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The Non-Governmental Gender Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has called on President Hakainde Hichilema to remain steadfast in his commitment to heed stakeholders’ concerns that led to the deferment of Constitution Amendment Bill No. 7.
NGOCC Board Chairperson, Beauty Katebe, expressed dismay over remarks attributed to Speaker of the National Assembly, Nelly Mutti, suggesting that some Chiefs in Muchinga Province wanted the Bill to proceed.
In a statement issued on Monday, Katebe said pushing the Bill in its current form — less than a year before the 2026 general elections, without addressing the Constitutional Court’s guidance or the historic underrepresentation of women — would amount to betrayal.
“NGOCC and other stakeholders clearly expressed their misgivings on the Bill, which were communicated to President Hichilema during engagements at State House. The Bill was subsequently deferred, and the Constitutional Court gave clear guidance on the legitimate process for constitutional amendment.
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Therefore, we find the remarks by the Speaker regrettable and mistimed,” Katebe said.
She noted that the Speaker’s position risked portraying the Legislature as encouraging the Executive to push through a process that stakeholders had already rejected.
“The Speaker’s comments fly in the face of the revered doctrine of separation of powers, which requires the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary to respect their distinct functions,” Katebe said.
She added that if the Bill’s return to Parliament in its current form is a foregone conclusion, the development would be “very worrisome.”
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