The Oasis Forum says it has withdrawn from the ongoing constitutional amendment dialogue after concluding that Government is determined to proceed with what it describes as an illegal and flawed process centred on Bill 7.
Forum Chairperson Beauty Katebe explains that despite formally writing to President Hakainde Hichilema on 29th November to outline its concerns delivered to the Government’s smaller negotiating team the following day no effort has been made to address the core issues it raised.
She says these include the Constitutional Court’s ruling that the initiation of Bill 7 was a nullity due to the absence of mandatory public consultations, the continued presence of the Bill in Parliament, the lack of a legal framework guaranteeing the independence of the Technical Committee, and terms of reference that restrict citizens to the same clauses contained in the disputed Bill.
The Forum further argues that tying the reforms to the 2026 electoral calendar amounts to rushing a process that should be inclusive, transparent, and citizen-driven, warning that amending the supreme law in under 30 days risks undermining national consensus.
It says dialogue has yielded no progress, noting that Government remains intent on proceeding without withdrawing Bill 7, which it considers a non-negotiable precondition.
Earlier Government announced that it had suspended dialogue with the Forum as they arrived without a willingness to engage meaningfully, instead presenting a letter dated 29th November 2025 indicating it was not prepared to proceed with genuine dialogue.
Minister of Information and Media Cornelius Mweetwa indicated that the Forum maintained the same rigid stance taken during Friday’s meeting and failed to highlight specific contentious clauses or propose alternative solutions an approach Government argues is essential for consensus-building.
Meanwhile, President Hakainde Hichilema is currently meeting with various stakeholders who are supporting Bill 7.
By Victoria Kayeye Yambani
