Civic Education G10 Notes

CIVIC
EDUCT
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E 10
SUMM
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TOPIC 1: CONSTITUTION
 A constitution is a body of fundamental principles according to which a country is governed

 It can also be defined as the supreme law of the land; law above all other laws.
Types of constitution
There are only two types of constitution namely;
(a) Written constitution- is a constitution whose provisions or contents are embodied or documented
in a single formal document.
Merits of written constitution

 It is clear and definite
 It is free from being twisted
 It is easier to refer to
Demerits of written constitutions

 The power of interpretation is vested in the judiciary (meaning, it may be abused by judges)
 Much of the language used is too technical to be understood by an ordinary citizen.
 It may leave out important details as all the details and principles of the nation are compressed into
one document.
(b) Unwritten constitution- is a constitution whose provisions are not found in a single document but
in a collection of documents.
Merits of unwritten constitution

 It is flexible and adaptable to the changing of a dynamic society.
 It may include all the important details
Demerits of unwritten constitution

 It is not easy to refer to it
 It may be taken for granted that it exists as it is not written down
 It is not clear
Note: written or unwritten constitution can either be flexible or rigid constitution.
Forms of constitution
a) Flexible constitution is a constitution whose provisions are easy to amend, example is the Zambian
constitution.
b) Rigid Constitution is one that is difficult to amend. It can only be amended by a special body and
special procedure. Such bodies include Constituent Assembly (CA), National Constitutional
Conference (NCC) and the Referendum (Plebiscite).
THE STRUCTURE (PARTS) AND THE CONTENT OF THE ZAMBIAN CONSTITUTION
CIVIC EDUCATION NOTES c

PART-TITLE-CONTENT
PAR TITLE CONTENT

T
1 National  Declaration of Zambia as a sovereign state.
sovereignty and
state.
2 Citizenship  Deals with the qualifications for Zambian citizenship and
condition which can lead to withdrawal of Zambia citizenship
3 Protection of the  Deals with the rights and freedoms of individuals which are
fundamental protected.
rights and  -Stating and protection of rights and freedoms of individuals
freedoms of the
Individual.- Bill of
Rights
4 The Executives  Elections, tenure of the office and removal of president from
office, functions of president, ministers and deputy ministers,
secretary to the cabinet, Attorney general, solicitor general, DPP
and advisory committee
5 Legislature  Qualifications for election of national assembly, legislative
powers, membership of parliament and composition of National
Assembly.
6 The Judiciary  Courts and appointment of judges, High court, Supreme Court,
chairman and deputy chairman of Industrial Relations court.
7 Defence and  The functions of the Zambian Defence force, the Zambia police
National Security service, the prisons service and the Zambia Security
intelligence service
8 Local Government  Structure and functions of local councils.
Systems.
9 Directive  Development of national policies, implementation of national
principles of state policies, making and enactment of laws and application of the
Policy and the constitution and any other law.
duties of a citizen.
10 Finance  Taxation, withdrawal of monies from general revenue, financial
reports, remuneration of officers, public.
11 Service  Commissions, Pension laws and protection.
Commissions
12 12 Human Rights  It establishes the independence, functions, powers, composition
Commission and procedures.
13 Chiefs and House  Institutions of Chiefs, House of Chiefs, functions powers

of Chiefs composition.
14 Miscellaneous  Resignations, re-appointments, concurrent appointment.
NOTE: The 1996 constitution begins with a preamble which is an introduction to the document.
The history of constitution making process in Zambia
The constitution of Zambia is modeled along the Nigerian constitution of 1963 which was based on the
1950 European Convention for the protection of Human Rights and freedoms. These rights, which

were known as Neo-Nigerian Rights, were incorporated into most African Commonwealth countries
such as Sierra Leone, Malawi, Botswana, Kenya and Uganda.
On 24th October, 1964, Zambia inherited the Northern Rhodesia Self-government constitution of
1963.
The following table describes the history of constitution making process in Zambia.
CONSTITUTION APPOINTED YEAR MAJOR RECOMMENDATION

BY
1. Chona Constitutional Review Kenneth 1972 One party state
commission Kaunda
2. Mvunga constitutional Review Kenneth 1991 Multiparty democracy
Constitution Kaunda
3. Mwanakatwe Constitutional Review Fredrick 1995 Presidential candidates to have Zambian
Constitution Chiluba born parents
4. Mung’omba Constitutional Review Mwanawasa 2005 50% +1 presidential winning

Constitution
Process of Constitution making and adoption.
o This means the process of approving the copy of a draft constitution.
There are three methods of adopting the constitution, these are;
1. Through Parliament-
 The draft constitution is taken to parliament where the members of parliament debate on
the draft before adopting it. For example, Zambia used this three times in all the three
constitution review commissions.
2. Constituent Assembly- (CA)
 This is a body of representatives elected by their respective interest groups to formulate,
amend or adopt a constitution of a country. Representatives are drawn from churches,
learning institutions, trade unions and student bodies.
 This method is more democratic and more favourable to Zambian citizenry because it is
free from government interference.
 The adoption of the constitution by a CA is more representative than by parliament.
Countries such as the United States of America, India, Namibia, Uganda, South Africa,
Kenya, and Ethiopia adopted their constitutions through the CA.
3. Referendum
 The Draft constitution is subjected to the general public to approve it through a public vote.
 If more than half of the votes cast are in favour of the amendment (50%+1), the Constitution
would have been adopted and the Republican President will assent the Draft copy to legitimise it.
NOTE: The National Constitutional Conference (NCC) -The choosing of the members of Assembly
of the NCC is similar to that of the CA in that its members are drawn from various interest groups but
it is a conventional method. The only difference is that the final draft constitution of the NCC has to be
adopted by parliament.

Characteristics of a good constitution
A good constitution must be:
 Clear- language used must not be too difficult for ordinary citizens must to understand.
 Be neither too rigid to prevent change nor too flexible to encourage tempering with the basic
principles.
 Be stable and stand the test of time or must last for a long period of time (Durable).
 Protect and respond to the social, economic and political needs of citizens.
 Cater for the interests of various groups in society.
 Protect the rights of citizens.
Importance of a constitution to a nation.
A constitution is important because it;-
 Protects and promotes the rule of people.

 Sets out the composition and functions of the wings of government.
 Safeguards the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens.
 Is owned and guarded by citizens.
 Ensures democratic governance.
 Gives equal opportunities for individual development.
TOPIC 2: GOVERNANCE SYSTEM IN ZAMBIA
 Governance: means the way people are ruled with or without consent. The two types of
governance are good governance and bad governance.
Characteristics of good and bad governance
 Good governance means a government which is an authority is legitimate, competent,

accountable and respects human rights and the rule of law while
 Bad governance is governance which is illegitimate, incompetent, and uncountable and does not
respect human rights and the rule of law. Dictatorship is a form of bad governance.
The table below shows the characteristics of good and bad governance
GOOD GOVERNANCE DAD GOVERNANCE

Citizen participation. o Lack of citizen participation
Separation of powers o Lack of separation of powers
Respect for human rights o Violation of human rights
Independence of judiciary o Judiciary is not independent
Checks and balances o Lack of press freedom
Political tolerance o Restriction of political activities
The rule of law o Use of unlawful means
Fairness o Arbitrary arrests
Accountability and transparency o No accountability or transparency
Regular, free and fair elections o Irregular and unfair elections
Existence of political parties o Lack of freedom of assembly and association
Existence of civil society o Non-existence of civil society

Helpful and caring o Neglect of public welfare corrupt leadership
Different electoral systems practiced in the world
 Electoral systems are methods by which citizens chose their leaders or representatives and
there are four main methods used by different countries around the world.
The table below shows the table for the electoral system.
ELECTORAL SYSTEMS FEATURES

1. Single Member Plurality System Candidate who scores the highest wins.
(SMPS) or First Past The-Post (FPTP)
2. Single member Majoritarian System Candidate who scores over 50% of the votes
(SMMS) cast (50%+1) wins the election.
In case there is no absolute winner, an
election rerun (second ballot) is conducted for
the top two contenders
3. Proportional Representational System Use a party list system.
(PRS) Parliamentary seats are given according to
what a party has obtained in an election
(percentage).
A leader of party with highest votes forms
government.
MPs are not directly elected by the people but
are appointed by their respective political
parties
4. Mixed Member Proportionality System Combination of the first past post and the
(MMPS) proportional representation
Importance of Elections
Elections are important because they:
 Oblige candidate to explain to the citizens why they should be elected.

 Make political parties accountable to the people.
 Provide a peaceful transfer of power.
 Offer regular opportunities for people to change government.
 Provide peace and stability necessary for development.
Characteristics of elections in good governance.
Elections must be:-
1. Periodic- Elections must be held when they are due and elected officials must return to the
electorates at some point to seek their mandate to continue office.

