Parliament has crossed a decisive threshold this afternoon as Constitution Amendment Bill No. 7 secured the required two-thirds majority at Second Reading, pushing the controversial legislation to the next stage amid raw emotion, procedural clashes, and visible jubilation on the floor of the House.
With 131 votes recorded in favour and only two opposed, the numbers settled a debate that had dominated national politics for weeks.
The arithmetic had loomed large from the outset.
Out of 167 Members of Parliament, including elected, nominated, and ex-officio members, the Bill required at least 110 votes to survive Second Reading due to the Chawama vacancy. It cleared that bar comfortably.
The session itself was anything but routine.
Tensions peaked when Nkana Member of Parliament Binwell Mpundu mounted a forceful submission, warning that Parliament was “on the verge of undermining the Constitution.” Mpundu invoked the Constitutional Court and framed his stance as one for history, declaring, “I resolved to stand firm in defence of the Constitution of the Republic. I will not associate myself with any process that amounts to illegality.”
Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti cut in sharply, cautioning Mpundu against interpreting the law. “You are not a lawyer,” she reminded him, steering the House back to procedure and drawing murmurs across the chamber.
Mpundu nonetheless concluded by excusing himself from further participation, saying posterity would judge the House.
Moments earlier, another flashpoint had unfolded when Matero Member of Parliament Miles Sampa attempted to raise a point of order and table a document during debate.
“My point of order is very compelling, Madam Speaker,” Sampa insisted, saying he had evidence to support his claim.
Speaker Mutti rejected the move outright. “That is not how documents are laid on the Table,” she ruled, ordering the paper withdrawn. She stressed that Standing Orders require verification before any document can be admitted, adding that without compliance, “your point of order falls off.”
Throughout the heated exchanges, the Speaker repeatedly appealed for order and restraint. “I am not going to chase anyone out of the House,” Mutti said.
“Those who wish to leave may do so on their own. Let us maintain order and decorum so that we proceed seamlessly.”
When the vote was finally taken, the mood shifted instantly. Government benches erupted in applause. The two-thirds line had been crossed. Bill 7 survived its most politically dangerous hurdle.
The result confirmed what behind-the-scenes tallies had suggested all weekend. The ruling UPND bloc, bolstered by nominated members, ex-officio votes, a section of independents, and a breakaway group from the opposition benches, had the numbers.
Opposition threats of mass boycotts and court warnings did not translate into sufficient resistance on the floor.
Outside the chamber, reactions were immediate and polarized. Supporters framed the vote as a democratic endorsement of reform. Critics called it defiance of the courts. On social media, accusations of inducements flew freely, even as no evidence was formally presented in the House.
What is beyond dispute is that the centre of gravity has now shifted. Bill 7 moves forward, politically strengthened by a clear numerical mandate, but still carrying deep national divisions into the next stages.
The debate was fierce. The vote was decisive. And Zambia’s constitutional contest has entered a new and irreversible phase.
-The People’s Brief