The Constitution Coalition has denied claims that it is using the church to plant seeds of division in the country when it uses the house of God to call for the release of the new constitution.
Speaking in an interview Constitution Coalition spokesperson McDonald Chipenzi says the coalition is using the church because it is immune to the attacks from the police and the provisions public order act.
Mr Chipenzi said the coalition has opted to use the church because government has continued to stifle peoples freedom of assembly something he observed has the potential to divide the country as well as undermine the country’s democracy.
“We feel the church is a place where unity is suppose to be promoted and in our case the church is our only place of hope and solace because we have tried to have open space meetings were we can talk about the issues affecting the country we have been disrupted, political parties have tried to have indoor meetings they have been disrupted.
Where else do we have to go so that we discuss issues affecting us? It is the church which is immune from the public order act provisions,” Mr Chipenzi said.
He said the Coalition would be failing in its duties if it kept quiet and ignored the issues affecting the country.
“All that we are doing is let’s not divide the country by keeping quiet but by raising issues that have the potential to undermine our democratic process as well as our credentials as a Multiparty democracy,” he said.
On Sunday Mufulira District Commission Kabwe Chanda said stakeholder calling for the release of the draft constitution using the church are planting seeds of division in the country.
Elizabeth Chitika said Chiluba said it in 2001 that i cant give the Presidency to Sata; “teti asunge abantu, kuntu abapatanya” and here we are.
I am very upset that innocent citizens are being harrased just for belonging to a different party. Chili ndwii mu state house and very primitive as usual. wake up and start leading, iwe chi Sata. Say something about the violence. Also there is a provision for resigning in your contract in case you are not aware.
The church in Zambia has always been involved in these issues . Sata is old enough to remember the role of the church in the booting out of the one party state. He is also old enough to remember the Oasis Forum and the role the church played in it. Way back in the 80s people relied on the church owned National Mirror to voice out Kaunda’s misrule. So these PF thugs should stop lying about the church that these same liars were so glad to receive support from when Sata was still in opposition and black as tar. Now that he has bathed he thinks everyone is dirt.
Also it is important to note that this experiment of putting women in strategic police positions has completely flopped. It must be discouraged by future adminstrations. Lets try the women else where and not in the security wings, at Zambia Police, it is a failed project. If the women remain, lawlessness will be the order of the day. We have never had such indiscipline before, people moving with machetes, guns and pangas and wearing Military regalia and in full view of the Police.
From facts on the ground, I seem to agree with you. Stella is at sea with what is happening and is trying some damage control on the Copperbelt. She made a mistake to announce that she had throne HH out of Eastern Province and now the PF thugs are after her blood too. You needed the super cops of the old days like late Wazakuzi Ng’uni to handle these Judge Ngoma boys. These women can’t handle the volatile situation in Zambia. All to be retired on national interest including toothless Solomon Jere.