2. Competitive- Elections must take place in a conducive political environment where all
candidates can compete fairly. No violence is permissible
3. Inclusive- All eligible voters should be allowed to vote without any discrimination.
4. Decisive- The winning candidate or party should not be prevented from taking office this is
because democratic elections determine the leadership of a government.
Zambia’s electoral system.
Note: The 1996 Amended constitution of Zambia prescribes the Single Member Plurality System
(SMPS). However, the constitution was again amended in 2016 and the president of Zambia Edgar
Chagwa Lungu assented to the use of Single Member Majoritarian System (SMMS) for presidential
elections only while National Assembly (Parliamentary) and Local Government elections we still use
SMPS or FPTP.
*An electoral process is a series of stages of events involved in the selection of representatives
through an election.
The following are the stages involved in the electoral process of Zambia.
Legislation (legal framework)

↓
Delimitation of constituencies, wards/polling districts
↓
Voters’ education
↓
Registration of voters
↓
Verification of voter’s roll
↓
Nomination of candidates
↓
Election campaigns
↓
Polling day
↓
Counting, tabulating/ verification of the votes
↓
Announcement of results and declaration of winners
↓
Resolving election-related disputes and complaints
*The electoral code of conduct is a set of rules and principles that regulates the conduct of all stake
holders before, during and after elections.
TYPES OF ELECTIONS
(a) Primary Elections- These are held whenever a political party wants to choose candidates to stand
in presidential, parliamentary and local government elections.
(b) By-Elections- These are held when a President, councillor, Member of Parliament:-
 Dies
 Resigns from its position.

 Expelled from the party.
 Imprisoned for more than six months.
(c) Presidential, parliamentary and local government elections- Also known as Tripartite or
general elections. These are held every five years to elect the president, Member of Parliament and
ward councillors.
Note: In parliamentary or local government elections a candidate can either be sponsored by a political
party or stand as an independent candidate.
Local government system in Zambia.
 Local government before independence was ruled by the British Colonial Administration through
the central government and native authorities.
 The native fell under the ministry of native affairs.
 The native authorities consisted of chiefs and other traditional leaders.
The duties performed by natives included the;
 Collection of taxes.
 Issuing license such as dog, store and bicycle licenses.
 Chiefs performed some judicial functions such as handling civil cases at local courts.
o After 1964 the ministry of local government became responsible for the administration of all local
authorities in the country.
o Steps were taken to establish councils in rural areas, and most of the inherited rural local
authorities were based on traditional units of government, but they were too small to be either
administrative or financially viable.
o The new councils included chiefs appointed by the Minister of Local Government.
o These councils provided a limited range of basic essential services such as schools, libraries,
markets and housing.
o In 1965, a uniform pattern of local authorities throughout the country was established under act
number 69 and there were city, municipal, township and rural councils.
o Then in 1980, the local government decentralization act was enacted. The act allowed UNIP to
take up full responsibility to control the operations of all councils in Zambia.
o It was at this point when, District Governors appointed by the president took over from the mayors
and chairpersons and all councils in the country became district councils.
Reasons for the 1980 decentralization were;
 Reduce delays as most decisions could be made on the spot instead of referring to headquarters.
 Make plans and programmes more relevant to local needs and conditions.
 Improve co-ordination between different government agencies in the area.
 Reduce the burden of senior staff at national level in order to improve their performance.

 The district council administration was headed by the district executive secretary and supported by
secretaries.
 In 1991 another decentralization act was amended and it introduced three types of local councils,
these were; City, municipal and district councils. Town Clerks and Mayors are found in City and
Municipal Councils while Council Secretary and Council Chairpersons are found in District
councils.
 This has continued to present. The MMD government wanted to give more powers to the councils
so that there was less dependence on central government for funds.
 And this made the councils to operate freely without interference from political parties.
Functions of local councils are;
Providing clean and safe water.

Providing accommodation and plots for development.
Maintaining the environment.
Collecting levies.
Making by-laws.
Providing education facilities and control epidemics such as cholera.
Awarding trading license to people.
Sewage disposal.
Providing street lighting.
Maintaining streets and roads.
Maintaining graveyards.
Controlling livestock movements.
Constructing and maintaining markets.
Town planning.
Providing recreation facilities such as swimming pools and parks.
The role of traditional leaders in governance.
 House of chiefs is a forum through which traditional leaders participate in governance.

 There are 30 chiefs in the house of chiefs. Each of the ten provinces elects three chiefs that
represent them in the house.
 Term of these elected chiefs is three years, but a member can be re-elected for second term of three
years after which he/she is not allowed to be re-elected.
 The house elects its chairperson and vice chairperson from among the members.
 The clerk of the house and other staffs carry out the administrative duties of the house.
Functions of the house of chiefs include;
 Discuss bills affecting customs and traditions.

 Debate and pass decisions on matters concerning customary laws and customs.
 Allocating plots under customary law.
 Participating in development projects in their area. To discuss and decide on any matters referred
to it by the president – submit the resolutions of the house to the president who in turn submits
them to the National Assembly.
Problems faced by the house of chiefs;
 It has no real influence on issues of governance and development.

 Plays an insignificant advisory role, as all its resolutions has to be debated upon by the
 National Assembly.
 Chiefs are not allowed to join a political party like Members of Parliament.
TOPIC 3: CITIZENSHIP
DEFINITION OF CITIZENSHIP
 Citizenship is the relationship between an individual (citizen) and the state he or she belongs
to.
 A citizen is a member of a state who enjoys all the rights and privileges granted by it. He or
she is able to perform duties of the state.
 Allegiance is the readiness of a citizen to protect his or her country in times of threat and be
able to do the duties of the country.
 An alien (foreigner) is a person staying in a country which is not his or her own. The country
in which an alien is found is known as the host country. He or she does not enjoy all the
rights such as voting
Legal and moral aspect of Citizenship
1. Legal aspect
 A citizen is recognized by law and his or her rights are enshrined in the laws of the land
(constitution).
 A citizen under this aspect has the total protection of the state whether at home or abroad.
 A citizen who fails to fails to comply with the legal aspects of citizenship is reliable for
prosecution.
Examples of legal rights

As a Zambian citizen, you have the right to:
 Live in Zambia
 Vote in elections
 Stand as a candidate in elections
 Work education, health care and housing
 Certain minimum standards of support from the government if you cannot provide for
yourself.
2. Moral aspect
 This aspect of citizenship acknowledges the value of self-discipline and self-control.

 A morally good citizen has a sense of responsibility to fulfill all his or her obligations to the
state and various social groups that he or she belongs to.
 A citizen who does not comply with the moral aspect of citizenship is not reliable for
persecution, but may be reprimanded by society.
How good morality is shown:

 Pick up litter and sell it for recycling
 Respect the rights of other citizens
 Leave your country better than you found it
 Take care of public resources, e.g. books, furniture at school.
The kinds of Citizenship

There are two types of citizenship, namely, natural citizenship and naturalized citizenship.
1. Natural citizenship
 The rule of Jus Sanguinis (blood) and that of Jus Soli (place of birth) regulate this type of
citizenship.
 According to the rule of Jus Sanguinis, blood relation and descent decide citizenship. A child
assumes his or her parents’ citizenship regardless of where it is born.
 The rule of Jus Soli states that a person becomes a citizen through the place of birth. For
example Zambian parents living in Angola, when they give birth to a child, that child is an
Angolan by birth, hence he or she is a citizen of Angola.
 However, Zambia has now adopted what is known as Dual citizenship, meaning, one can
choose to have more than one citizenship.
2. Naturalized citizenship
This is a type of citizenship acquired by alien or a foreigner after applying and meeting the prescribed
conditions.
Types of naturalized citizenship

There are two types of naturalized citizenship. These are:
o Partial naturalized citizenship is a type where type where a citizen does not enjoy all the
rights and privileges of the country.
o Complete citizenship is a type which allows a citizen to enjoy all the rights and privileges in
the state.
The following are some of the prescribed conditions which an alien has to follow to acquire
citizenship of the host country:

 The rule of residence
 This rule states that an alien is required to live in the host country for uninterrupted
minimum period of time before he or she can apply for citizenship.
 In Zambia, an alien becomes eligible to apply for citizenship after a continuous stay of a
minimum period of ten years.
 The principle of declaration on a prescribed form
 This requires an alien to fill in prescribed application forms and provide necessary
documents, declaring his or her intentions of applying for citizenship.
 Marriage
 This condition allows a spouse to acquire citizenship of the wife or the husband.
 A host country can demand the evidence of good character before allowing an alien to
have citizenship.
 However, one can opt to maintain his or her natural citizenship even when living in a
spouse’s nation.
 Renunciation of previous citizenship
 This requires an applicant (an alien) to give up his or her previous citizenship and take
oath of allegiance to the country of which one intends to become a citizen. This is known
as expatiation.
Qualifications for Zambian citizenship

Part II of the 1996 Amended Constitution of Zambia Articles 4, 5 and 6 stipulates the
following conditions for one to be a citizen:
Article 4
1) Every person who immediately before the commencement of this constitution of this
constitution was a citizen of Zambia shall continue to be a citizen of Zambia after the
commencement of this this constitution.
2) A person was entitled to citizenship of Zambia before the commencement of this
constitution subject to the performance of any conditions following the happening of a
future event, shall become a citizen upon the performance of such conditions.
Article 5

