Press Statement for Immediate Release
09 : 01: 2014
CSPR Challenges Government to Publicise the Purported Politically Funded CSO’s over Constitution with Proof.
Civil Society for Poverty Reduction is very dismayed at government’s unfair accusation of CSO‘s being funded by Political parties to agitate over the long overdue and delayed release and enactment of the constitution as promised by the PF before ascending to power.
We therefore challenge the honourable minister of imformation and spokesperson for government to make public the CSO’s that have been funded by the politicians with proof and stop from beating about the bush over such a very important governance that concerns and affects all citizens.
We also challenge the PF government to save their integrity and gain back the confidence of the electorates by remaining true to their campaign promise over the constitution by ensuring that they listen to what the people are demanding which is the releasing of enough copies of the document to the public and initiating the process of the referendum as the bill of rights have been amended.
We hope that the government can take a leaf and learn lessons from the failures and pitfalls of the previous MMD government who chose to stop listening to the people and it cost them a huge defeat during the 2011 election.
As such we caution the current government against hijacking the constitution process to suit their current environment. The Zambians have for a long time desired and demanded for a constitution that will reflect the aspirations of the citizens which many previous governments have failed to deliver and the PF seemed to have had the opportunity to achieve this, but not with their recent maneuvers and shifting of goal posts.
The government must show good leadership and integrity by being true to their words. We would like to see them own up and “Walk the Talk”.
Leadership is about Integrity and Integrity is about acting what you say and not the opposite. They promised to deliver the constitution within ninety days and His Excellency, the president of the Republic of Zambia – Michael Chilufya Sata retaliated the promise during his inaugural speech to deliver the constitution in 90 days.
Today as we speak, we will be getting into the third year this government’s existence and the Constitution seems far fetched. The recent changes by the government position on the Constitution leaves much to be desired and every well meaning citizen of this country would be in their normal and moral right to question what has gone wrong.
We wish to call on government to listen to what the people want and are saying without which they risk loosing out come 2016.
John Lijimu
Board Chairperson – Civil Society for Poverty Reduction Zambia.
There is no one funding the campaign, Sata made a promise like many promises he has not fullfilled…this time around pipo have said hell no to your unfulfilled promises Mr. presido, Give us what is ours ” the Constitution” and you can keep what is yoz “the PF Manifesto”..period..
Are people really asking for too much or should we call them insensitive and unreasonable for forcing you to honor up on your promises, come-on guys..lets be realistic, where is our conscious??
“Conscience?” – it has never existed. Chumbu (aka mumbwe/ukwa) believes politics is about dribbling the citizens. It irritates him that people took this 90 days thing seriously: it was just one of those fancy talking points
I have decided to take it upon myself to challenge anyone who writes articles that include assertions that suggest that “the MMD chose to stop listening to the people and that that cost them heavily during the 2011 general elections”. I think the truth of the matter is that the people who voted PF into power where “influenced” to stop listening to the MMD Govt by Fred Mm’membe through his post newspaper. The MMD wanted our K14b paid back but Mmembe had to protect his selfish interests and sold the nation. We had screaming headlines of corruption and robbing of our coffers, bad governance and all else. Today we see all those things in the Govt they post gave us and yet unashamed the post continue to “lebel” CNP as Saint Michael and Saviour of our Nation.
To John Lijimu (author of this published article)
Please educate yourself and those around you to consider that the Zambian people where “duped” by Mmembe using his post newspaper to stop listening to the most progressive party in the history of Zambia. Statements such as this extract below from your article should therefore be backed up with supporting evidence;
“We hope that the government can take a leaf and learn lessons from the failures and pitfalls of the previous MMD government who chose to stop listening to the people and it cost them a huge defeat during the 2011 election”.
Is a liberating constitution such as the one South Africans wrote for themselves so scaring that we have started pointing fingers at each other?
The PF government owes it to us Zambians to do their duty – facilitate the constitution. Yes we know we have a constitution but we decided we want a better one and no individual or political party has any right to deny us that.
Tell them Sir…….
It’s so shameful for elderly senior citizens in leadership to be such blatant liars and hypocritical.
And just what would be wrong with funding CSO calling for the constitution ? Surely that is a noble cause and it is not an offence .
My Words exactly. Even opposition leaders are also Zambians affected by the same constitution. If they have money, why not use it to better Zambia.
Chumbo will not listen.He cant bend.You have to break him and the way to do it is faka pressure and we keep on increasing the pressure.
To me, this issue is simple, why can’t one member of the Technical Committee trance the soft copy of this document and publish it on one of the on-line media so that we can know its content and in case they want to doctor it, we shall know that it was temper with.
Just give it to ZWD!!!!
Ba watchdog please give us a draft copy of the constitution… Definitely, we know you have it (you guys know even what Ukwa thinks in his bedroom)!!!
This is a Goverment full of chaos, which thrives on chaos and which rules by chaos. Within 30 days we have had the Chitimukulu saga, GBM saga and now it is constitution saga. Already we have the Wynter saga brewing. What will be on the menu next week? Mmembe saga? That will be the day! Chimbwi No Plan indeed!