Students Call for Government to Defer Constitution Amendment Bill
Students Unions in Zambia are calling on the Government to consider deferring the second reading of the Constitution of Zambia Amendment Bill No. 10 of 2019, in order to allow the public to study the final report of the Parliamentary Committee which was considered in the Bill.
Speaking on behalf of the Unions, Zambia National Students Union Vice President Steven Kanyakula said that the students’ body has been interacting with members of parliament from both the opposition and ruling political parties who have indicated the Report has addressed concerns of both those have been against the Bill and those in favour of the Bill.
“As we call for postponement of the tabling of this Bill, but not the withdrawal, we call on the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon Patrick Matibini to immediately publish the Report of the Committee which should be used for engagement among different sides who have a problem with the current Bill. The two sides must be allowed an opportunity to see whether the Report has taken views of everyone into account.”
Meanwhile, the students have claimed that the US Ambassador to Zambia, Daniel Foote, overreacted on the sentencing of two persons convicted of homosexuality to 15 years in prison
“This country also has stiffer penalties for drug-related crimes and many are serving these sentences. What the Ambassador should have noted is that all sexual offences in Zambia, including rape and defilement carry the minimum sentence of 15 years under our laws and the practice of homosexuality should not be different unless we as Zambians decided to amend our laws,” said Mr Kanyakula.
Students claim that 99 percent of Zambians are averse to the practice of homosexuality because of their strong family values, religious beliefs, cultural and traditional norms accepted by the Zambia society. In the Zambians citizens must respect the laws of Zambian, just as Zambians would respect the laws of the USA whilst living there.
“We believe that just as Zambia has no right to impose its values or manner of doing things on the USA, the USA has no justification to do so. Zambia and the United States of America must continue to enjoy good relations based on mutual respect for each other’s values, rules and laws,” he charged.
