the number of freedom fighters and their immediate families had been decreasing every year since independence.
“In other words, the need to remunerate and support freedom fighters is likely to be irrelevant in a short time hence forth,” said Mwanakatwe.
Labels: DUAL CITIZENSHIP, JOHN MWANAKATWE
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Sata opposes dual citizenship
By Patson Chilemba
Sunday June 15, 2008 [04:00]
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata has said dual citizenship should never be enshrined in the national constitution. Addressing a group of clergymen from various congregations who paid a courtesy call on him at his office, Sata said dual citizenship would only benefit foreigners if it were enshrined in the Constitution. Sata said the people attending the National Constitution Conference (NCC) should not auction the country to foreigners.
“Today, it’s very difficult to get a VISA to go to these foreign countries. Today people are being killed for being in South Africa, and you have a man who claims to be PF, comrade Machungwa Peter chairing the citizenship committee... where he wants to make our citizenship simple,” Sata said. “The people who are going to benefit are people with money, the Chinese, the Malaysians, the Japanese for fear of getting employment permits. And probably our colleagues who are on NCC have already been bought by those who want to become Zambians.”
Last week, the citizenship committee of the NCC resolved to allow Zambians to hold dual nationality with citizenship of other countries where it was allowed.
And the World Baptist Evangelistic Association (WBEA) awarded Sata a credential of Ambassador of Peace.
Showing solidarity over Sata’s reconciliation with President Levy Mwanawasa, WBEA spokesperson Reverend Noel Jere said his organisation was grateful for Sata’s contributions to the country’s political landscape.
Dr Jere said the Church upheld the reconciliation between President Mwanawasa and Sata.
He said Sata had shown love my reconciling with the President.
Dr Jere urged Sata to follow his heart’s direction and understand those that had different opinions over the reconciliation.
Sata assured the clergymen that he would visit their congregations to explain his stance.
“Because my crusade is for the people of Zambia to forgive Levy. He has offended so many people and we have equally offended him. He has said so many things which have offended people,” said Sata.
Labels: DUAL CITIZENSHIP, SATA
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Dual citizenship
By Editor
Wednesday June 11, 2008 [04:00]
It is good that the proceedings of the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) are being followed closely by our people.
And Lt Gen Christon Tembo’s contribution on the resolution by the citizenship committee to allow dual-nationality should provoke some debate.
Our country means nothing unless it means the triumph of real democracy, the triumph of popular government, and, in the long run, of an economic system under which each individual shall be guaranteed the opportunity to show the best that there is in them.
The object of the government is the welfare of the people. The material progress and prosperity of a nation are desirable chiefly insofar as they lead to the moral and material welfare of all citizens.
Just in proportion as the average man and woman are honest, capable of sound judgement and high ideals, active in public affairs – but, first of all, sound in their home life, and the father and mother of healthy children who they bring up well – just so far, and no farther, we may count our endeavours a success. We must have a genuine and permanent moral awakening, without which no wisdom of legislation or administration really means anything; and, on the other hand, we must try to secure the social and economic legislation without which any improvement due to purely moral agitation is necessarily evanescent.
No matter how honest and decent we are in our private lives, if we do not have the right kind of law and the right kind of administration of the law, we cannot go forward as a nation. That is imperative; but it must be an addition to, and not a substitution for, the qualities that make up good citizens. In the last analysis, the most important elements in any person’s career must be the sum of those qualities which, in the aggregate, we speak of as character. If he has not got it, then no law that the wit of man can devise, no administration of the law by the boldest and strongest executive, will avail to help him.
We must have the right kind of character – character that makes a man, first of all, a good man in the home, a good father, a good husband – that makes a man a good neighbour. You must have that, and then, in addition, you must have the kind of law and the kind of administration of the law which will give to those qualities in the private citizens the best possible chance for development. The prime problem of our nation is to get the right type of good citizenship, and, to get it, we must have progress, and our public men must be genuinely progressive.
We are seeing some serious progressiveness in the thinking of some members of some committees of the NCC.
The resolution by the citizenship committee of the NCC to allow dual nationality is very progressive and deserves the support of all of us.
It is folly for anyone to think that the affairs of this country, including the security, are only run by people carrying the citizenship of this country, a green national registration card. There are many citizens of other countries who have lived almost all their lives here and have made great contributions to the development of our country. And if they had an opportunity to become citizens of this country in some dual way, they would have done so. There are many people who have lived almost all their lives in this country but because of other very important considerations could not apply for citizenship of this country as it would require them to renounce their other citizenship which for social and economic reasons, they may still need. Why should such people be denied dual citizenship?
