Josiah Kalala

I have been reading the various posts on the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No. 10 of 2019 and would like to do a thread highlighting reservations with the Bill. @LindaKasonde @LauraMiti @nalucha_ziba @CofZambia @PamChisanga #Bill10 #Zambia

Chapter One Foundation is concerned that the Human Rights Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2026, risks undermining the Commission's independence by introducing State actors into its membership. We call for its immediate reconsideration. @HHichilema #HumanRights #Zambia #RuleOfLaw

Join the Role of the Police in Public Gatherings discussion organised by Chapter One Foundation. Date: Thursday, 26 March, 2026. Time: 18:00 - 19:30 Hours CAT #ChapterOneFoundation #SACCORD #Police #PublicOrderAct #PublicGatheringinZambia

@Space2013M Do you know that there is a Market and Bus Stations Act? If the Market is the problem, it should be shut down in accordance with the law, no? Good intentions are not a substitute for the rule of law.

Long Live Chief Musele! Long Live Chief Musele! No CSO or NGO should condemn the Chief for overstepping his boundary to shut down that Kisasa Market in Kalumbila for two months.

JOINT STATEMENT DATED 19TH FEBRUARY 2026 BY CHAPTER ONE FOUNDATION AND LCK FREEDOM FOUNDATION ON THE NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY IN THE ZAMBIA–UNITED STATES HEALTH AID MoU Chapter One Foundation and the LCK Freedom Foundation call upon the Government of the Republic of Zambia to immediately publish the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reportedly signed between the Zambian Government and the Government of the United States of America in relation to health aid to Zambia. As civil society organisations committed to constitutionalism, transparency, accountability, and the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, we are deeply concerned by the secrecy surrounding this agreement. We confirm that Chapter One Foundation and the LCK Freedom Foundation have jointly written to the Zambian Government formally requesting a copy of the final MoU and the associated Bilateral Compact agreement pursuant to the Access to Information Act No. 24 of 2023. The public has a legitimate right to know the terms and conditions under which international agreements affecting the health and wellbeing of Zambian citizens are concluded. We have been following recent press statements that have suggested that the contents of the MoU are not in the best interests of the health, privacy, and safety of Zambian citizens. These reports raise serious constitutional, ethical, and human rights concerns which warrant full disclosure and robust public debate. We do not believe that the reported contents of the MoU put the health concerns of ordinary Zambians first. Whilst previous aid programmes such as the PEPFAR programme provided by the United States Government supported patients suffering from HIV/AIDS and strengthened health care workers and facilities to improve health outcomes for the people of Zambia, the conditionalities outlined in the MoU appear to aim to exploit the vulnerabilities of poor countries like Zambia, which historically have relied on donor support to meet the health needs of their citizens. These conditionalities reportedly include providing access to Zambia’s rare earth minerals under a bilateral compact agreement and accessing the data and specimen samples of Zambians who access health facilities. Such provisions, if accurate, not only violate over national sovereignty and citizens’ rights to privacy and the preservation of their personal health records, but also pose a serious risk that this sensitive health data may be exploited by scientists and pharmaceutical companies for nefarious purposes, without adequate safeguards, consent, or benefit to the people of Zambia. We note that the Kenyan judiciary has suspended the implementation of a similar agreement between the Kenyan and US Governments due to similar concerns. We are equally concerned that the Zambian Government is signing or implementing this agreement without the necessary public and stakeholder scrutiny that would ensure that any agreement entered into for the healthcare of Zambians is done in their best interests. Agreements of this magnitude must be subjected to parliamentary oversight, public consultation, and rigorous legal and ethical review. We therefore urge the Government to: 1. Immediately publish the full MoU and the Bilateral Compact agreement for public scrutiny; 2. Engage in meaningful consultation with civil society, health professionals, and affected communities; and 3. Ensure that any health aid agreements respect the Constitution of Zambia, protect the privacy and dignity of citizens, and prioritise the health and welfare of ordinary Zambians above all other interests. Transparency is not optional in a constitutional democracy. The health, privacy, and sovereignty of the people of Zambia must never be traded away behind closed doors. Josiah Kalala Executive Director, Chapter One Foundation Linda Kasonde Executive Director, LCK Freedom Foundation

#UgandaNotAlone x.com/i/spaces/1MYGN…

@Space2013M @ngomabest196 They have no authority to arrest, so what will they do when they find someone? They are not trained to handle evidence, so what will happen to the guns, gold, etc? They are not trained to investigate, so how will they know who is a criminal and who isn't?

