By NDUBI MVULA –

•PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu assents to the amended Constitution at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka yesterday, while Chief Justice Ireen Mambilima looks on. Inset, the President shows Zambians the Republican Constitution after assenting to the amended national document.
Pictures by EDDIE MWANALEZA/STATE HOUSE

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has finally walked the talk as he assented to the amended Constitution Bill in line with the promise he made eleven months ago during his inauguration as Zambia’s sixth Republican President.
The venue was Heroes Stadium in Lusaka.
He described the historical January 5, 2016, occasion as a watershed moment which would provide stability in the country as it would help maintain the rule of law.
President Lungu appealed to all Zambians to embrace the document.
However, Zambians, in embracing the document have expressed various views with Kebby Musokotwane of Lusaka saying he feels uncomfortable with the provision on education qualification for anyone vying for political office.
Dr Musokotwane says he has come across PhD holders who cannot deliver.
“We have well-meaning mature Zambians who have never had the opportunity that you and I had to go to school; we are discriminating against the majority of Zambians, that’s not very democratic. All one needs is a green National Registration Card to stand for any position in the country,” he says.
Dr Musokotwane says having travelled extensively in rural areas of Zambia he has come across forward-thinking, responsible citizens who should not be ignored.
On the Dual Citizenship Clause Dr Musokotwane is not ashamed to express his deep rooted love for Zambia and the need to preserve the country’s national heritage.
He says one cannot belong to two different countries because he or she has to be either Zambian or not.
“How do you show allegiance to two countries? Let us be proud of being Zambian.Those of us that did not see the suffering may not relate too much.
“I read a lot on our history and that gives me perspective. I am a very proud Zambian who is so jealous, I do not want a person to say they are Zambians and also a citizen of another country,” he says.
As a sign or demonstration of his deep rooted allegiance to Zambia, Dr Musokotwane says he has made sure that his children by age of seven know all the stanzas of the National Anthem of Zambia because he takes this very personal.
“People died for this freedom I am enjoying and I don’t want to take that for granted. Imagine how many Zambians will now be citizens of Zambia and the United Kingdom a country that colonised us for 78 years. It’s very painful,” he says.
But Cuthbert Mushabati feels that a mere grade 12 certificate as standard qualification is too low for one to take up the challenge of political leadership as prescribed in the New Constitution.
“Actually even grade 12 certificate is too low standard. At least a Diploma would have been fine,” he quips.
In the Amended Constitution, one of the Clauses requires all candidates, such as Councillors, Members of Parliament and the President to have a minimum of a Grade 12 Certificate or its equivalent.
According to the Examinations Council of Zambia, when awarding a school certificate all the requirements for the document must be satisfied at one and the same examination.
For one to qualify, the candidate must;
(a) Pass in at least six subjects (including English language) with credit in at least one of them.
(b) Pass in at least five subjects (including English language) with credit in at least two of them.
And on the awarding of a General Certificate of Education (GCE), candidates who obtain Grade one to eight in at least one subject will qualify for the award of the General Certificate of Education (GCE) if;
(a) They enter and sit but do not qualify for the School Certificate;
(b) They already hold a School Certificate or General Certificate of Education.
While on the awarding of a school certificate, all the requirements for the School Certificate must be satisfied at one and the same examination and to qualify the candidate must have;
(a) Pass in at least six subjects (including English language) with credit in at least one of them.
(b) Pass in at least five subjects (including English language) with credit in at least two of them.
And the Zambia School Certificate and General Certificate of Education grades standard is as follows;
One – Distinction
Two/Three – Merit
Four/Five/Six – Credit
Seven/Eight-Satisfactory
Nine-Unsatisfactory.
The School Certificate and the General Certificate of Education will show Subject Grades from One and Eight. Grade Nine and Absent (X) will not be recorded on the Certificate although they will be shown on the Results Slip.
Clement Nchimunya of Choma feels that Dual Citizenship is practically impossible as most people will always pay allegiance to one country, the other will only for convenience.
“It does not make sense in a nutshell. They want to be treated as a prodigal son. They should read 2 Thessalonians 3:10. Let the loyal servants who have worked for Zambia eat and enjoy their sweat,” he
says.
Mbenge Musweu, a Livingstone resident says the education rquirement in the Constitution is a bold and progressive move to take.
“Iam just glad that now we, who went to school can now stand as Councillors, Members of Parliament, Vice-President and eventually President”, he says.
It therefore, goes to show why President Lungu emphasised on the need for citizens to embrace and read and understand the contents of the document as it represents their views although it may not fulfil the interests of everyone.
Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Emmanuel Mwamba described the occasion on his Twitter handle as, “A historic as it had given Zambia new progressive Constitution”.
Mr Lungu says the assenting to the Constitution is a grand norm and it is too important to be left to a single unit of people but instead to the greatest majority of the people.
He says the country will later hold a Referendum for the remaining parts of the Constitution such as the Bill of Rights.
Mr Lungu says a lot of money was spent on the same Constitution process and it is high time it was resolved and put to rest for the sake of national development.
He says he has no quarrels about reducing presidential powers because it is about the welfare of the nation and not an individual.
The President says leaders should have the duty to respect the views of the people they lead because the voice of the people is the voice of God.
Justice Minister Ngosa Simbyakula says the task of a leader is to take its people from where they are to a new place where they have never been.
He says President Lungu has done just that by honouring what he promised during his inauguration in January last year.
Dr Simbyakula says the constitution is not a property of the Patriotic Front but of all Zambians.