A person born in or outside Zambia after the commencement of this constitution shall become
a citizen of Zambia at the date of his birth if on that date at least one of his parents is a citizen
of Zambia.
Article 6
1) Any person who:
i. Has attained the age of twenty-one; and
ii. Has been ordinarily resident in Zambia for a continuous period of not less than ten
years immediately preceding that person’s application for registration;
Shall be entitled to apply to the Citizenship Board, in such a manner as may be

prescribed by or under an Act of Parliament, to be registered as a citizen of Zambia
Qualities of a good citizenship

The following are some of the qualities of a good citizen:
 Living up to democratic principles: This requires the willingness to participate in the
affairs of a state such as exercise the right to vote.
 Contribution to national development: This is the readiness to render service to a nation
 Self-control: This is the ability to refrain oneself from doing wrong things.
 Conscience: This is a sense of responsibility and service towards the community. For
example, devotion to duty and services. It drives one to do his or her duties honestly and
faithfully.
 Courage: It’s an ability to have strength to stand up for one’s convictions when
conscience demands it.
 Respect for law: This is the willingness to abide by laws, even when one may not be in
total agreement. It is the willingness to work through peaceful, legal means to change
unjust laws.
 Perseverance: This is the willingness to attempt several times in order to achieve the set
goal.
 Empathy: Having concern or companion for the well-being of others, especially for the
vulnerable in society.

 Patriotism: This involves a sense of love and loyalty to a state by observing the values
and principles of one’s country.
Factors that hinders good citizenship

 Indifference or lack of consciousness: Individuals only concerned about their benefits from
the state at the expense of others.
 Poverty: This is a state of being poor where citizens fail to take an active role in national
matters. Such citizens are preoccupied with finding means of survival.
 Ignorance: An informed or ignorant person often fails to differentiate between right and
wrong. This makes such a citizen to contribute to the state fully.
 Self-interest: A person motivated by self-interest shuns public responsibilities.
 Allegiance to political parties above national interest: A bad citizen may put the
interest of the political party he or she belongs to above national interests.
 Defects in the electoral system: If a large section of people has no confidence in the
electoral system, hence, no interest in state affairs.
 Misinformation by the media: Newspapers, radio, television and internet may twist the
facts or the information such that citizens cannot get anything correctly and
knowledgeably.
 Complex nature of modern society: Individuals today belong not only to one citizenship
based on national boarders but also to other forms of other citizenship. Thus, it may be
hard to harmonise interests of one’s citizenship with those of another.
Ways of promoting good citizenship

 Administrative improvement:
When citizens are assured of their fundamental rights and are consulted on constitutional
changes or reforms concerning the welfare of their country, they will feel a shared
responsibility with the government of the day.
 Moral remedies:
Citizen need to be spiritually and mentally motivated for them to take an active interest in
public affairs.
 Stability and justice;

This involves establishment of security, stability and justice measures by both the leaders and
the citizens.
Rights and freedoms of a citizen

Rights are entitlement of an individual by virtue of being human. These are divided into three
categories:
 Natural Rights
These are rights that are enjoyed by individuals in the state of nature. They existed before
the establishment of countries or nation states. For example right to life.
 Moral rights
o These are rights acknowledged by the moral sense of the people. They exist due to
custom, long usage and the strength of public. No legal action can be taken against
violation of moral rights but the people feel about them is so difficult for an
individual to intentionally violate them.
o For example, an old person has a moral right to be looked after by his or her
children.
 Legal rights
These are privileges given by the government of a nation and guaranteed by it. There are
three kinds of legal rights:
1. Civil rights are those rights without civilized life is not possible. The most important
one is the right to life.
2. Political rights are those rights that ensure that every person is given opportunity to take
part in the affairs of a state.
3. Economic rights have only been critically looked at in recent times. It has just been
acknowledged that political and civil rights have no meaning for a person whose life is
uncertain.
Examples of civil, political and economic rights
Civil rights Political rights Economic rights

The right to: Right to: Right to:
3. Personal safety and Vote Work
freedom Belong to a political Adequate wages

4. Family party Reasonable hours of
5. Education Be voted for into a working
6. Property public office
7. Judicial safeguards Petition in order to
8. Assembly and register grievance
association Criticize government
9. Freedom of religion
Duties and responsibilities of a Zambian citizen

Part IX of the 1996 Amended Constitution of the Republic of Zambia, Article 113 outlines
the duties of a Zambian citizen. It outlines the duties of a Zambian citizen. It states that it is
the duty of every citizen to:
i. Be patriotic and loyal to Zambia and promote its well-being;
ii. Contribute to the well-being of the community where the citizen lives , including
observance of health control;
iii. Promote democracy and the rule of law;
iv. Foster national unity and live in harmony with others;
v. Vote in national and local government elections;
vi. Provide defense and military service when called upon;
vii. Carry out with discipline and honesty legal public functions;
viii. Pay all taxes and dues legally due to the state;
ix. Assist in the enforcement of laws at all times.
Personal responsibility of a citizen

 Taking care of oneself
 Supporting one’s family
 Adhering to morals, principles and values of one’s society
 Respecting the rights and interests of others
Civil responsibilities or duties of a citizen

 Obeying the law
 Protecting the rights of others
 Being concerned about public issues

 Participating in civic activities such as voting
 Performing public service
 Observing and maintain the security of the nation
Groups of people and citizens with special needs
All the people with special needs are protected by the laws of Zambia. They are expected to be treated
equally with other people.
Examples of people with special needs are;
1. Refugees
These are people who leave their countries to seek safety and freedom in another country. The
countries where refugees are found are known as countries of Asylum. The commission for refugees
looks into the plight of refugees.
2. Persons with disabilities
They should be given employment, education and shelter without discriminating them so that they
lead normal lives.
3. The aged
Those who are sixty five (65) years old and above (senior citizens) need love, care and security.
4. Orphans
Children without parents need care and support by providing basic needs for them. If no support is
given they end up being street kids. Government should offer social security to these people.
5. Unemployed youth
A large number of youths have no employment that resort to crime and prostitution, as well as being
street kids. The youths need skills to enable them for employment.
TOPIC 4: HUMAN RIGHTS

 Human rights are legal entitlements that a person has by virtue of being human.
Earliest documents proclaiming Human Rights

(a) Charter of Mande of 1222
o It was the earliest document in Africa where human rights were guaranteed by Soundiata Keita
Mande (King of Mali).
o He named the document the Charter of Mande at his coronation.
o The document was written by elders, wise men and associations of the country commissioned by
the king to draw up principles on how Malian empire should be ruled.
o The introduction of the document stressed much on equality of human beings as follows;
o “Every human life is life”. For this reason nobody should torment another human being.
o The charter also addressed two evils: hunger and slavery as follows- “hunger and slavery is not a
good thing.” He considered these evils as worse calamities.
o In short the Charter condemned slavery and promised to eradicate all forms of hunger.
o However, both the Magna Carta and Charter of Mande were not universal for they excluded
women, children, slave and persons of certain social, religious, economic and political groups.

(b) The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948
 After the United Nations member states promised to respect human rights, a commission on
human rights was formed to promote the promise.
 The commission was assigned to draft a document putting in writing the meaning of fundamental
rights and freedom that had been declared in the Charter. The chair of the commission was
Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, president of US that time.
 The commission came up with the universal declaration of human rights which was adopted on
10th December, 1948.
 The UDHR is a set of principles by which United Nations members commit themselves to provide
all people of the world with human dignity.
 Human Rights empower people to take action when and wherever the set standards are not met
even if the laws of their country or leaders do not recognize them.
 The introduction of the UDHR states that recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and
inalienable rights of all members of the human life is foundation of freedom, justice and peace in
the world.
 The UDHR emphasized on freedom and justice for all people throughout the country.
Characteristics of Human Rights

(a) Human rights are inherent
o Meaning they are inborn and are our birth rite, we are born with them. They cannot be
transferred from one person to another.
o They are natural and permanent part of human beings until one dies, it does not matter whether
one knows them or not, they still exist and cannot be bought.
(b) Human Rights are inalienable or inseparable
o Human rights cannot be separated or taken away or given away even when they are violated.
o Human rights cannot be grabbed even if the owner is not aware of them because they are
natural and legal (lawful) claims.
(c) Human Rights are universal
o All human beings enjoy these rights worldwide. Universal means they are followed and apply
to all people in the world regardless of race, sex, ethnicity, religion, social political or
nationality.
(d) Human Rights are Inter-dependant, interrelated and Indivisible
o Human rights are equally important and cannot be divided, subtracted or removed from others.
o All rights should be enjoyed in totality.
o For example, one cannot be denied the right to food, clothes, medical care or shelter then be
granted only the right to life.
o The right to life is dependant and related to the right to food, clothes and so on.
o If a person is denied the right to education, that person is likely to never fulfil his/her potential
and earn a decent living.
o This means rights depend on each other to be fulfilled and enjoyed in full.
Categories of human rights

