The history of Zambia experienced many stages from colonization to independence from Britain on October 24,1964. Northern Rhodesia became a British sphere of influence in the present-day region of Zambia in 1888,and was officially proclaimed a British protectorate in 1924. After many years of suggested mergers,Southern Rhodesia,Northern Rhodesia,and Nyasaland were merged into the British Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
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.
Frederick Jacob Titus Chiluba was a Zambian politician who was the second president of Zambia from 1991 to 2002. Chiluba,a trade union leader,won the country's multi-party presidential election in 1991 as the candidate of the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD),defeating long-time President Kenneth Kaunda. He was re-elected in 1996. As he was unable to run for a third term in 2001,former Vice President Levy Mwanawasa instead ran as the MMD candidate and succeeded him. After leaving office,Chiluba was the subject of a long investigation and trial regarding alleged corruption;he was eventually acquitted in 2009.
Levy Patrick Mwanawasa was the third president of Zambia. He served as president from January 2002 until his death in August 2008. Mwanawasa is credited with having initiated a campaign to rid the corruption situation in Zambia during his term. Prior to Mwanawasa's election,he served as the fourth vice-president of Zambia from November 1991 to July 1994,whilst an elected Member of Parliament of Chifubu Constituency.
The Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) also known as New Hope MMD is a political party in Zambia. Originally formed to oust the previous government,MMD controlled an absolute majority in parliament between 1991 and 2001,when its past leader,Frederick Chiluba was President of Zambia. Its election into power in 1991 ended the 27-year rule of President Kenneth Kaunda and his United National Independence Party (UNIP). It remained the dominant party within Zambian politics until the general elections of September 2011.
The president of Zambia is the head of state and the head of government of Zambia. The office was first held by Kenneth Kaunda following independence in 1964. Since 1991,when Kaunda left the presidency,the office has been held by seven others:Frederick Chiluba,Levy Mwanawasa,Rupiah Banda,Michael Sata,Edgar Lungu and the current president Hakainde Hichilema,who won the 2021 presidential election. In addition,acting president Guy Scott served in an interim capacity after the death of President Michael Sata.
Elections in Zambia take place within the framework of a multi-party democracy and a presidential system. The President and National Assembly are simultaneously elected for five-year terms.
The Patriotic Front (PF) is a social democratic political party in Zambia. The party was formed by Michael Sata as a breakaway party of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) in 2001 after the President Frederick Chiluba nominated Levy Mwanawasa as its presidential candidate for 2001 elections. The party's main base of support are usually the youth and poor people in urban centres,as well as members of the Bemba people in Copperbelt Province and Lusaka Province.
Michael Charles Chilufya Sata was a Zambian politician who was the fifth president of Zambia,from 23 September 2011 until his death on 28 October 2014. A social democrat,he led the Patriotic Front (PF),a major political party in Zambia. Under President Frederick Chiluba,Sata was a minister during the 1990s as part of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) government. He went into opposition in 2001,forming the PF. As an opposition leader,Sata –popularly known as "King Cobra" –emerged as the leading opposition presidential contender and rival to President Levy Mwanawasa in the 2006 presidential election,but was defeated. Following Mwanawasa's death,Sata ran again and lost to President Rupiah Banda in 2008.
Presidential elections were held in Zambia on 30 October 2008 following the death of the incumbent President Levy Mwanawasa on 19 August 2008,as the elections had to be called within 90 days of his death. It was expected that there would be internal problems within the ruling Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) as Mwanawasa had not declared a successor prior to his death,but Acting President Rupiah Banda was selected as the MMD's candidate without apparent problems. Michael Sata stood as the candidate of the Patriotic Front (PF),while Hakainde Hichilema stood as the candidate of the United Party for National Development (UPND). Godfrey Miyanda stood as the candidate of the Heritage Party.
Maureen Mwanawasa is a Zambian politician and former First Lady of Zambia from 2002 until 2008. She is the widow of former President Levy Mwanawasa,who died in office in 2008.
Emmanuel Kasonde was a Zambian economist and politician who served as the Finance permanent secretary or Minister of Finance under three successive Zambian presidential administrations,including Kenneth Kaunda,Frederick Chiluba and Levy Mwanawasa.
George Kunda was a Zambian lawyer and politician who was the 11th vice-president of Zambia from 2008 to 2011. He served under President Rupiah Banda until their party's loss to Michael Sata's party.
General elections were held in Zambia on 20 September 2011,electing a President and members of the National Assembly. Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front (PF) won the presidential elections,defeating incumbent Rupiah Banda of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD),and was sworn into office on 23 September. The PF emerged as the largest party in the National Assembly,winning 60 of the 148 seats decided on election day.
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.
Irene Chirwa Mambilima was the Chief Justice of Zambia from 2015 until her death in 2021. She also served as Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Zambia and presided over the 2006 and 2011 general elections and the January 2015 presidential by-election. She was part of several election observer missions including in Liberia,Kenya,Mozambique,and Seychelles. Her other international assignments included serving as Sessional Judge of the Supreme Court of The Gambia in 2003. Mambilima sat on the International Board of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) as a Director of the Africa Region. She was also a member of several professional associations including the Zambia Association of Women Judges,the Editorial Board Council of Law Reporting,the Child Fund (Zambia),Women in Law Southern Africa,and the Council of the Institution of Advanced Legal Education.
Thandiwe Banda is a Zambian political science teacher who served as the First Lady of Zambia from June 2008 until September 2011. Banda,who was in her 30s when she took over the position in 2008,was the youngest First Lady in Zambia's history. She was the second wife of former President Rupiah Banda until his death in March 2022.
Daniel Munkombwe was a Zambian politician. He worked as a political organizer and administrator for the ANC in Northern Rhodesia before and after independence. He was elected to Parliament in 1973 and served for 19 years. In 2001,he was appointed Minister for the Southern Province by Levy Mwanawasa and continued in that and other government posts until 2015,having been subsequently appointed by Rupiah Banda and Michael Sata.
Sylvia Masebo is a Zambian entrepreneur,politician and National Assembly of Zambia representative for Chongwe constituency with the United Party for National Development (UPND). Sylvia Masebo holds a degree in Banking and Finance and has been the National Assembly of Zambia representative for Chongwe constituency since 2001;first standing on the ticket of Zambian Republican Party (ZRP) and then later,MMD Movement for Multi-Party Democracy in 2003.
Sarah Sayifwanda was a Zambian politician who served as Minister of Gender and Development and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives. She was also the Zambian representative to the African Union and Pan-African Parliament.
