By the Political Correspondent
Bill 7 has been signed into law. The resistance, the petitions, the warnings from civil society, the cries from the streets and the caution from constitutional experts have all been brushed aside. What remains now is a nation staring at itself in the mirror — and the reflection is deeply unsettling.
This is not the time for selective outrage or convenient amnesia. Bill 7 did not pass by accident. It passed because people entrusted with public power chose political convenience over national conscience. Zambia must confront this truth honestly, or risk sliding — quietly but decisively — into a fully fledged dictatorship.
Collective Failure, Collective Responsibility
The temptation will be to place blame on one individual, one party, or one institution. That would be dishonest. The responsibility for Bill 7 is collective. Parliament allowed it. Political parties enabled it. Silence normalised it. And complacency fertilised it.
Unity going forward is not optional. Without it, this country will become a textbook case of how democracies collapse — not through tanks on the streets, but through laws passed under the guise of legality while stripping away accountability. Clearly beneath all this, someone stood to benefit either by the offer for money or a consideration by those in power to ignore the sins committed by those with power over other MP’s. Herein lies the challenge with politics of patronage and endorsements.
The MP’s Who Changed Colours Without Changing Seats
Zambians must not forget a critical contradiction. The bulk of MPs who once endorsed a leader for the PF presidency are the same MPs who, without shame voted for Bill 7. These are not ideological conversions; they are political calculations.
This betrayal was foreseen. A University of Cape Town – based professor warned in writing and through a the KBN’s Analysis program, that one such MP had ceased to act as an independent representative and had instead become a surrogate for the UPND. At the time, supporters dismissed the warning. Today, the warning stands vindicated.
Congratulations — You Delivered Bill 7
Let it be said plainly: congratulations are in order. That MP has successfully delivered Bill 7 for the UPND. Whether or not he cast the final vote is immaterial. Influence is often exercised in corridors, not chambers.
But let us be equally clear — this was not leadership; it was betrayal. The betrayal he has demonstrated by seeking to get the PF presidency by any means necessary. His name has been linked to all the underarm activities intended to wrestle the PF Presidency, with the backing of unsuspecting MP’s and diaspora pundits cheering on.
While political elites may believe MPs can be cheaply persuaded, history teaches a harsher lesson: the people of Zambia are not for sale. You may buy compliance in Parliament, but you cannot purchase legitimacy from an awakened citizenry.
To the Apologists: Denial Will Not Save You
To those defending the MP’s conduct, understand this: the best you can do now is accept the truth. He did not merely cross the floor; he crossed a moral line. He betrayed the nation and facilitated the passage of Bill 7 for the ruling party — even without formally casting a vote.
Deflection will not rewrite history. Loud justification will not erase the record. Zambia is watching, and memory in politics is longer than you think.
A Final Warning
Bill 7 may be law, but legitimacy is not declared — it is earned. When laws are passed without consensus, trust collapses. When MPs abandon voters, democracy bleeds. And when citizens are told to move on without accountability, authoritarianism takes root.
This is Zambia’s warning moment.
Unite now — not around personalities, not around parties, but around the defence of democracy itself. Or accept that what comes next will not be imposed by force, but by our own silence.
History is recording names. Posterity will judge harshly.
