Police allows the Black Friday Campaigners to Assemble on friday, 4th Oct at Freedom Statue from 10:00hrs

PRESS RELEASE, Lusaka- 2nd October, 2013 The Black Friday Campaigners and other consortia of Civil Society Organizations commend the Zambia Police Force for granting their request to organize a PEACEFUL PUBLIC ASSEMBLY TO DEMAND FOR THE CONSTITUTION on Friday, 4th October, 2013 at the Freedom Statue from 10:00hrs. The Assembly is to express displeasure at the continued delay by the Technical Committee to release the final Draft Constitution to the President and Zambian people simultaneous. The CSOs also feel let down by government’s handling of the implementation of the NGO Act No. 16 of 2009. The Technical Committee’s continued application of time-buying tactics on the constitutional making process despite assurances of completing the process in six months is most unfortunate and frustrating. Zambians can longer continue to stand akimbo and leave the constitution making process at the mercy of the government or the Technical Committee. It is time to stand up and demand for the completion of this process and save the country of the much needed financial resources. With the wrangles in the ruling PF raging on and involves a key focal minister in the process, the possibility of not having the final draft Constitution released this month cannot be ruled out. It is for this reason that we need not to accept any excuse for any delay to the submission of the final draft constitution to the President and the public. In this regard, we invite all well-meaning Zambians, politicians, CSOs, students, media, bus drivers, marketeers, etc. to come en mass at the Freedom Statue on Friday clad in Black to express their displeasure publicly and offer solidarity to the calls to have an end to the constitution making process and the need to constitute a Referendum Commission and a referendum budget line in the 2014 Budget. Signed McDonald Chipenzi Interim Chairperson-Black Friday Campaign