 These rights were classified into three categories and these categories are known as “generations”.
 The generations are put according to their historical development of human rights.
1. Civil and political rights- called first generation’s rights because they were the first to be
recognized.
o These rights stress the freedom of the individual and urges government not to interfere
in the life of an individual.
In the 1996 constitution of Zambia, civil and political rights are found in part III and they
include;
 Right to life
 Right to personal liberty
 Protection from slavery or forced labour

 Freedom from torture and inhuman treatments
 Freedom of opinion
 Freedom of expression, assembly and association
 Freedom of movement
 Protection of freedom of conscience
 Protection from discrimination on grounds of race, age, sex, religion and many
others.
2. Economic, social and cultural rights- these are also known as second generation rights.
 They bring about social justice, dignity and equality when government creates good
conditions to allow the enjoyment of these rights. This category includes; Rights to
 food
 Employment
 Social security
 Education
 Health (medical care)
 Clean environment
 Development and
 Adequate housing.
3. Collective Rights or Solidarity rights – these are also called as the third generation
rights and are the most recently identified rights.
 Collective rights refer to those rights of people to be protected from attacks on
their group interest and identity. The most important collective right is the right to
self-determination.
Collective rights include;
Right to:
 self-determination
 Economic and social development,
 A health environment
 Natural resources
 Participation in cultural heritage and right to inter-generational equity and
sustainability.
*These rights though they are not legally binding they create a framework
for the enjoyment of all other rights.
Ways in which Human Rights are violated

1. Corporal punishment- a child who is beaten with a stick for committing an offense, e.g.
breaking school rules.
2. Child abuse – the ill treatment of a child which can take the form of physical or mental abuse.
3. Child labour-is the giving of a child work that is dangerous to the child.
4. Human trafficking- this is illegal transportation and selling of children within or outside a
country for prostitution, pornography, forced labour, crime and so on.
5. Gender based violence- is physical or emotional force involving males and females in which
the females are usually victims.
6. Forced marriages- this is when girls are forced by their parents to get married. Mostly girls
are dropped out from school just to get into marriage for the interest of their parents.
7. Arbitrary arrests-this is when people are arrested for wrong reasons or falsely.
Significance of human rights

 Human rights focus on the dignity of the human being. Dignity is honour, importance self-
esteem and respect that a human being is entitled to. Thus, each individual needs to
develop certain attitudes to promote human rights. These are;
 Respect for everyone’s life, their physical and mental integrity, freedom, property and
privacy.

 Taking up responsibility in society- for rights come with responsibilities especially
that of respecting other people’s rights.
 Respecting other people’s rights for they are protected by law and guaranteed by
international standards.
 Recognizing accountability and responsibility
TOPIC 5: CORRUPTION
What is corruption?
▪ Corruption is the giving of money, valuables or rendering of a service to someone in return for
a favour. It involves the abuse of public office and public resources for personal gain.
Forms of corruption
There are different forms of corruption and these include;
 Payment in kind: This is where one demands a favour for an action done.
 Cash payments and receipt: This is the most common form of corruption. It involves giving
or accepting money in return for a favour by a public officer.
 Commissions: Soliciting to be dubiously given a commission as an ‘appreciation fee’ for
awarding.
 Kick back: Involves the rendering of a service in return for a favour by a public officer.
 Loans and advances: This involves corrupt payments in form of a loan or an advance.
TYPES OF CORRUPTION
There are three Categories (types) of corruption. These are:
1. Petty corruption- this involves small payments. These payments are called bribes, commonly
known as nchekeleko (ndishamo) or give me a share as well. It is the widely practiced
corruption at road blocks.
2. Grand corruption- this involves huge amounts of money. It is usually practiced by high
ranking officials or institutions. For example, payment made for favours in awarding
government contracts, public appointments or privatization of government owned by assets or
companies.
3. Political corruption- this type of corruption is associated with the electoral process. It is
usually practiced by those contesting for political power, for example;  Donation of money
to influence the voter’s choice.
- Cash or material distribution to influence voters during election period.
- Provision of beer to influence voter’s choice.
- Provision of services such as electricity, water supply and road maintenance at a time of
election.
Causes of corruption
They are grouped into two main categories, these are;
Social causes- such as
▪ Leaders in key positions are not capable of inspiring and influencing conduct of the highest
moral standards.
▪ Personal greedy and dishonesty.
▪ Weak enforcement or absence of code of conduct.
▪ Punishment for offenders is weak.
▪ High poverty levels
▪ Large numbers of people compete for insufficient services like few school places.
Economic causes
 Shortage of goods and services.

 Unequal distribution of wealth and resources.
 Allocation of government loans and giving of tenders to some preferred individuals at the
exclusion of others.
 Low salaries and wages in comparison to the cost of living.
Other causes of corruption and related crimes are;

o Unnecessary long procedures (red-tape)- some procedures that officers are expected to follow
in work places may take too long making officers to take advantage of such delays to demand
kick-backs for fast action.
o Lack of political will- some government lack political will to deal with corruption.
o Lack of transparency and association- if the government lacks checks and balances, there is
mismanagement and misuse of public funds.
o Abuse of power- when there is too much concentration of power in the hands of an individual,
he/she may hinder proper investigation of corrupt practices.
o Lack of independent judiciary- as a result courts may not act independently on matters of
corruption if they are influenced by outside forces from the Executive.
o Public reaction- how the public views corruption plays an important role in fighting
corruption.
o Lack of press freedom- the media plays a vital role in exposing cases of corruption.
Effects of corruption.
▪ It makes those involved in it become rich at the expense of other citizens.
▪ Enables those who pay bribes to benefit in areas which without corruption they would not.
▪ Causes widespread bitterness among those who cannot pay or refuse to pay for favours when
they see those who pay bribes being favoured.
▪ Distorts standards because it enables those without expertise to win contracts.
▪ Interferes with the enforcement of the law and respect for the rule of law.
▪ Perpetuates human suffering through increasing poverty level of poor citizens.
Impact of corruption on the Zambian society

 Law enforcement agencies: Citizens may take the law in their own hands (vendettas and
instance justice) if the law enforcers are perceived to be compromised through corruption.
 Judicial system: Court records go missing in the courts of law. Outcomes in the justice system
do not depend on availability of evidence but amounts of bribes offered. Justice is denied to
the poor.
 The Electoral system: Due to Electoral malpractice, outcomes of the elections do not reflect
the decisions of the voters but the corrupt. In turn ushering into office people who are
incompetent and corrupt.
 Security of the nation: Due to corruption, foreigners acquire documents of National identity
such as passports and National Registration Cards (NRCs) that endanger the lives of many
Zambians.
 The Economy: Mostly witnessed through money laundering activities, tax evasion and tax
exemptions leading to economic instability hence pushing the general populace into abject
poverty.
 The Education system: Due to examination malpractices and conniving with enrolling officers
at Higher Institutions of Learning, undeserving candidates get admitted with fake
qualifications. Additionally, due to corruption in the training process, graduates are half-baked
and cannot meet the demands of their jobs leading to under development.
 Land Administration: Only those who are financially capable and connected to land
administrators acquire land. This has led to landlessness among many Zambians.

 Procurement of goods and services: Awarding of contracts in the procurement of goods and
services and contracts in general is in most cases marred by corruption. This has led to shoddy
works and shortages of goods and services in public institutions.
Institutions that fight against corruption in Zambia

1. Anti -Corruption Commission (ACC)
- It has a slogan “promote integrity, say no to corruption,” which enshrines the general fight
against corruption.
- They encourage everyone to join the fight by reporting any corrupt practices seen to the
commission.
Methods used by the ACC in the fight against corruption:

▪ Prevention- by undertaking necessary and effective measures to prevent corruption in public
and private sectors.
- It also make sure that any work, methods or procedures prone to corruption are revised
- To do this, there is a Commission Prevention Department (CPD) which conducts managerial
accountability workshops in both public and private sectors to set standards for accountability
within the institutions.
▪ Community education- the community is educated on matters relating to corruption such as
dangers and effects of corruption. This is done through the Commission’s Community
Relations Department (CRD).
- The department uses radio and television programmes, public lectures, workshops and many
more.
▪ Investigations and prosecution- these are involved in investigating complaints of suspected
corrupt practices and if evidence is found, prosecution follows.
2. Zambia National Procurement (ZNPA)

