UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has called on members of parliament to reject Constitution Amendment Bill Number 10 of 2019 saying it is poisonous.

In an audio shared to with media, Wednesday, Hichilema insisted that Bill 10 would harm the country.

“Beloved citizens, citizens of Zambia, Bill 10 is poison, Bill 10 is black mamba poison, it is lethal, it is deadly. No matter how much sugar you pour in a cup of poison, the cup will remain poisonous and this is a case with Bill 10. Everything the PF claims to be good about bill 10, any clause the PF claims is good about Bill 10 it is nullified by the despicable clauses that will roll back years of democratic progress in our country and we should allow that to happen. Indeed we shouldn’t because it will be a grave mistake. We ask all well-meaning members of parliament to reject Bill 10 and to reject it outright. The debate has been going on for too long about Bill 10, the people of Zambia have spoken against Bill 10, churches, civil societies, upright political parties and others very loudly and clearly that Bill 10 is not acceptable in our country,” Hichilema said.

“I draw particular attention to UPND members of parliament reject bill 10.As a party you know the position of UPND that is against Bill 10. We have discussed as a team in UPND time and again and we have concluded that Bill 10 will harm this country, will harm human rights, will harm democracy, will harm the rule of law; very clearly reject Bill 10 all UPND MPs. NDC member of parliament reject Bill 10. Independent members of parliament reject Bill 10. Indeed, well-meaning PF members of parliament you too are no different from your colleagues. We expect no less than we expect from your other colleagues, reject Bill 10 because you know in your hearts that this is wrong. MPs ought to be on the right side of history and to be on the right side of history, you have to be on the side of the people of Zambia.”

Hichilema said the country’s attention should be focused on people’s needs instead of Bill 10.

“People are hurting. We must draw our attention away from Bill 10 by bringing closure to this dreadful Bill 10 because we have limited resources. In any situation, a family, a business, a country has limited resources, we must focus our resources, focus our attention on making sure that families can have food on their table every single day. That our school going children are in school, that is where our attention and resources must be, those are in college, those that are in university must remain in school because we have accorded them the bursaries that they need,” said Hichilema.

“Our attention must be drawn to the needs of those that are retired to pay them their terminal benefits on time, pensioners must be looked at, the weak, the old, the sick in society. Businesses are dying that is where our attention must be, not on Bill 10. Let us bring closure to this Bill 10 now and not any other time! This is the last time we must be talking about Bill 10 because we have more important things to do as a country. I ask you if you are a responsible citizen and you believe you represent the people of Zambia, act correctly, let us close this debate.”