Katotobwe joins clamour against Bill 7, says President Hichilema agenda driven by propaganda

Patriotic Front Luapula Constituency lawmaker, Chanda Katotobwe, has cautioned that the ongoing constitutional amendment process should not be driven by propaganda, misinformation or attempts to create an illusion of transparency.

Katotobwe said propaganda should never be mistaken for government performance nor used as a measure of national progress.

In a statement issued in Lusaka on Friday, he stressed that any constitutional amendment process must be anchored on integrity, transparency and genuine national consensus.

“Fellow countrymen and women, I am taken aback by the Government’s insistence to impose constitutional amendments on the people of Zambia,” he said.

He argued that introducing major constitutional amendments as the country approached a general election was a bad idea and “in bad faith”.

Such actions, he said, created the impression that the ruling party lacked confidence in winning the forthcoming election and viewed constitutional amendments as the only means of retaining power.

Katotobwe said these “misplaced priorities” were costly to the country.

“The country had been removed from this classification in 2021, yet within a short period and due in part to what is viewed as poor governance and misplaced priorities such as Bill No. 7, Zambia returned to the LDC bracket in 2024 with an even lower ranking,” he said.

He added that there was no constitutional crisis in Zambia and that the proposed amendments appeared unnecessary and out of place, failing to address pressing national challenges such as poverty and the strain on the health sector. He warned that poverty and inadequate healthcare ultimately cost lives.

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“I acknowledge and stand with the church and most recently the Catholic bishops, the clergy and all those who have stepped forward to defend the Constitution. As a Catholic, I respect the social teachings of the church, which emphasise justice and peace and respect all our Catholic Bishops who are the teaching authority,” he said.

Katotobwe also commended leaders from other religious denominations, traditional leaders and citizens who had taken a principled stand against Bill No. 7.

He warned that when a government believed retaining power required introducing such a bill, the consequences could be destabilising.

“The Constitutional Court ruled that the bill is illegal and outlined specific directions on how the government should proceed. To the best of available knowledge, these directions have not been followed,” he said.

Katotobwe insisted that reintroducing Bill No. 7 under the current circumstances was unnecessary and unwarranted, especially as the nation grappled with escalating poverty, rising costs of living and widespread hardship.

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