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SADC host bans local civil society demonstration
CIVICUS
August 15, 2007

The decision by Zambian authorities to ban a peaceful demonstration by Zambian civil society during the annual Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government Summit is a blatant and unnecessary restriction on freedom of assembly, said CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation today.

The umbrella organisation Oasis Forum, and the Collaborative Group on the Constitution (CGC), a coalition of other non-governmental organisations (NGOs), were planning to rally this week in Lusaka in opposition to the ongoing and controversial constitutional review process.

"The government is saying, 'why are you gathering when this is an international gathering and the issue is internal?' But the SADC Summit is about governance. We want the rest of SADC to know what is happening in Zambia," says Sara Longwe, former Chair of FEMNET in Zambia, 2003 Africa Prize Laureate and a former CIVICUS board member.

Zambian law requires only that organisers notify the police of plans for a demonstration, and they can only be refused permission if police decide they cannot provide adequate supervision. Oasis Forum and CGC reportedly notified the police on 27 July and fulfilled all the mandatory requirements. On 7 August, however, the police responded to the organisations' letter, requesting them not to rally and stating there was a lack of police officers available to monitor the demonstration given the demands of the SADC Summit. The letter suggested an alternative day of 21 August, the Monday following the SADC Summit.

"The silencing of civil society voices during the SADC Summit is a disappointing turn for the Zambian government. Citizens have the fundamental right, as expressed in the SADC Protocols, to freely express themselves and assemble peacefully in opposition to government policies," said Kumi Naidoo, CIVICUS Secretary General.

Many civil society groups have rejected the government's attempt to revise the current constitution through the recently published Constitutional Conference Bill. In a letter to the Minster of Justice, the Oasis Forum pointed out that many provisions in the draft law go against the expressed wishes of the people of Zambia. Among other issues, the Forum expressed concern that while two previous constitutional review commissions recommended the full repeal of the constitution, the Bill only makes amendments to the current constitution.

"By refusing to allow us to rally, they have confirmed our point. This is exactly why we need a new constitution," said Rueben Lifuka, President of Transparency International Zambia. "The use of the Public Order Act to stifle demonstrations is one of the reasons why we wanted to demonstrate in the first place."

The past month has seen numerous potential restrictions on civil society. Recently, civil society in Zambia also collectively protested an NGO Bill introduced to the parliament last month. Following national and international concern, the NGO Bill has reportedly now been deferred, and it is hoped that the Zambian governments will use this opportunity for more consultation with civil society and other stakeholders.

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