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Seventeen hours after Information and Media Minister, Cornelius Mweetwa, urged civil society and the Church to abandon street protests and instead engage government in dialogue over the Constitution Amendment process, the Oasis Forum has defiantly announced that its planned protest against Constitutional Amendment Bill 7 will go ahead as scheduled.
The standoff sets the stage for a potentially tense week in Lusaka, as the Forum pushes forward with a mass march from Freedom Statue to State House on November 28, 2025—despite growing pressure from government and cautionary statements from the Police.
The Oasis Forum revealed that it notified Police on November 10 of its intention to hold the march, describing Bill 7 as “rushed, non-inclusive and election centred,” and accusing authorities of sidelining citizens in the amendment process.
Forum Chairperson, Beauty Katebe, said in a statement on Sunday that the notification was delivered directly to the Inspector General of Police after the Lusaka Province Commissioner refused to receive it.
She said the march was one component of a broader, escalating campaign against Bill 7.
“This includes the court petition filed in the Constitutional Court, the open letter to the President delivered on November 11, 2025, and the Black Friday campaign, which encompasses honking, wearing black ribbons and displaying black car disks,” Katebe explained.
The Forum is also lobbying Parliament, writing to every MP to urge them to reject Bill 7, and circulating a national petition to demonstrate public opposition.
“The Oasis Forum calls on citizens to come forward in numbers and assemble at Freedom Statue for the planned March past to State House on Friday 28th November 2025 against Bill 7,” she said, rallying supporters ahead of the demonstration.
Government Pushes Back
The Oasis Forum’s stance comes barely a day after Catholic Archbishop Ignatius Chama backed the protest and urged Christians to join—triggering Mweetwa’s sharp response and attempt to cool tensions.
Speaking in Choma on Saturday, the Minister emphasised that President Hakainde Hichilema remained open to engagement on all matters of national interest, including constitutional amendments. But he warned that protests—especially in an election season—could be exploited by individuals seeking to cause chaos.
“While the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to peaceful assembly, that right is not without limits,” Mweetwa said.
He urged civil society groups and the Church to pursue dialogue with government rather than mobilise street action.
He pointed to past reforms, including the controversial Bill 10, which was defeated in Parliament without public demonstrations.
“During that process, no group called for civil disobedience or incited citizens to protest on the streets, demonstrating that constitutional matters can and should be resolved through dialogue rather than confrontation,” he noted.
Mweetwa insisted the Constitutional Technical Committee was engaging citizens and that government preferred consultative approaches to safeguard national stability.
Police Maintain a Firm Line
As debate intensifies, the Zambia Police Service has maintained a cautious stance, warning that no public gathering will be allowed to proceed if it threatens public safety, obstructs essential services or endangers uninvolved citizens.
Police Spokesperson Godfrey Chilabi called on the Oasis Forum and other organisers to continue liaising with Police through formal channels to ensure lawful conduct.
He cautioned that the Police would not hesitate to intervene if any protest strayed into illegality.
He added: “We have taken note of the remarks attributed to Archbishop Ignatius Chama of the Kasama Archdiocese regarding the purported peaceful demonstrations scheduled for 28th November 2025, as organised by the OASIS Forum.”
Chilabi stressed that any instructions issued by Police during the demonstration must be respected to avoid escalation.
A Nation Watching
With just days before the march, Zambia finds itself at the centre of a heated national conversation on constitutional reform, civic space and the rights of citizens to assemble.
Both government and civil society have dug into their positions—one insisting on dialogue, the other invoking constitutional freedoms to take grievances to the streets.
Whether Friday’s protest proceeds peacefully, is blocked, or sparks further confrontation remains to be seen. But for now, the battle over Bill 7 has moved from committee rooms and press briefings to the public arena—where the stakes are undeniably higher.
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