The politics of Zambia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president of Zambia is head of state, head of government and leader of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government, while legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. Formerly Northern Rhodesia, Zambia became a republic immediately upon attaining independence in October 1964.
The Zambian Defence Force is the military of Zambia. It consists of the Zambian Army, the Zambian Air Force, and the Zambia National Service. The defence forces were formed at Zambian independence on 24 October 1964, from constituent units of the dissolved Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland Armed Forces. During the 1970s and 1980s, it played a key role in a number of regional conflicts, namely the South African Border War and Rhodesian Bush War. Being a landlocked country Zambia has no navy, although the Zambian Army maintains a maritime patrol unit for maintaining security on inland bodies of water.
Hakainde Hichilema is a Zambian businessman, farmer, and politician who is the seventh and current president of Zambia since 24 August 2021. After having contested five previous elections in 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015 and 2016, he won the 2021 presidential election with 59.02% of the vote. He has led the United Party for National Development since 2006 following the death of the party founder Anderson Mazoka.
Peter Zuze Air Force Base is an airbase located in the city of Ndola in the Copperbelt Province in northern Zambia. It used to be the premises of the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport until late 2021, when Ndola's airport moved its operations 15 km (9.3 mi) to the west and this old airport address ceased to be a commercial airport. It now belongs to the Zambian Air Force.
Given Lubinda is a Zambian politician who served in the Cabinet of Zambia as Minister of Justice. He is a former Member of Parliament for the National Assembly of Zambia for Kabwata Constituency in Lusaka. He was first elected as Kabwata MP in 2001 under the UPND ticket and was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2013. Following the retirement of Edgar Lungu from active politics after the 2021 election, Given Lubinda was the acting president of the former ruling party, the Patriotic Front. However, Edgar Lungu returned to active politics in October 2023 and he was handed back the Patriotic Front presidency, with Given Lubinda being appointed as the party's vice-president, a position he held before Lungu's retirement after the 2021 election. Lubinda is of mixed-race parentage. He is known as an outspoken politician.
Guy Lindsay Scott is a Zambian politician, who served as acting President of Zambia from 2014 to 2015, and was the Vice President from 2011 to 2014.
The Zambia Air Force (ZAF) is the air force of Zambia and the air operations element of the Zambian Defence Force. Following the creation of the Republic of Zambia in 1964, the former Northern Rhodesia Air Force was renamed as the Zambia Air Force.
Catherine Namugala a Zambian politician. She was the First Deputy Speaker of the Zambian Parliament until 2021. She was nominated to that position by President Edgar Lungu, on 18 September 2016. She is the former Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources in the Zambian Cabinet. She also served as the Member of Parliament (MP), representing Mafinga in the Zambian Parliament from 2001 until 2016.
Margaret Mhango Mwanakatwe is a Zambian politician who was the Minister of Finance from 14 February 2018 to 14 July 2019. She worked previously as a businesswoman, accountant, and bank executive. She was the director for business development in Anglophone Africa at the United Bank for Africa at the bank's headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria. In this role, she supervised business development in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Before that, she served as the managing director and chief executive officer of the United Bank for Africa Uganda Limited from March 2009 until May 2011.
Chishimba Kambwili is a former member of the National Assembly of Zambia for Roan Constituency in Luanshya District. He has also held several posts in the cabinet. He is the former leader of the National Democratic Congress.
Presidential elections were held in Zambia on 20 January 2015 to elect a president to serve the remainder of the term of President Michael Sata, following his death on 28 October 2014.
General elections were held in Zambia on 11 August 2016 to elect the President and National Assembly. A constitutional referendum was held alongside the elections, with proposals to amend the bill of rights and Article 79.
Edgar Chagwa Lungu is a Zambian politician who served as the sixth president of Zambia from 26 January 2015 to 24 August 2021. Under President Michael Sata, Lungu served as Minister of Justice and Minister of Defence. Following Sata's death in October 2014, Lungu was adopted as the candidate of the Patriotic Front in a Convention of the Patriotic Front in Kabwe, for the January 2015 presidential by-election, which was to determine who would serve out the remainder of Sata's term. In the election, he narrowly defeated opposition candidate Hakainde Hichilema and took office on 25 January 2015.
Lieutenant General William Sikazwe, is a Zambian military officer who was the Commander of the Zambian Army until August 2021. He replaced Lieutenant General Paul Mihova, who together with his deputy, Major General Jackson Miti, were retired in the "national interest". The Zambian Army is one of the three components of the Zambian Defence Force.
Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport is an international airport located in Ndola, Copperbelt Province, Zambia. It was officially known as Ndola Airport before being renamed in 2011 in honour of Simon Kapwepwe, the nation's former vice president. It is located adjacent to the Dag Hammarskjöld Crash Site Memorial about fifteen kilometres (9.3 mi) west of the city centre. It is accessed by using the Dag Hammarskjöld Memorial Access Road off the T3 road.
General elections were held in Zambia on 12 August 2021 to elect the President, National Assembly, mayors, council chairs and councillors. Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development was elected president, defeating incumbent Edgar Lungu of the Patriotic Front.
Events in the year 2021 in Zambia.
Lieutenant General Oscar Msitu Nyoni is a Zambian military officer and has been force commander of the Zambia Air Force since December 20, 2023.
Major General Arthur Kalaluka is a Zambian military officer and has been deputy force commander of the Zambia Air Force since 20 December 2023.