@Space2013M @ngomabest196 For emphasis, my discomfort and alarm with the statement comes from my reading of the law. There are rules that govern military involvement enforcement operations. This is because the army is not equipped to deal with a non-combatant...

@ngomabest196 here's more free knowledge for your consumption. This is a fantastic chronicle of the emergence of criminal gangs, Yesterday I watched a documentary of the emergence of the Sandinista and Contra Rebels of Nicaragua. No difference. All capitalise on docile Govts.

@Space2013M @ngomabest196 No, man. I am capable of forming my own opinion. I know the army has no authority to arrest. My question still stands. With the warning, wouldn't the criminal elements just leave or hide weapons?

@Space2013M @ngomabest196 Ok, they tell us they have guns and are illegal immigrants. The makings of rebel groups. Then, instead of going to arrest them, they warn them to stop mining. So where are the guns going to go? Where do the illegal immigrants go? On to our streets? Does that make sense?

@JosiahKalala @ngomabest196 My take is that this matter is too security sensitive, AB1 has Intel we all don't have. He was unequivocal. Zambia's security is at risk of heavily armed elements in Mufumbwe. Now videos have emerged of people packing their bags and leaving Mufumbwe after AB1 issued the threats.

@Yikucha2 Something people are missing from this whole conversation is given how porous our governance architecture is... bbc.com/news/world-afr… Without the necessary controls, the people with guns just replace the other ones with guns.

@JosiahKalala Also if it is not the mandate of the army to protect our natural resources, whose job is it? I mean you can argue that immigration should go deal with the illegal immigrants but if they’re armed would that be fair? What’s your solution to this illegal mining?

Yes and he was just okay. Those people are stealing resources from the Zambian people. Resources which it is the mandate of the Army to protect

@Yikucha2 He said, "The directive from the Commander in Chief is to exterminate.." The Commander in Chief is a civilian essentially.

@JosiahKalala I really took that word as military people using colorful language as they like to do, but maybe that’s me being over simplistic

@Yikucha2 I am not opposed to the army getting involved to support the Police. I am not comfortable with the use of the word "exterminate" and the implication that they will operate outside the law.

@JosiahKalala My understanding is that the army is targeting the armed militia who guard the diggers and not the actual diggers? The government hasn’t done enough I agree

@Yikucha2 What the government is doing is treating the symptoms...who is making the money? Those guys have nothing... but work everyday...

@JosiahKalala I see. I feel somehow those things aren’t practical in this situation. Arresting people with no fixed abode? What will they forfeit aren’t they selling? Deporting them so they can return after a few months? Will any of those things really deter anyone?

@Yikucha2 @stolencontent1 If they have targets, why not go for those targets and arrest them. They can even go with the Police...who have a mandate to enforce civilian law. Increasingly drawing the military into civilian affairs is a slippery slope.

@JosiahKalala @stolencontent1 I agree that they must act within the restraints of the law. My understanding when I listened to the whole speech was that they’ve done research and have specific targets but if people threaten them with weapons then they might fire.

@Yikucha2 Arrest, prosecution, forfeiture, deportation, fines...none of which the army is mandated to do.

@JosiahKalala What tools does the law provide?

@Yikucha2 Nobody is saying nothing should be done. Illegal miners are not combatants, they are criminals the same way thieves are. The army is trained to deal with combatants. Where the army support civilian forces, they only complement them.

@JosiahKalala What is a country? When your mandate is to protect a country does that end on its citizens and fail to extend to its natural resources? Corrupt GRZ officials should be gotten rid of I agree, but complacency in that regard doesn’t mean nothing should be done about anything.

@stolencontent1 @Yikucha2 Curious, how do they start? In the countries with rebels, did the army go in too late? People are not saying the army has no role to play, just that when they do go, they complement civilian authority and act within the law.

@Yikucha2 Stealing aside, people don’t understand how rebel groups are formed.