AU protocol on free movement of people to wait-Kampyongo

will only accede the African Union (AU) protocol relating to the Free Movement of People after it consults all stakeholders and holds a national consensus on the issue.

Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo who is in Hong Kong to attend a security summit, said it was a constitutional requirement to subject decisions of that magnitude to national scrutiny.

Mr Kampyongo said Govern- ment was hopeful that consultations on the treaty to allow for Free Movement of people would be completed before the June / July 2018 Heads of States and Government Summit in Mauritania.

Mr Kampyongo said it was the desire of Government to be part of the continental agenda but was conscious of the fact that all decisions made by government must be supported by majority Zambians.

Mr Kampyongo said the issuance of the African Passport will only commerce after the guidelines on specifications were agreed upon by all Member States.

Mr Kampyongo emphasized the need for Zambia to modernize its security systems to conform to international standards.

He said the security institutions in the country would only be able to fight sophiscated crime through modernizing of security systems.

He noted the need to interface some security institutions with International security institutions.

On cybercrime, Mr Kampyongo said his ministry had put in mechanisms to ensure social media platforms were not used to trample of people rights to privacy.

He said it was unfortunate that Zambia had in the recent past witnessed a lot of cases of cyber bulling and swindling.

“We would like Zambians to have a say through their representatives in parliament before we can sign the treaty of Free Movement of people”, said Mr Kampyongo.

Meanwhile Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia Susan Sikaneta commended Government for the decision to consult the citizenry through their representatives in Parliament before acceding to some treaties at the African Union.

Ms Sikaneta said the Protocol of Free Movement of Persons was particularly sensitive and it was only correct that in a democratic dispensation like Zambia, adequate consultations were made to ensure security and sovereignty protection for the National good.

the African Passport will be issued by individual states.