PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has assured Zambians that the ongoing constitutional amendment process will be open, inclusive and guided by broad consensus to strengthen the country’s democracy.
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President Hichilema made the remarks yesterday during a consultative meeting with leaders from three major church mother bodies; the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) as well as representatives from civil society organisations.
The engagement was part of government’s efforts to consult widely on proposed changes to the Constitution, which the President said were aimed at promoting inclusivity, especially for marginalised groups in society.
“These proposed amendments are designed to strengthen our democracy and promote greater inclusivity for marginalised groups within our society.”
“The constitution belongs to the people of Zambia, and we reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that the review process is open and inclusive, with the goal of building broad consensus,” he added.
He explained that constitutional reforms had not taken priority earlier in his administration, as the government was initially focused on stabilising the economy and addressing the nation’s unsustainable debt.
Now that progress has been made in that area, the President said, attention has shifted to governance reforms, including constitutional amendments to ensure the foundations of the country’s democracy are strengthened.
“The government remains dedicated to facilitating a fully inclusive constitutional review process, one that will not only deepen our democracy but also accelerate national development.”
“We have agreed to work with both the church and the civil society on a broad based roadmap,” said President Hichilema.
During the meeting, the parties also addressed growing concerns raised by civil society regarding the NGO Bill and the recently enacted Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, June 25, 2025
