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Andyford Banda, the leader of the People’s Alliance for Change (PAC), has condemned the process of amending Zambia’s Constitution just a year before the dissolution of Parliament under President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration, labeling it “fraudulent” and “highly suspicious.”
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Sunday, Banda argued that a people-driven Constitution could not be achieved in just 12 months, suggesting that the current process was a deliberate attempt to introduce clauses that would rig elections and unfairly benefit those in power in the 2026 General Elections.
“President Hakainde Hichilema must stop hallucinating over constitution amendments which he consulted nobody apart from having a family meeting with his aides which they delusionally believed is the whole Zambia,” Banda stated.
He further criticized the UPND government, claiming that they had previously misled the public with promises of a more inclusive constitutional process, only to abandon those intentions now.
Banda also recalled how PAC had earlier warned the public about what they perceive as the government’s “ill and evil intentions” to manipulate the Constitution for political gain.
He challenged President Hichilema and his administration to provide clear evidence that the constitution amendment process had involved a genuine consultative process, one in which Zambians from all walks of life had agreed.
“If the UPND had an interest in giving the people of Zambia a people-driven constitution, they should have done so from day one,” Banda remarked.
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In his statement, Banda pointed out the irony of a government that struggled to meet essential needs such as providing medicines for hospitals yet was engaging in constitutional amendments that, in his view, would do nothing to improve governance or the economy.
He urged Zambians to remain vigilant and prepared to protect the Constitution, emphasizing that this was a fundamental duty for every citizen. “The Constitution clearly stipulates: WE, THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA: have the right and duty to— (a) defend this Constitution, and (b) resist or prevent a person from overthrowing, suspending or illegally abrogating this Constitution,” Banda cited.
According to Banda, President Hichilema’s push for constitutional amendments was an illegal attempt to alter the nation’s foundational law, and Zambians had every right to resist such a move.
Banda called on women and youth, who the President reportedly intends to use in this process, to reject being manipulated for an illegitimate cause that could have long-term negative effects on Zambia’s future.
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