- This was formed to control the procurement and regulate the goods and services by the
government ministries, departments and parastatal organizations.
- It fights corruption by ensuring that the procedures in the procurement system are done in a
transparent/accountable manner.
3. Parliament
- Its major role is to make laws but it also refuses to sign appointments and promotions of
corrupt public officials including those in the Judiciary.
- It analyses the Auditor General’s report with regard to appropriation (expenditure) of funds by
various spending agencies. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is charged with this
responsibility.
4. Auditor General’s Office
- Its major responsibility is to ensure that public funds allocated by the parliament are used for
the intended purpose.
- It also audits accounts relating to the general revenue of the country and the expenditure of
monies apportioned by parliament.
- It also audits the Judicature, accounts relating to stock and stores of government and accounts
of state-owned enterprise and corporation.
5. Investigator General’s Office (Ombudsman)
 The IGO carries out investigations on a wide variety of complaints which include corruption
cases.
6. Anti-Money Laundering Unit (AMLU) of the DEC
The Act provides for the disclosure of information on the suspected personnel involved on money
laundering activities.
Other institutions are:-

 Civil Society fighting corruption include-

 Transparency International Zambia (TIZ)
 National Movement against Corruption (NAMAC)
 The media
 Foundation For Democratic Process (FODEP)
The role of public officers, community and the youth in fighting corruption
The role of the public officers in the fight against corruption

1. Adherence to set guidelines and regulations:
- It’s the duty of all public officers to obey the regulations and follow the guidelines of the
office or department where they work.
2. Reporting corruption:
- All public officers should report corruption to the relevant authorities.
3. Adherence to institutional and public service code of ethics:
- It’s a set of rules on how public officers should behave.
4. Sensitisation:
- To be sensitised to something, to be made aware of corruption, what it is and the harm it
does.
The role of the community in fighting corruption
 Report suspected cases of corruption:

Community needs to report all forms of corruption, no matter how small or big.
 Sensitisation:
- Community needs to keep each other sensitised and alert.
- They should attend Ant-Corruption workshops, read newspapers etc. Parents need to act as
role models.
 Advocacy for stronger laws:
- To advocate is campaign for and promote an important issue
- The community can push for stricter laws to make sure that corruption is punished, prevented
and dealt with.
The role of the youth in fighting corruption
▪ Reporting corruption:
▪ Always report all forms of corruption.
▪ Formation of Ant-Corruption clubs:
▪ Form and join Ant-Corruption club
▪ They focus on identifying corruption and reporting
TOPIC 6: CULTURAL STUDIES
Describe culture
 Culture refers to the whole way of life of a given people which includes their food, language,
taboos, festivals, values, beliefs and traditions.
 Culture can also be defined as the sum total of behaviour which people have learned over a period
of time and defines ways by which they do things.
 Culture is not something that one is born with but it is learnt.

Outline components of culture
 A component is a unit or a part of something. It is an element of the whole, for example, two legs
are a component of a human being because they are part of the whole human being.
There are eight major components of culture;
1. Language
o Language defines a cultural group even though the same language can be used in different
countries. It differentiates one culture from another.
o It reflects the nature and value of a culture.
o Language is not only spoken, it can also be unspoken. For example gestures are signs used to
express different things such as showing a fist as a sign of strength or violence.
o Language unites one group of people.
2. Religion
o Religious taboos, customs, ritual, dictate the behaviour of a given society.

o Religion can also dictate the type of food/ drink people take. For example, Hindus do not eat beef
because they believe that when a person dies some of them will be born in an animal.
o Devoted Catholics used not to eat meat on Good Friday, while devoted Muslims do not drink
alcohol.
3. Values and attitudes
o Values and attitudes constitute the value systems of any given society.
• A society value system guides people in what is considered right or wrong.

• It is the basis of society’s way of life.
• Most value systems are based on a society central religion.
4. Education
• Education is an important part of culture. Since culture is learned behaviour.
There are three types of learning that take place in a society:-
(a) Informal learning
o This is a type of learning in which a child learns by imitating the behaviour of its family
members/friends or by watching characters portrayed in the movies/films.
(b) Formal learning
o This is a type of learning in which adults teach young family members on how to behave in
certain situations. For example, Namwangas, Luvales, Lungus and other cultures teach a child
to kneel down when he/she is greeting/giving elders something as a form of respect.
(c) Technical learning
o This is a type of learning in which teachers instruct a child in an educational environment

about what should be done, how it should be done and why it should be done. It takes place in
a classroom.

5. Social organizations
o This is the way society organizes itself.

o It relates to how society defines relationships, social institutions such as marriage and status
system such as the role of a woman and children.
o The extended family system is a common social institution in African societies for it provides
mutual protection and social support on a daily basis.
6. Technology and material culture
o These refer to society’s ability to create, design and use things.

o Technology and material culture relates to the way society organizes its economic activities.
o Terms like this industrialized nations and developing nations like Zambia refer to different
technologies and cultures.
o Thus, we speak of being in the Stone Age when society used stone tools, Iron Age when iron
tools were used, but now we talk of computer age culture since computers are the means of
story of organizing, calculating etc.
o Developed countries have reached Space Age culture by designing the most modern
technology such as E-mail information.
7. Aesthetics
o This is a society’s perception of what is considered beauty in art and in persons.

o It dictates what is considered good taste, might be considered bad taste in another culture, e g
dressing in mini-skirts, tight trousers are acceptable in towns but condemned in villages in
Zambia.
8. Law and politics
o These are the rules and structures that regulate the behaviour of individuals.
o Legal rules attract punishment when broken.
o Laws protect members of the society to live peace and free from in-human treatment.
o The political system of a society defines the structure of government and who occupies
position in the structures.
o It also defines the roles and responsibilities of the leaders and the people led.
Law and
politics Language
Religion
Aesthetics MAIN COMPONENTS OF

Values
CULTURE
and
attitudes
Technology
and material Education
culture CIVIC EDUCATION NOTES c
Social
organisation
Characteristics of culture
The following are the characteristics of culture or special features of culture:
Culture is dynamic: Culture changes with time; it is not constant. For example, the use of cellphones
has been accepted as part Zambian way of life and yet these were not there a long time ago. However,
there is a great debate on gender balance.
Culture is learnt: it is passed on from generation to generation. It is taught to an individual by society

in which by the society in which an individual is born. The way to speak, what and how to eat, how to
relate to others and what to believe in are taught.
Culture is cumulative: new things in new generations can be discovered and added to the existing
culture. Owing to this cumulative effect, most high school learners are familiar with mathematical
insights and solutions that ancient Greeks like Archimedes and Pythagoras struggled to discover in the
world.
Culture is comprehensive: since culture is the sum total of society’s way of life, it is therefore
comprehensive.
Culture is based on symbols: in order for culture to be transmitted successfully from one person to the
next, the system of symbols is created that translates the ideals of culture to members this may be done
through language, art, money and religion.
Culture is shared: members of society share a set of ideals, values and standard behaviour this set of
ideals is what give meaning to their lives and what bonds them together as culture.
Culture is integrated: in order to keep culture functioning, all its aspects must be integrated. For
example the language should be able to describe all the functions within the culture in order for ideals
and ideas to be transmitted from one generation to the next.
People are not aware of their culture until they come into contact with other cultures. They only
realise that their pattern of behaviour are universal when they come into contact with people from
other culture.
People do not know all their culture: no one knows everything about their culture. It is not possible
for one to know everything about their culture.
Culture gives a society a range of permissible behaviour patterns. Cultures commonly allow a
range of ways in which men and women can be who they are.
Cultures no longer exist in isolation: there is no society that can exist in isolation, thus languages and
indigenous patterns are being replaced rapidly.
The importance of culture

The fact that culture is part of us, it is important to study it due to the following reasons:
o It reinforces ones’ identity and ability to critically reflect on that identity. This allows one to
develop and interact with others, thus, bringing mutual understanding between societies and
peoples.
o It is important for the identity of the society. Since culture includes language, music, dances,
festivals, rituals and traditional craftsmanship, cultural heritage brings identity of a society. In
times of need songs, art works, and texts can bring hope and comfort which reinforces cultural and
self-awareness.
o Learning about culture brings about development. If culture is interpreted as a whole of
beliefs, habits and customs of a society, then it is a foundation of development. Economic
development without roots in culture can never result in sustainable development. Thus, the
importance of culture. It is a goal, a part of the daily reality and a vital factor in development of the
people.
o Everywhere, the impact of culture on individuals and community development are being
measured, studied and rediscovered. There is keen interest in the relationship between arts and
culture, and the economic and social development of our communities.
o According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), article 27, affirms every
human being to freely participate in the cultural life of one’s country.
Types of culture
There are ten types of culture and these include:
1. Mass culture
o This culture is produced from machines and consumed on large scale, for example, record
industry, television and video tapes or cassettes.
o It is also spread through electronic media and other types of high technology. Thus, many
children learn new behaviour that their parents did not know through this culture.
2. Popular culture
o This is a product of changing needs and innovation of people’s lives, hence it is short lived.
o This culture is seen among the youth who have new music, fashion among others in
entertainment.
3. Folk culture
o Also known as residual culture (remains of the past).

