‘OUTSIDE FORCES ADD TO AFRICA’S INSTABILITY’

COUNCIL of African Political Parties (CAPP) president Wynter Kabimba has said some forms of instability in Africa are caused by forces outside the continent.
Mr Kabimba said in Pretoria yesterday that it was becoming increasingly credible that various forms of instability in Africa were being perpetrated by forces outside the continent.
Mr Kabimba, who is Zambia’s Justice Minister, was speaking in South Africa at the opening of a two-day experts’ workshop on constitutionalism and the rule of law.
He said the school of thought which held that the causes of constitutional instability, for instance, were located outside Africa and driven by forces that did not share Africa’s interests, was firmly gaining ground today.
This is according to a statement released by Press Secretary at the Zambian High Commission in South Africa, Nicky Shabolyo.
Mr Kabimba said he was hopeful that Africa could acknowledge the importance of African unity and solidarity in addressing the problem.
“He hoped that while drawing attention to resolving the questions of unconstitutional change of government, popular uprising and all other aspects connected to the issues of constitutionalism and the rule of law, the main causes giving rise to unstable governments and the lack of respect for the rule of law would be candidly dealt with,” he said.
CAPP is a forum of political parties on the African continent who have come together in unity to pursue the objectives of achieving the goals of a prosperous and peaceful continent.
The workshop, which has drawn participants from more than 20 African countries, is meant to brainstorm around expanding the African Union (AU) doctrine on unconstitutional changes of government and to engage stakeholders in promoting and implementing the African Charter on democracy, elections and governance.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s Chief Justice, who is vice-president of the African Conference of Constitutional Courts, Mogoeng Mogoeng, said the Judiciary has to be insulated from interference from external forces if constitutionalism was to be guaranteed.
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance regional director, Moorad Mustaq, urged the participants to brainstorm on whether the AU set aside its own rules when it readmitted Egypt after being suspended following instability in that country’s leadership in the last few months.

Times of Zambia