UNIT 1 THE LAW OF CITIZENSHIP IN ZAMBIA

1.1What is Citizenship?
In its simplest meaning citizenship is used to refer to the status of being a
member of a particular community or state.
However Citizenship is not as straight-forward as merely having a passport or a
National registration card from a specific country.
Citizenship involves rights and obligations on both the part of the citizen and on
the part of the state.
Citizenship is a relationship that exists between the individual and the state.
While citizens’ rights are closely connected to human rights, there are also
distinct differences. Additionally, citizens’ rights and citizenship, are closely
related to the notion of democracy and governance.
Citizenship is not something that can be sometimes granted and taken away by
the state easily.
In a broader sense, citizenship is about an identity we will discover and
internalized ethic of responsibility.
1.2 Citizens’ Rights and Responsibilities
Citizenship is a ‘social contract’ between the state and the individual.
This means that there is a widely accepted agreement among citizens of what
the rights and responsibilities of the state and citizens are to each other.
Citizen’s rights have come to include the right to:
• Own property
• Have freedom of speech and association;
• Vote and /or participate in electoral or governance processes;
• Have a minimum standard of living;
• Gain protection of the law;
• Have the right to fair trial;
• Access to public services; and
• Right to free movement
 1.3 Citizen’s responsibilities include the obligations to:
• Pay taxes and other legally imposed levies ;
• Obey laws and behave in a socially acceptable way;
• Respect the needs of others;
• Uphold individual and group rights;
• Protect the environment and natural world ; and
Play an active part in citizenship i.e local community and wider involvement in
national services
 1.4 Where are the citizen’s rights enshrined?
 Citizens’ right can most easily be found in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights of
a state.
 The Constitution or Bill of Rights of each country aims to uphold the rights of its
citizens.
 An overview of constitution has been described as:
-a mirror reflecting the national soul,
-the identification of the ideals and aspirations of a nation;
the articulation of the values binding its people and disciplining its government .
 1.5 Changes and challenges to citizenship
 Citizenship, both as an idea and a practice, is evolving and changing.
 The most notable challenges to citizenship are coming from what people have
broadly called ‘globalisation’, a term used to describe an increasing
interconnectedness between individuals, organisations, groups, and states.
Fuelling and facilitating these interconnections are the advance in technology,
specifically, information and communication technology.

 These technological advances are challenging many aspects of citizens’ lives,

particularly how individuals are communicating with each other and how
individuals and groups are increasingly identifying with other people outside of
their national boundaries.
 It is becoming apparent that citizens can be powerful force trans-nationally, by
participating in civil society groups and networks to attempt to influence change
at ‘global’ level.
 In exercising their citizens rights to question their own government, citizens can
also try to influence decisions made outside of their state boundaries .
 1.6 Citizenship in practice
 As we discussed in the previous slides, citizenship has rights and responsibilities
 it, is more than just a legal status.
 It is also a way of thinking, behaving and interacting with others in the community
and society.