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The Consortium of Civil Society Organisations on Good Governance and Constitutionalism has urged the government to create a multi-stakeholder mechanism to monitor the implementation of newly enacted laws, warning that without oversight even progressive statutes could remain largely symbolic.
Consortium Secretary, Arthur Muyunda, said in a statement on Friday that the mechanism was necessary to ensure effective enforcement.
He welcomed government’s decision to table the Public Gatherings Bill before the National Assembly to replace the colonial-era Public Order Act, describing the move with “measured optimism.”
He noted that civil society had long called for the repeal of laws historically used to limit freedoms of association and assembly.
“We commend this decision. While it has come at a late hour, it remains true that better late than never,” the Consortium said.
Muyunda said the colonial laws “were designed to suppress the rights of association and assembly of indigenous people, laws that, regrettably, have continued to be used in similar fashion even in the post-independence era.”
He said public assemblies were a fundamental part of democratic governance, anchored in constitutional rights such as freedom of expression, association and assembly.
“The Consortium is of the considered view that the proposed Public Gatherings Bill represents a progressive and necessary step toward modernising the regulation of public order within a democratic society,” Muyunda said.
The group said the introduction of the Bill was particularly timely ahead of a crucial general election, where protecting fundamental freedoms was essential for ensuring a level political playing field.
“We further observe that successive administrations have ascended to power on promises to repeal the Public Order Act, only to abandon those commitments once confronted with the political convenience and expansive discretionary power the law affords,” the Consortium said.
Meanwhile, the Consortium said it would join contempt proceedings brought against its Chairperson Isaac Mwanza over his role as Returning Officer during the UPND General Assembly, at which the Consortium served as an Independent Electoral Commission.
The organisation said it would file an application before the High Court to defend Mwanza’s integrity and the legitimacy of the General Assembly that elected Hakainde Hichilema as party president along with seventy members of the National Management Committee.
“The Consortium remains steadfast in its commitment to constitutionalism, the rule of law, and the protection of democratic space in Zambia,” Muyunda said.
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