GOVT WINS KUDOS OVER REFORMING THE POA

 By Lumbiwe Mwanza

THE Government has made tremendous efforts towards reforming the Public Order Act (POA) but there is a need to ensure that these efforts lead to enactment of the law, Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) Executive Director Boniface Chembe has said.

 Mr. Chembe told The Scoop that reviewing the P.O.A, a piece of legislation that had been a source of tension, disharmony, and conflicts in Zambia, was a step in the right direction.

 He said that the political will had been shown on the part of the Government and that this gave hope that the process to review the piece of legislation would reflect the character of a modern democratic country.

“Zambia has made tremendous steps towards reviewing one of the pieces of legislation in this country that has been a source of tension, disharmony, and conflicts in Zambia. The right political will has been shown on the part of political leadership and this gives hope that the legislation will reflect a character of a modern democratic country such a Zambia,” Mr. Chembe said.

He said that while Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) had retained a relatively mature level of capability that had allowed them to continue playing a pivotal role in the peace, governance, and democratic dispensation of Zambia, more needed to be done to ensure that the reform agenda of the country was pursued to its logical conclusion.

“We take note of the draft Public Gatherings Bill but bemoan the amount of time that this is taking to be actualized into law. Zambia has a structural problem where the peace, governance, and democratic dispensation of the country is concerned. As such, we must not relent in demanding these structural reforms whose ultimate goal is to grant this country a better environment for all,” he explained.

He further appealed to President Hakainde Hichilema to ensure that all necessary reforms that sought to make Zambia a better place for all be enacted without any further delays.