Moreover, we who are privileged to have been born here should not think this territory belongs exclusively to us. This is God’s territory and we are only deployed here for a purpose – to look after this territory, its people, its resources in the best way possible on God’s behalf and indeed on behalf of all humanity. We had no choice where to be born but we do have some choice on where we can live. And let’s allow those who want to come and spend part of their lives here to do so with limited impediments.
The issues of security being advanced by Lt Gen Tembo to deny people dual citizenship to our country do not hold much water. Although citizenship is not given easily anywhere in the world, we shouldn’t make it impossible for those who want to belong to this country in one way or another to do so.
Lt Gen Tembo should know that there are about 30,000 non-citizens who serve in the United States armed forces, making up about two per cent of the active duty force. This is according to statistics from the military and the Council on Foreign Relations. And about 100 such non-citizens have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A recent change in United States law, however, gave the Pentagon authority to bring immigrants to the United States if it determines it is vital to national security.
Other nations have recruited foreign citizens: in France, the famed Foreign Legion relies on about 8,000 non-citizens; Nepalese soldiers called Gurkhas, have fought and died with British army forces for two centuries; and the Swiss Guard, which protects the Vatican, consists of troops who hail from different nations.
And the United States armed forces, already struggling to meet recruiting goals, are considering expanding the number of non-citizens in the ranks, including disputed proposals to open recruiting stations overseas and put more immigrants on a faster track to United States citizenship if they volunteer. And the Pentagon and the immigration authorities have expanded a programme that accelerates citizenship for legal residents who volunteer for the military.
So what the citizenship committee of the NCC has done is not without historical precedent.
Most Zambians who left the country to become a Diaspora did it with many reservations. The majority left because there were not enough opportunities available to them in the country. To take advantage of all the opportunity available to them while living outside of Zambia, they had to adopt the nationality of the host country. While living outside, they acquire knowledge, wealth and new skills that are essential for Zambia’s future. To deny them dual citizenship, the right to participate in the development of the country is self-defeating and short-sighted.
Denying people dual citizenship does not protect the country against an enemy. The real loser here is Zambia, as it is being denied sorely needed skills and outside experience to navigate out of the morass it is in.
The only solution to this is dual citizenship and the citizenship committee of the NCC’s resolution to this effect deserves support.
Labels: CHRISTON TEMBO, DUAL CITIZENSHIP, NCC
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Gen Tembo opposes dual citizenship
By Mutuna Chanda
Wednesday June 11, 2008 [04:00]
FORMER Zambia Army commander Lieutenant General Christon Tembo has opposed the resolution by the citizenship committee of the National Constitution Conference (NCC) to allow dual nationality. In an interview on Monday, Lt Gen Tembo warned that Zambia's security wings would have to be extra alert if the new constitution allowed dual citizenship.
"In countries where dual citizenship is allowed, it is awarded sparingly," Lt Gen Tembo said. "Other countries will entice nationals for example from Zambia to hold dual nationality depending on the influence or the connections they have. So if it is adopted in the new constitution, security wings will have to be extra alert."
He said the complication that all people needed to be aware of was that of divided loyalty in cases where citizens held dual nationality.
"Citizenship is like marriage," Lt Gen Tembo said. "You get married to one spouse. The moment you start thinking of taking on another spouse then your devotion will not be equal between them. In this case when one is a citizen of a country, they are committed to their country but the moment they become a citizen of more than one country, then the commitment also becomes divided. Devotion to two countries is not advisable."
Lt Gen Tembo said should the forthcoming constitution allow dual nationality, Zambia would have to implement it under very close scrutiny.
"This is a matter that should not be treated casually," said Lt Gen Tembo. "There are many countries that allow dual citizenship. Normally it is allowed in professions that are not very sensitive. Businessmen who want to take advantage of certain kinds of businesses that are restricted to citizens only may want to hold dual citizenship. But certain types of work may require that one's original citizenship is set aside; for example in the intelligence service."
Last week, the citizenship committee of the NCC resolved to allow Zambians to hold dual nationality with citizenship of other countries where it was allowed.
However, the committee said those who may be required to renounce their Zambian citizenship would have to re-apply for re-admittance in the event that they wanted to retain their citizenship on return.
The re-admittance, according to the committee, would not be as lengthy as foreign nationals who applied for Zambian citizenship.
Labels: CHRISTON TEMBO, DUAL CITIZENSHIP, NCC
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