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Government has raised concern over what it described as deliberate attempts by the opposition and the Oasis Forum to use the courts of law to halt the progression of the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No. 7 in Parliament.
Chief Government Spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa, said some opposition figures sought to cite the Speaker of the National Assembly, Members of Parliament, and President Hakainde Hichilema for contempt of court, actions he described as malicious, frivolous and legally untenable.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka on Wednesday, Mweetwa, who is also Minister of Information, said the attempts to block Bill No. 7 were “malicious, frivolous, and legally untenable.”
He welcomed yesterday’s court ruling dismissing the contempt proceedings, saying there was now no legal impediment to the continuation of Bill No. 7 in the National Assembly.
“Attempts to rely on the Munir Zulu and Celestine Mukandila vs Attorney General ruling to halt Bill No. 7 were misguided, explaining that the judgement was delivered after the Bill had already been tabled,” Mweetwa stated.
He condemned what he called a clear abuse of legal processes after petitioners attempted to drag President Hichilema to court over Bill No. 7, reminding lawyers that the President cannot be joined to such proceedings.
Mweetwa said the ruling only provided general guidance on wider consultations during constitutional reform, but could not be applied retrospectively.
“I want to urge the opposition and civil society to make formal submissions before the Parliamentary Select Committee instead of filing repeated court actions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mweetwa insisted that the National Assembly— which holds exclusive legislative authority under Article 76 of the Constitution — remains the only lawful forum to determine the fate of the Bill.
He said government aims to address pressing electoral concerns ahead of the 2026 General Election, including the management of presidential petitions, nominations, and enhanced representation of marginalised groups.
“It is sad to note that those opposing the Bill were attempting to keep the nation perpetually distracted from other important national issues,” Mweetwa claimed.
He added that government hopes that by the time Bill No. 7 returns to the House for debate and voting, contentious issues would have been resolved through broad consensus.
Mweetwa appealed for national unity, saying the current constitutional process should be allowed to proceed lawfully and without unnecessary obstruction.
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