o The past is revived from elements of the forgotten past due to nostalgic tastes
o Nostalgic tastes is a desire of what used to be done in the past
o This culture is seen on the influences of technological changes on old traditions. For example,
playing old music on the national television.
4. Synthetic culture

o This is also called artificial culture which has mainly destroyed cultural identities of
developing countries like Zambia who adopt Western culture
o Indigenous culture has only been preserved as a tourist attraction to earn money as foreign
exchange.
o This foreign culture is consumed mainly in form of films, television and radio. Above all,
Western culture due to its high technological advances, it is admired and enjoyed by many.
o An important aspect of this culture is consumerism (popular consumption). Through adverts,
people are made to buy and own products such as soap food and modern items like cell
phones, televisions and radios.
o This leads to importing than to using local products.
5. Idea culture
o Refers to some kind of aspiration of where people would love to be. For example, every
society views itself in a positive way and has the highest virtues and standards it aspires to be.
o In this regard, people in many cultures would describe their culture in ideal terms and not what
is in reality. Ideals are not realised every day. For example, Zambia was described as a
Christian nation but in reality its people do not live as Christians.
6. Real culture
o It refers to the real behaviour of people in a society.

o This is the actual culture practiced in a given society. For example, sleeping at a funeral until
burial is Zambia’s real culture.
7. Sub – culture
o This is the way of life or behaviour which a small group of individuals belonging to the same
culture may portray.
o Sub- culture may arise due to different occupations in society which results in variations in
power and prestige. For example, within the same cultural group, people with little education
will behave differently from the well educated in society. Between the two groups, there will
be differences in the way they dress, speak, play and will have different beliefs.
o In reality the rich and the well- educated may form an ‟elite culture" which is assumed to be
expensive.
8. Counter culture
o This refers to the behavioural patterns, and life styles shown by a group of people that are
exposed to the generally accepted standard of behaviour in society. A group of street kids and
unemployed youths will have their own way of talking, their leisure and behaviour, different
from the larger society.
o Therefore, their behaviour will would constitute a counter culture of the general society, which
is a form of social rebellion.
9. Cultural heterogeneity
o This refers to a society that contains a variety of groups of different races, beliefs, religions
and nationalities.
o The republic of South Africa is one of such a culture. It has a slogan of „‟Rainbow Nation‟‟,
to emphasise on the diversities of cultures found there. This promote Pluralism which unifies
recognizes and respects the contributions of different cultures to the entire society.

10. Cultural homogeneity
o This is a common culture of people of a similar race, beliefs, religion and nationality. For
example, the North African Arabic Countries like Tunisia and Libya are the same race, share
the same religion and nationality, thus, are classified as homogeneous.
Zambia’s Societal core Values
Core means essential or very important while value means the quality of being useful.
Therefore, core values are shared values which are practiced in all societies in the world.
The following are Zambia’s core values:
o Obedience to authority; recognising and obeying those in power.

o Tolerance to other people’s view; allowing the opinions of others to prevail.
o Mutual respect; treating each other with consideration.
o Respect to privacy; everyone requires sometime to be on their own.
o Peaceful resolution of conflict such as litigation, dialogue, counselling among
o Honest; the quality of telling the truth
o Freedom of expression as long as the expression does not injure the other person.
o Belief in the equal worthiness of all human beings.
o Integrity; the quality of being honest and upright.
o Social justice; treating any person fairly regardless of race, sex and tribe
o Co-operation; working together for the common goal.
o Love; the feeling of great affection for the other person
o Loyalty; faithfulness and truthfulness to people or groups or organisations
o Peace; not only absence of war but freedom from any form of disturbance or disorder
o Trust; reliance on the truth
o Attainment of set goals: belief in personal success in whatever one does.
o Hard work; the belief in the value and nobility of work as a working human understanding
o Nationalism extreme pride of one’s country or loyalty to the country: a person can do
anything for the country such as carrying the flag everywhere.
o Patriotism; love and loyalty to ones‟ country and willingness to take part in its protection and
development
o Efficiency and practicality: belief in achieving an end with a least cost waste in the shortest
time possible.
o Material comfort: equal distribution of wealth throughout the country to satisfy the needs of
the people.
o Scientific advancement: the belief in science and technology as tools for making progress to
secure material comfort and solving society’s problems.
o Individualism: an art of concentration of one’s welfare at the expense of others.
Cultural practices in Zambia
The ethnic groups in Zambia share the following cultural practices
o Respect for elders; a belief that everyone older than oneself should be accorded respect in
speech and treatment regardless of status, race or blood relation. Young people are supposed to
kneel when speaking to elders.
o Extended family system: the Zambian culture advocates for the family system by keeping as
many relatives as possible in addition to one’s own nuclear family. In an event of both parents
dying, the children would be taken to a family member.

o Rites of passage: they are rituals that one undergoes to mark an important change in a
person’s position in society. They include such rituals as the naming of a newly born baby,
initiation, marriage, death and after death ceremonies.
Initiation rituals
 Nkolola
 Siyeke (Sikenge)
 Cisungu
 Mukanda
 Marriage rituals
 Matebeto
 Cilanga mulilo
Death rituals
 Kupuzo-Ya-Bafu
 Mweesyo
 Isambo Lyamfwa
 Ukupyana
 Ubwalwa Bwe Shinda
o Traditional ceremonies: many traditional ceremonies are held to celebrate past events.
Other functions of traditional ceremonies include:
 Expressing, reflecting and reinforcing cultural relationships and virtues.

 Observing certain rituals.
 Communicating important cultural themes through the use of special forms of language, music
and dance
 Connection to the ancestors
 Providing oral history of settlement, patterns or migration.
 Reconciling inter – group conflict for peaceful co – existence.
 Assertion of local traditional leadership.
 Displaying symbols of ethnic citizenship or sense of belonging to ethnic groupings
Types of traditional ceremonies
Harvest festivals
Commemorative ceremonies focusing on honouring the dad, migration

histories
Religious festivals
Ceremonies for small intimate groups such as boys or girls when these come of age.
Ceremonies which move with rhythm of nature
Traditional ceremonies practiced in Zambia
▪ Kuomboka Ceremony of the Lozi people

▪ Umutomboko Ceremony of the Lunda people of Luapula
▪ Ukusefya pa Ng’wena Ceremony of the Bemba people
▪ Likumbi Lya Mize of the Luvale people
▪ Mabadao ceremony of the Tumbuka people
▪ Kulamba ceremony of the Nsenga people
▪ Kulamba Kubwalo ceremony of the Lenje people
▪ Shimunenga ceremony of the Illa people

▪ Malaila ceremony of the Kunda people
▪ Lwiindi ceremony of the Tonga people
▪ Nc’wala ceremony of the Ngoni people
▪ Ibwela Mushi ceremony of the Biswalala people
▪ Chinamanongo ceremony of the Bisa of Mpika
Factors that affect the appreciation of cultural diversity in Zambia
Cultural diversity in Zambia
 Zambia has heterogeneous culture in terms of race, religion, language, tradition and customs.
There are a lot of common cultural practices among the seventy – three ethnic groups in
Zambia. Therefore, in order to appreciate cultural diversity that exists in Zambia, we should
be mindful of certain aspects that affect cultural diversity negatively. Such are the following:
1. Stereotyping
This is an ever generalized and pre – conceived ideas or impression of what characterises
someone.
Stereotyping is treating someone badly just because he or she is different from you. One may
judge an individual on the basis of how one perceives the whole ethnic group.
In Zambia for example, there is stereotyping. Some ethnic groups are labelled as thieves,
others stingy, others are backward and others tribal.
2. Prejudice
This is biased opinion based on insufficient knowledge or hostility towards particular racial,
religious or ethnic groups.
It is the practice of thinking badly about someone because he or she is different from you.
It is illogical, irrational, hatred, and suspicious of particular group.
Sometimes it can be based on gender, age, place of residence or even occupation.
Prejudice and stereotyping lead to discrimination and conflict in society.
If not checked it can lead to serious civil war, for example, the Rwanda genocide and Burundi
civil wars.
3. Ethnocentrism
This comes from the word „ethnocentric‟, which is the belief that one’s‟ own cultural
traditional group or racial group is superior to all others.
If other cultures are not like one’s own culture then, they are regarded as inferior.
People tend to view the custom of others in light with their own beliefs and values.
Ethnocentrism is also a belief that one’s way of life is best and others are judged by their
standard.
Ethnocentrism is a form of discrimination and leads to serious conflict even civil war. The
Rwanda 1994 genocide is such a good example.
4. Cultural relativism
This is a belief that each cultural group has the right to its own culture even if the culture does
not please you.
But such cultural practices should not violet individual basic human rights and freedom.
Cultural diversity is the absence of direct and indirect discrimination in all areas of life.
Global culture
o Global culture is the sharing of cultures across countries.

