Tutwa counsels Ndulo, Sangwa on Amendment Bill

JOHN Sangwa and Professor Muna Ndulo have been hired by Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) to drag the Constitutional Amendment Bill to the Constitutional Court, but they should know that they have no powers to stop Parliament from making laws, Government Deputy Chief Whip Tutwa Ngulube has charged.

Mr Ngulube said in an interview yesterday, that it was ridiculous for lawyers who know the process of making laws to be used by politicians to fight the Amendment Bill which means well for the Zambians.

“Mr Sangwa and Prof Ndulo have been hired to fight the Bill but they should know that they have no powers to stop Parliament to make laws that serve the best interests of Zambians,” Mr Ngulube said.

LAZ want to drag the Constitution Amendment Bill to the Constitutional Court stating the Bill is not in the best interest of the nation.

But Mr Ngulube, who is Kabwe Central Constituency Member of Parliament wondered how the two could take the matter before the same Constitutional Court Judges they referred to as Incompetent and incapable of understanding the law.

“It is the same Mr Sangwa who insulted the Constitutional Court judges saying that they were all incompetent and incapable of understanding the law.”

“But how possible is it that the people he insulted can today rule over their case which they want to drag to court. I think my friends do not mean well,” he said.

Mr Ngulube said he was aware that the two did not understand Article 79 which deals with the amendment of the Constitution and were misleading the nation through their lack of knowledge of the contents.

He said those who were criticising the Constitutional Amendment Bill lacked knowledge of the contents.

And Young Africa Leaders Initiative Governance Advisor Isaac Mwanza said dragging the Constitution Amendment Bill to the Constitutional Court was an academic exercise because there was no law which compelled citizens to a Bill to court. Mr Mwanza said Mr Sangwa and Prof Ndulo were aware that it was not possible to challenge a Bill before it was law. But Foundation of Democratic Process (FODEP) president Mwenda Mumbuna said in a separate interview that citizens had rights to drag the Amendment Bill to court if they thought that some clauses were retrogressive.