State Counsel Face Off: Haimbe and Sikota Set for High-Stakes Bill 7 Debate

Two of Zambia's leading legal minds will square off on Friday in what promises to be the most substantive public discussion yet on Constitution Amendment Bill No. 7.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mulambo Haimbe has accepted United Liberal Party President Sakwiba Sikota's debate challenge, agreeing to meet on Diamond TV at 18:00 hours on December 12, 2025. The encounter will be moderated by Costa Mwansa.

Open Zambia commends both legal practitioners for their willingness to subject Bill 7 to rigorous public scrutiny. This is precisely the kind of substantive engagement our constitutional debate has needed—two accomplished state counsel, lawyer to lawyer, presenting competing visions for Zambia's constitutional future.

Minister Haimbe's acceptance of the challenge demonstrates government's confidence in defending the amendments' constitutional soundness. Rather than hiding behind process arguments or refusing engagement, he has stepped forward to make the case for Bill 7 in the public arena.

Equally commendable is Mr Sikota's decision to move beyond broad condemnations to specific legal argument. By challenging the government to a structured debate rather than simply issuing statements, he has elevated the quality of opposition engagement.

The stakes could hardly be higher. Zambians will finally hear detailed legal arguments about which provisions in Bill 7 pose constitutional concerns and how government responds to these objections. This is democracy functioning as it should—transparency, accountability, and substantive debate on matters of national importance.

Both lawyers now face the pressure of public expectation. Zambians will be watching to see whether the opposition can articulate specific, legally sound objections to Bill 7, and whether government can defend its provisions with equal rigor.

This debate represents an opportunity for both sides to demonstrate that their positions are grounded in constitutional principle rather than political expedience. The nation will be listening.