o The agents of global culture (cultural imperialism) are technology, mixing of cultures,
tourism and trade.
 Cultural imperialism: is the practice of promoting a more powerful culture over a
lesser-known or smaller culture.
o An example of global culture is reggae music, which is popular across many different
continents.
o This increased contact between countries and cultures gave rise tov the term ‘global
village’
 Global village means that the world is regarded as single community linked by
telecommunication systems.
 Cultural imperialism can be seen in the availability of goods, policies, international
laws, and attitudes and values that imposed on cultures across the globe.
Agents of global culture
1. Technology
o Mass media such as the TV, internet, newspaper, radio and film play a big role in promoting a
global culture
o Laptops, iPads, tablets, notebooks, and smartphones allow for instant communication and can
be used anywhere.
o However, technology may bring to our culture. For example, easy access to foreign films and
DVDs, as well as TV programes that show violence, leads to spreading the culture of violence.
2. Mixing cultures
 With improved and cheaper transport, people can be move easily from one country to
another.
 In addition, wars and droughts, and the search for employment, lead to people move
from one country to another.
 However, this trend brings about mixing cultures, and members of different cultures
falling in love, marrying and having children.
3. Tourism
 As people travel to different countries and spend time there, they learn more about the
local’s cultures.
 Cultural tourism is gaining in popularity. This is tourism with the aim of learning more
about other cultures.
 It includes attending cultural events, learning local languages, wearing local attire and
eating local food.
4. Trade
 When people look for job opportunities, they do global job searches on the internet.
There’s a constant movement of people across the globe as they take up job offers in
different countries.
 However, this leads to sharing of cultures between countries.
 Although increased trade may bring job offers, some multinational may not respect the
local cultures or the continue survival of these cultures.
Institutions that preserve cultural heritage in Zambia

(a) Museums- the national museums board administers these. Museums are responsible for
Collection of artifacts.
i. Lusaka National museum
o It was opened in 1962
o It focuses on ethnography, art, archaeology and history as a way of telling the story of Zambia.
ii. Copperbelt Museum in Ndola
o It was established in 1996
o It displays cultural, geographic and historical items
iii. Moto moto museum in Mbala
o It contains huge collection of articles related to Zambian culture and folklore.
iv. Livingstone museum
o It’s the oldest and largest museum of the four national museums in Zambia
o This Museum houses a collection of items that used to belong to the explore David
Livingstone.
(b) National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC) - administers immovable heritage
such as sites and monuments.
(c) National Arts Council-
o It promotes artistic and intellectual creativity and art education.
o It recognises that freedom of opinion and expression is essential for reactive activities of artists
and intellectuals alike.
(d) International Cultural Cooperation
The colonial authorities regardless of cultural and ethnic realities arbitrarily drew up the
geographical international boarders of Zambia.
Zambia acknowledges that international cultural exchanges and encounters contribute to the
promotion of global peace, respect, mutual understanding and cooperation.
Zambia is a member of the following multilateral cultural organisations;
o United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)
o Southern African Development Community (SADC)
o International Centre for Bantu Civilisation (CICIBA)
o World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)
o Southern African Development Community Association of Museums (SADCAM)
o World Crafts Council (WCC)
o International Council of Museums (ICOM)
o International Theatre Institute (ITI)
TOPIC 7: SUBSTANCE ABUSE

 Substance abuse is the taking something often that the body does not need and for
wrong reasons. For example, taking medicine when one is not sick is substance abuse.
Types of substances often abused by people.

Substances fall into two major categories:
Over-the- counter substances and controlled substances.

i. Over the counter substances
 These are substances that can be easily bought over the counter such
as panadol and aspirin. One can buy these medicines of without a
prescription.
ii. Controlled substances:
 These are substances which can only be obtained if one has a
prescription or special authorization.
 They can be dangerous if not used properly. Examples of such
medicines are valium (diazepam), morphine, mandrax, cocaine,
pethidine and marijuana.
Classification of substances according to their chemical structure, or

effects on the user
The following are some of the examples:
1. Depressants:
 These are substances that slow down the action of the central nervous
system.
 They are sometimes called sedatives or hypnotics. Alcohol and
mandrax are the examples of depressant drugs.
 When taken in small amounts decreases awareness and tension.
 If taken in large amounts, they can lead into deep unconsciousness
which may result in death.
2. Stimulants:
 This stimulates the central nervous system.
 They speed up the body processes.
 The most common are caffeine which is found in coffee, coca cola, and
chocolate and diet pills.
 Other stimulants include cocaine and nicotine. If stimulants are taken in large
amounts, they become depressants and they slow down the central nervous
system.
3. Hallucinogens:
 Are substances that distort the way the brain translates impulses or the
messages from the sensory organs, producing perceptual changes.
 Distortion makes the brain change massages about something real producing
an illusion. The brain also produces images which do not exist in reality called
hallucinations. Cocaine, magic mushrooms ecstasy are good examples.
4. Narcotics or Opiates:
 These are substances that make senses dull and relieve pain by depressing the
cerebral cortex.
 The cerebral cortex is the outer layer of the brain responsible for
consciousness including perception, memory and learning.
 These substances affect the thalamus which is the body’s mood regulating
center
 Narcotics are mainly derived from the opium poppy plant. They include raw
opium, pethidine, marijuana, morphine, heroine methadone and codeine.
5. Inhalants or solvents:
 They are substances that are normally sniffed.
 These are substances found in household products such as glue, deodorants
like perfume spray and fuel gases. Once inhaled, the capillaries to the surface
of the lungs allow rapid absorption of the substance.
 It enters the brain at a very fast rate; intoxicating effects are very high.
Substances and their effects

a) Alcohol
 Alcohol is also taken for medicinal purposes for many medicines contain
alcohol in small percentages.
 Alcohol is abused when one takes too much and often.
 An alcoholic is a person who is addicted to alcohol beverages like beer.
 Alcoholism is a dangerous and severe condition caused by physical
dependence on alcohol. It can destroy physical and mental health. The
strength of any alcoholic beverages depend on the percentage concentration of
a chemical known as ethanol per given volume.
Note: If the beverage has a higher percentage of ethanol per volume, then a
drink is more potent.
Effects of alcohol
 Increases blood pressure and heart problems.
 Causes violent behaviour
 Negatively affects the brain
 Causes cirrhosis; diseases of the liver: the liver becomes fatty and enlarged causing inflammation.
This causes loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort and death, makes one.
 Distort understanding of time and space and affects the sight causing one having double or
multiple vision.
 Causes withdrawal conditions called Delirium tremens
b) Tobacco
 It contains Nicotine, Tar and Carbon Monoxide which are harmful to the
body.
 When a person smokes these substances, they enter the blood stream and
lungs.
 It acts as a stimulant and speeds up the transmission of nerve impulses if
taken in small dose. If taken in large doses, it slows nerve impulses resulting
in reduction of heart beat. Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas that affects the
blood’s ability to carry oxygen around the body. It also affects the action of
the cilia (hair).
 It contains substances that cause cancer.
Effects of smoking
 Bronchitis
 Emphysema; lung disease which affects breathing
 Heart diseases; nicotine increases heartbeat which wears down the heart
 Cancer; 90% of deaths from cancer are due to cancer caused by smoking)  Blood
clots and stomach Ulcers.
 Damage to the unborn baby.
 Shortness of breath.
 Colds, flu and other infection.
 Non – smokers inhale smoke which makes them passive smokers.
 Deforestation due massive cutting of tree used as firewood in curing tobacco
c) Effects of Inhalants
 High blood pressure
 Headaches, stuttered speech and loss of motor co-ordination
 Rush around the nose and mouth.
 Violent behaviour.
 Unpredictable behaviour.
 Memory impairments.

 Abnormalities of the liver and kidney.
 Red, glassy watery eyes.
 Distorts understanding of time and space.
d) Drugs
 A drug is any substance which changes the chemistry of the body and affects the
natural balance of the mind and the emotions.
 Drugs can either be natural or synthetic chemicals
 Natural drugs are those found in certain plants such as Caffeine in coffee,
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), found in cannabis and nicotine in tobacco.
 Synthetic drugs are manufactured drugs such as Panadol and Asprin.
1. Cannabis:
 This is a hard brown material or herbal mixture that comes from a
cannabis plant and it is an illegal plant in Zambia. It is locally known
as icamba.
Three forms of Cannabis

a) Marijuana: this comes from the dried leaves, flowers or stems of the
cannabis plant. It has a concentration of delta – 9 –
tetrahydrocannibinol (THC) of about 0 – 12 %.
b) Hashish: this is made from the stick of the plant. It contains 12 – 18
% of THC.
c) Hashish Oil: made from compressing hashish to produce oil using
solvent. Concentration of THC is about 18 – 25 % and it’s more
potent than the rest.
Effects of cannabis
 Makes the user feel exhausted.
 Makes one have high appetite for food
 Affects the memory, concentration and co – ordination.
 Affects the reproductive system by reducing the sperm count in males and irregular
menstrual cycles in females.
 Causes cancer.
 Makes the user paranoid and anxious
 Makes the user to be talkative.
2. Heroin
 It is a brown or white speckled powder made from juice extract from unripe capsules of
opium poppy plants.
 Heroin is formed through a chemical process of modifying morphine known as
acetylation.
 Morphine is used to ease severe pain; however, it is very dangerous when not used
properly.
 Heroine is taken mainly by smoking, sniffing injecting into the veins. The street names for
heroine are brown sugar, smack, skag, horse.
Effects of heroine
 Causes death due to over doze.
 Irregular menstrual periods in women.
 Damages the heart and the kidneys.
 Causes mood swings.
 Causes depression.
 Loss of appetite.
 Distorts the understanding of things.
 Disturbs the pattern of nerve, activity.
3. Cocaine
 Cocaine is a white powder made from the leaves of a coca plant.
 The leaves of coca plant when chewed can relieve fatigue and hunger. Cocaine can be smoked or
injected in the blood.
 It can also be orally taken by mixing with a liquid or in a capsule form.
 Coca cola is said to have contained very small amounts of cocaine before it was removed in 1903.
 The street names for cocaine are coke, Charlie, snow lady and dust.
Effects of cocaine
 Dry mouth.
 Sweating.
 Severe weight loss.
 Indigestion.
 Exhaustion and lack of sleep (Insomnia).
 Transmission of HIV/ AIDS through the sharing of needles.
 Death due to overdose.
 Irregular menstrual circle in women.
 Heart and blood circulation problems.
 Over alertness and elevation of mood.
Reason for substance abuse

