Kabimba warns Church against constitution hijackers

THE Church must not fall prey to a small section of people who want to hijack the constitution-making process, Minister of Justice Wynter Kabimba has said.

Mr Kabimba said Government is aware of a scheme by a small group of people who want to hijack the constitution-making process under the guise of championing the will of the people.
The minister said this in Lusaka yesterday in a speech read for him by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabriel Namulambe during a special Sunday service dubbed ‘Harvest Sunday’ at the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Kaunda Square
“As Patriotic Front in government, we get disappointed when the church aligns itself with individuals and groups of people who want to frustrate efforts in uplifting the standards of our people,” Mr Kabimba said.
He also said it is disappointing when the Church decides to rush to the media on matters that can be addressed through direct engagement.
“Our view as Government is that we should all work towards civil engagements rather than hostile media-based confrontations during times of differences of opinion,” he said.
Mr Kabimba, who is PF secretary general, said all stakeholders should direct their efforts towards consensus instead of being confrontational.
“The church wants a people-driven constitution, and so does the PF government and this is why we are working hard to open up platforms for dialogue and consensus building on this important issue,” Mr Kabimba said.
He said it is clear that the development goals of the PF government and the socio-economic roles played by the Church are in tandem.
“The church wants to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and shelter the homeless. In the same vein, the PF government is making tireless efforts through increased social sector investments and implementing a set of pro-poor policies and programmes,” Mr Kabimba said
He said Government cannot successfully carry out the development agenda on its own without the support of the Church.

Zambia Daily Mail