By Agness Changala
Kamfinsa member Christopher Kang’ombe says members of Parliament including those from UPND complain about not being allowed to raise issues affecting their constituencies on the floor of the House.
And Kang’ombe said he was raising a breach of Article 60 of the Constitution by the State but he was not allowed to do so in Parliament where members of parliament are expected to speak freely.
Speaking to Daily Revelation, on why he acted angrily in Parliament against Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti, which resulted in the suspension of business in the House, Kango’mbe said he was prevented from speaking.
He wondered where members of parliament will
raise issues if they are not allowed to speak in Parliament.
He said what he did is not just for PF but protecting the democratic space in the country using Article 60 of the Republican Constitution.
“Those MPs you are seeing are complaining, even those from UPND. Are you aware that UPND MPs can’t raise issues affecting their Constituencies because they are told you can’t raise complaints on the floor of the house?” Kango’mbe asked.
“Now where else are they going to raise the issues if not Parliament? So yesterday, I did not just speak for the Patriotic Front, this is not about the PF, this is about democratic space in our country using Article 60 of Constitution, I felt I needed to raise that issue. And I am very certain that those that will ask will get the correct position and the correct position is that I was raising a breach in the Republican Constitution and I was not allowed to raise that breach and in Parliament, that’s where MPs should be able to speak freely.”
He said the urgent matter of public importance he wanted to ask was directed at Home affairs minister Jack Mwiimbu but before he could even finish, he was stopped from asking.
Kango’mbe complained that this has been the practice in the house for the past two years.
“Now this has been the practice. The last two years we have been at Parliament we have not been allowed to raise issues. Now, if a member of parliament can’t speak, what more an ordinary member of the public out there? The public are watching and all they see is honorable Kang’ombe. When any other MP wants to speak, the speaker curtails them,” he said.
Kango’mbe also wondered what the role of members of parliament was, if they can’t speak.
“So I felt I needed to raise this complaint. We have written letters, opposition MPs have written to madam speaker with complaints. We have not been allowed to debate issues freely, especially urgent matters. An urgent matter is an opportunity to raise an urgent issue. What is the urgent issue for the public?” he asked. “The public are concerned that democratic space has shrunk to a point where political parties now are being managed instead of political parties managing themselves.”
He asked how political parties in Zambia, which are a platform for democratic dispensation, are not being allowed to follow their constitution, adding that political parties are guided under Article 60 of the Constitution of Zambia.
“So I was about to raise an issue and madam speaker instead of allowing the minister responsible for Home Affairs to listen to the point and then respond, I was surprised that she kept preventing me from speaking and that’s how in my summary I simply said this is our country, if we can’t speak as MPs in Parliament, where are we going to speak?” he asked. “I will call a press briefing and people will listen, people want to see the MP speak so that people are able to judge. What is honorable Kangombe saying, is he saying something that concerns the public, yes he is saying something that concerns the public and what is the response from the minister? That is how we build a society.”
Kango’mbe said Article 60 of the Republican Constitution was very clear that a political party shall allow its members to participate in the affairs of the political party.
He observed that Article 60 has been breached because it’s a Constitutional provision.
“Number one, the Ministry of Home Affairs have got police officers under Zambia Police. What were they doing policing an illegality at Mulungushi International Conference Centre? What were 200, 300 police officers who we can’t be seen when we want to hold a political rally? Why is Zambia Police participating in an illegality?” he asked.“So that process which happened at Mulungushi, breached Article 60 of the Republican Constitution. I wanted to raise that matter and I wanted the minister of Home Affairs who is responsible for the police to explain who allowed Zambia Police officers to go and police an illegality, they call it a retreat meaning people are having lunch. How can people who are having a meal be given 300 officers?”
He added that the country has experienced crime in Chibolya and Mulenga Compound, but the police are nowhere to be seen, except to go and police an activity for a political party.
He said he also wanted to ask Mwimbu the role Zambia Police plays in facilitating change of office bearers for a political Party.
“What is the role of registrar of societies? So the point I wanted to raise is why is the government allowing the breach of Article 60 of the Republican Constitution? Yes that was the issue and they knew that I had an issue to raise that is why they kept preventing me,” he said.
Kango’mbe said he has been a reasonable member of parliament for two years and no one has heard him do what he did.
“You have never heard Christopher Kangombe complain. For me to complain means that consistently, my views have not been allowed to be heard. The MPs in Parliament have been complaining they have been holding press briefings complaining about presiding officers and unfortunately people have not been listening so I felt, should I also sit and just watch hopelessly? I said no! I needed to raise this issue so that when people ask me, I am able to clarify,” he said.
He said the democratic space is not just in the public domain, but should also be in Parliament.
“We expect Parliamentary democracy to be seen to be discharged. People must enjoy the rights and freedoms. It is called privileges of a Member of Parliament,” said Kang’ombe.
On Wednesday, there was chaos in Parliament when Kang’ombe bitterly complained and asked Mutti why she was stopping him from speaking.
Mutti later ordered the Sergeant at Arms and security to take Kang’ombe out of Parliament and maintain order as most members of Parliament stood up in solidarity of their colleague.
Security became overwhelmed and failed to create order in the house and this forced Mutti to suspend debate for 10 minutes.