Curiosity: a situation where one wants to taste and experience how it feels. This is done by
young people who are keen to be adventurous and experiment things for themselves.
Peer pressure: some young people end up using substances because they want to do what their
friends are doing.
Ignorance: some people take substances because they are not aware of the effects of which it
may be too late when they realise it. Damage would have been done.
Stress: sometimes people take substances because of stress, and they feel that drugs can
console them. Stress can result from death loved ones, divorce and failure of an examination.
Availability of substances: substances are readily available at the market. Substances such as
solvents (glue, tipex and methylated spirit). Also, alcoholic beverages are sold on the market.
Alienation: when a person feels isolated, fights to find a group to belong to especially those
who are also isolated. Such a person may like to be in a group where substances being abused.
Street kids and teenagers are examples.
Unemployment: many young people are unable to find jobs despite being qualified. Such
people resort to substances.
Lack of recreation activities: many people have nowhere to spend their leisure time due to
lack of recreational facilities, substance abuse becomes leisure to them.
Enhancement of self-confidence and performance: some people believe that taking certain
drugs may help them improve their self-confidence and performance in sports, sexual
intercourse, examination and other activities.
Signs and symptoms of substance abuse

o Sudden change in personality.
o Unusual mood swing.
o Decline in school performance.
o Spending more time away from home and school.
o Theft and over borrowing of money.
o Heavy use of perfumes to disguise the smell of substance.
o Loss of appetite.
o Wearing of sunglasses to disguise ones appearance.
o Possession of certain materials such as straws, pill boxes, needles, glass bottles.

How to avoid substances abuse
- Say NO THANK YOU! When somebody gives you a substance or drug.
- Giving a reason or excuse
- Changing the subject
- Walking away
- Avoid the situations where substances are abused
- Associate with non-users of substances
- Keeping one-self busy.
Dependence on substances
o When someone entirely depends on substances, the situation is called addiction or
dependence.
o Substance dependence can either take physical or psychological form.
o Physical dependence is when one tries to withdraw using a substance but faces physical
effects such as shaking and poor co-ordination.
o Psychological dependence is where one experiences anxiety and depression due to
withdraw of abused substance.
o Some substance users may only feel the effect when they take larger doses of the
substance. These users have reached the drug tolerance levels.
Impact of substance abuse on society Individual level
An abuser of a substance is likely to have health problems resulting from the
effects of the substance taken.
Owing to poor health, the victims may affect working and studying culture.
The victim may not have support from his or her loved ones.
Due to overdependence, the abuser may be speeding a lot on substances.
Family level:
o Substance abusers may tend to ignore their families as they only care about having
the substance.
o As a result they tend to have a lot of credit and stealing from their families and
friends. Hence, their families are affected.
o This teaches young ones in the family to start abusing themselves also.
Community and national levels:

o Some substance abusers end up committing crimes like murder and robbery to acquire money
for the substance.
o Others may be involved in prostitution and drug trafficking. These illegal activities have a
negative effect on the community and the nation at large.
o The spread of HIV and AIDS is likely to be very high among substance abusers due to risk of
behaviour such as unprotected sex, and sharing of needles.
o The abuser when sick the all nation and community is affected.
o It causes accidents and violent behaviour such as GBV.
International level:
o Drug trafficking is a major international problem. It refers to the manufacturing and selling
of illegal drugs.
o Money laundering is common in drug trafficking for example, some drug traffickers use
money obtained illegally to destabilise governments through corruption, violence and
buying votes.
o Money laundering affects the economy of the nation by causing inflation.

o Therefore, the substance abuse has negatively affected societies at international level due
to drug trafficking and money laundering.
Role of the community in combating substance abuse

Abolishing of the cultivating of drug crops like marijuana and opium. The government
musts come in to make sure that no one is cultivating such crops.
Educating the people on the bad effects of substance effects, and the need to control the
use of these substances anyhow.
Taking keen interest in one’s community; people should love their community and identify
the signs and symptoms of substance abuse, and report to the institutions concerned with
such issues.
Employment: the government and community at large should provide a wide range of
employment opportunities to discourage unemployed people from substance abuse.
Changing people’s attitude towards substance abuse; through entertainment such as
poems, drama and debate.
Establishing groups and clubs; this may include anti – drug abuse club and community
rehabilitation centres which control substance abuse.
Measures used to control and fight substance abuse in Zambia

 Government has enacted the law under Act No 37 of 1993 to prohibit trafficking,
exporting, possessing, cultivating, manufacturing and use of Narcotics and psychotropic
substances
 The public is sensitised on the dangers of substances abuse and the legal implication. Drug
abuse is liable for punishment for a period not exceeding ten (10) years if found guilty.
 The government of Zambia also works with other countries to exchange information on
drug trafficking and related crime in order to arrest offenders. Institutions involved in
fighting substance abuse in Zambia
 In 1989, the government established the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC).
 This is a government department charged with the responsibility of curbing substance
abuse.
 This commission has offices in all the provinces in Zambia with a National Education
Campaign Division. The division is responsible for dissemination of information intended
to sensitise the public on the effects of drug abuse.
 The department also works with Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs) and other
government departments to rehabilitate victims of substance abuse.
Some NGOs involved are:
 Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia (PPAZ)
 Youth Alive o Young Women’s Christian Association (YMCA)
 Society for Family Health (SFH); Churches
 Sports in Action (SIA)

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CIVIC

 A constitution is a body of fundamental principles according to which a country is governed

There are only two types of constitution namely;

Merits of written constitution

Demerits of written constitutions

Merits of unwritten constitution

Demerits of unwritten constitution

Note: written or unwritten constitution can either be flexible or rigid constitution.

THE STRUCTURE (PARTS) AND THE CONTENT OF THE ZAMBIAN CONSTITUTION

CIVIC EDUCATION NOTES c

PAR TITLE CONTENT

13 Chiefs and House  Institutions of Chiefs, House of Chiefs, functions powers

The history of constitution making process in Zambia

CIVIC EDUCATION NOTES c

CONSTITUTION APPOINTED YEAR MAJOR RECOMMENDATION

4. Mung’omba Constitutional Review Mwanawasa 2005 50% +1 presidential winning

Process of Constitution making and adoption.

o This means the process of approving the copy of a draft constitution.

There are three methods of adopting the constitution, these are;

CIVIC EDUCATION NOTES c

A good constitution must be:

Importance of a constitution to a nation.

A constitution is important because it;-

 Protects and promotes the rule of people.

TOPIC 2: GOVERNANCE SYSTEM IN ZAMBIA

Characteristics of good and bad governance

 Good governance means a government which is an authority is legitimate, competent,

GOOD GOVERNANCE DAD GOVERNANCE

CIVIC EDUCATION NOTES c

Different electoral systems practiced in the world

ELECTORAL SYSTEMS FEATURES

Elections are important because they:

 Oblige candidate to explain to the citizens why they should be elected.

Characteristics of elections in good governance.

Elections must be:-

CIVIC EDUCATION NOTES c

Zambia’s electoral system.

Legislation (legal framework)

CIVIC EDUCATION NOTES c

Local government system in Zambia.

The duties performed by natives included the;

Reasons for the 1980 decentralization were;

CIVIC EDUCATION NOTES c

Functions of local councils are;

Providing clean and safe water.

The role of traditional leaders in governance.

 House of chiefs is a forum through which traditional leaders participate in governance.

Functions of the house of chiefs include;

 Discuss bills affecting customs and traditions.

Problems faced by the house of chiefs;

 It has no real influence on issues of governance and development.

CIVIC EDUCATION NOTES c

Legal and moral aspect of Citizenship

Examples of legal rights

CIVIC EDUCATION NOTES c

How good morality is shown:

The kinds of Citizenship

Types of naturalized citizenship

CIVIC EDUCATION NOTES c