The June 2024 expulsion was based on constitutional provisions and procedural issues following expulsion from the PF party in December 2023.
The Facebook post claiming that nine Zambian members of parliament were expelled from Parliament on the basis of tribalism is false. The post which reads: “Tribalism is still working mwebantu’ is accompanied by an image of a list of the MPs who allegedly lost their seats.
However, the expulsion of nine Patriotic Front (PF) Members of Parliament (MPs) from the National Assembly on 28 June 2024 was not influenced by tribal affiliations as stated in the Facebook post.
An investigation into the matter established that the MPs in question were expelled due to their failure to adhere to stipulated guidelines, not because of their tribal identities. According to the National Assembly, the ruling was based on procedural and administrative aspects.
On June 28, 2024, during the consideration of a Ministerial Statement by Hon. C. Mulenga, MP, regarding a proposed USD 72 billion investment in Zambia by Viet-Zam Diversified Corporation Limited, Hon. C. Mweetwa, MP, and Minister of Information and Media, raised a Point of Order.
This Point of Order was based on Article 72(2)(e) and Article 72(5) of the Zambian Constitution, which states that a Member of Parliament vacates their office if expelled from the political party that sponsored their election.
Hon. Mweetwa highlighted that on December 6, 2023, the National Assembly was informed about the expulsion of nine Patriotic Front (PF) Members of Parliament, including notable figures such as Mr. R. K. Chitotela and Mr. S. Kampyongo. The expulsion was announced by the PF Secretary-General, Mr. Morgan Ng’ona, following internal party disputes.
In response to the Point of Order, the Second Deputy Speaker Moses F. Moyo in his ruling, said since the Constitutional Court dismissed the petition of the expelled Members of Parliament, they were out of order to continue participating in parliamentary business.
Following all this, the nine MPs filed an application and supporting affidavit challenging the speaker’s decision. The court, in its ruling, issued an order granting leave for judicial review and staying the implementation of the decision. The Nine MPs in question have since returned to parliament.
The National Assembly’s decision emphasized adherence to administrative rules, specifically the requirement for official communication to come from the party’s Secretary-General. The Speaker ruled that the MPs, whose petition was dismissed by the Constitutional Court, were out of order to continue participating in parliamentary business, leading to the declaration of vacancies in their constituencies. This clarification is crucial to prevent misinformation that could incite tribal tensions and societal unrest.
This fact-check was produced by Bloggers of Zambia, under the African Fact-Checking Incubator programme, with support from PesaCheck, Code for Africa’s fact-checking initiative, and the African Fact-Checking Alliance(AFCA).
