Action Aid Executive Director Pamela Chisanga says government has the capacity to fund a referendum on the constitution.
And Young African Leaders Initiative Executive Director Andrew Ntewewe said President Michael Sata should reflect on the grand statements he made on the need for a constitution when he was in opposition and also upon addressing parliament after taking over power.
Meanwhile, Chisanga said maybe chiefs had belatedly raised the issue of land ownership as they did not trust government.
Featuring on Muvi Television’s The Assignment programme, Chisanga called on Zambians to rise up and demand a new constitution.
“In terms of raising money for a new constitution, we have the capacity to fund the process from evidence of not collecting tax from corporate institutions,” she said.
“Why do we need a new constitution? We are looking at the bill of rights where if children cannot go to school because of infrastructure or negligence we can be able take government to court and compel them to educate that child. There are things like access to health and clean water which are basic human rights that we are crying for.”
She added: “Everything around our lives revolves around this particular document which currently vests so much power in one person. The President can today wake up and say I want three universities in Chinsali or I want a thousand kilometers of roads in this area even when agriculture is so messed up.
“What use are those roads going to be if there is no agriculture produce to carry or when three years down the line they wear down since they are being built on borrowed money?”
Chisanga said the assertion that the civil society was getting money from donors using the constitution was wrong.
She said at her organization issues pertaining to the constitution had relied on their internal resource that was driven by self sacrifice.
Chisanga called on Zambians to step up on their demand for a new constitution.
“Things have worsened under the current leadership. We have seen so many by-elections, very costly for that matter and we could have used those resources for developing this country,” she said.
“So there are a number of things that are not really right and we strongly believe that now more THAN ever we need to have a good constitution that will put an end to all this arbitrariness in terms of abuse of power, curtailing freedom of association, freedom of speech all those things seem to have worsened under this particular leadership. “
Chisanga added: “So what we are now saying is it is time for us as Zambians to stand up, move beyond political party lines. So we as civil society organizations have resolved that we will embrace working with political parties simply for the constitution making process. It is not about the content because we can all never agree about the content. “
She further said, “For us as civil society it is the bill of rights, separation of power, ensuring that basic and fundamental rights are recognized in the constitution. So we need to stand up as Zambians to put pressure on this government to deliver a constitution.
“Zambians cannot afford to sit back and wait for the civil society organizations who might appear to be many when you look at the list of civil society organizations in this country.”
On the chiefs, “The chiefs were present at Mulungushi and I remember they articulated issues very well. So I believe that when this issue of land came up they participated actively in the debate. One of the things that we need to think about is why are the chiefs suddenly picking up on this?”
“Because this particular issue of vesting land in the presidency is there in the Land Act at the moment. Chapter 184 we currently have land vested in the president so I was thinking why would these wise men and women begin to talk about issues of land now and referring to the draft constitution as the problem when we already have it in our current laws.
“Why has it come up now? I realized that there must be a reason they obviously have seen that the current government cannot be trusted where land is concerned. It simply means to me that they have lost confidence in the leadership of this country and now they want to reverse this clause.”
And Ntewewe wondered why President Sata had changed his position on the constitution after highlighting it in his inaugural address to parliament.
“In reality no one is politicizing the issue of the constitution, the president had a very clear mindset both at the time he was in opposition and at the time he addressed the people of this country through the National Assembly that we need a new constitution.
“He was very clear and he knew very well in one of the clips that we need a new constitution that will hold me accountable as president of the Republic,” he said.
“Currently we have a constitution that has allowed Michael to go all the way and do what he pleases without being held accountable.
“We are saying the PF agenda of putting more money in our pockets and moving out of the quagmire of poverty the best way in which this can be helped is by having a good constitution. If you do not have a good constitution resource allocation will not be there.”
He added: “We are talking about the Bill of Rights, we are talking about effective separation of powers, representation of people like mixed representation which allows women, youth and persons with disabilities.
“We have a governance structure where a lot of citizens have been marginalized in decision making. A president elected by the majority 50 plus one so that he enjoys legitimacy and credibility.
“We need a running mate clause for instance you remember in 2008, the Zambian government spent over K300 billion to do a presidential by-election which so far as we are concerned if we had a good constitution with a running mate we were not going to spend so much.”
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