Zambia
Zambia has held regular multiparty elections for the past three decades, and currently scores are in the middle range across all categories of democratic performance. The country performs particularly well in Participation, scoring among the top 25 per cent of countries. Over the last five years, Zambia has experienced significant advances in Credible Elections, Civil Liberties, Judicial Independence and Civil Society. Zambia is a low income country that struggles with poverty and inequality, and it ranks within the bottom 25 per cent of the world with regard to Basic Welfare. Its economy is heavily reliant on copper mining, which accounts for 13 per cent of the country’s GDP and 30 per cent of the government’s tax revenue.
Zambia has a very ancient history, and was primarily inhabited by Khoisan peoples until the arrival of large numbers of Bantu peoples around 800 years ago. Through various institutional arrangements, Great Britain colonized the territory that includes modern Zambia beginning in the late 19th century. Zambia became independent in 1964. From independence until 1991, the country was led by President Kenneth Kaunda, who is remembered both for his strong anti-apartheid stance and his authoritarian rule. Kaunda invested heavily in education, but mismanaged the economic development of the country in his pursuit of a planned economy. The legacy of that era continues, and poverty, hunger, and inequality have only worsened. Poverty has grown, driven primarily by low access to wage employment among poor Zambians. Public debt remains very high, and the country experienced a sovereign default in 2021.
Since the first multi-party elections in 1991, multiple successive governments have continued to suppress public criticism or protest, including through harsh enforcement of libel laws. Zambian politics are driven in large part by ethnically heterogeneous geographic coalitions that are centered around the main economic industries in each region, such as copper mining in the north and agriculture in the south. Significant political debate centers on corruption, which is endemic and has diminished public trust in government. Development remains one of the government’s main priorities, but reliance on China for development progress has become a source of tension, largely because Chinese employers are accused of mistreating Zambians and because Chinese firms seek control of Zambian mines as a hedge against potential loan defaults. The country continues to face major health challenges, including a high HIV/AIDS disease burden.
Several human rights issues loom large on the Zambian political scene, as discrimination against several groups, including indigenous communities, remains common. LGBTQIA+ people in Zambia face widespread societal discrimination, and a sodomy ban remains on the books. Zambian women experience high levels of gender-based violence and face discrimination in education, employment, and other key sectors. Finally, people with albinism experience brutal attacks and ritualistic killings, and racial divides remain prominent.
As Zambia seeks to continue its recent progress, it will be important to watch aspects of the Rule of Law and Civil Liberties. An anti-corruption effort that began in 2021 resulted in the arrest of several former government ministers and the establishment of an Economic and Financial Crimes Court. The initiative is highly politically relevant as some argue that faster action is needed in this area while others have warned of potential political influence on such prosecutions. Other reforms, including the abolition of the death penalty and a controversial law criminalizing defamation of the president, have won international praise. Zambian analysts and activists have, however, been more critical, pointing to reports that the president used the repealed defamation law to silence his critics and to his failure to deliver on many of his campaign promises of democratic reform.
(Last updated: August 2024)
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
February 2025
Dam collapse causes catastrophic environmental disaster
On 18 February, a tailings dam collapsed at a Chinese-owned copper mine in Northern Zambia, releasing more than 50 million litres of toxic waste into the ecosystem of the Kafue River, causing widespread environmental damage. The Kafue River basin is home to approximately 12 million Zambians, who are dependent on the river for fishing, irrigation and industry. The spillage was reported to have shut off the supply of water to half a million people, as well as contaminating crops and poisoning fish and livestock. A preliminary investigation into the disaster by Zambian engineers pointed to potential negligence on the part of mine owners, Sino Metals Leach Zambia, but also highlighted regulatory weaknesses.
Sources: Mining News Zambia, Daily Maverick, Politico, Zambia Monitor
September 2024
President suspends three Constitutional Court judges, prompting concerns of interference
President Hakainde Hichilema suspended three members of the country’s Constitutional Court on the recommendation of the Judicial Complaints Commission (JCC) in a decision that was announced on 23 September. The involvement of the suspended judges in controversial rulings that sustained the presidency of Hichilema’s predecessor, Edgar Lungu, have raised concerns about improper political influence on the judiciary. In 2016, the judges had dismissed a petition from Hichilema challenging Lungu’s election victory and in 2021 had been part of a decision that allowed the latter to stand for a third presidential term, despite a two-term constitutional limit. In September, they were due to decide on Lungu’s eligibility to contest the 2026 election, in which he is expected to be Hichilema’s main challenger. The Law Association of Zambia raised concerns that the complaint that triggered the JCC’s investigation and recommendation mirrored similar complaints against the judges that the Commission had previously dismissed.
Update: On 20 October 2024, President Hichilema, acting on the recommendation of the Judicial Complaints Commission (JCC) removed the suspended Constitutional Court Judges from office.
Sources: Cabinet Office (1), British Broadcasting Corporation, The Africa Report, Lusaka Times, Cabinet Office (2)
July 2024
Zambia’s anti-corruption board dismissed following corruption allegations
On 18 July, President Hakainde Hichilema dissolved the board of Zambia’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), a move the presidency said was intended to ‘renew the [ACC’s] sacred mandate’. The dissolution came 10 days after a former member of the board alleged that the commission was corrupt and two days after the resignation of the ACC’s Director General, Thom Shamakamba. According to the whistleblower, O’Brien Kaaba, law enforcement institutions, including the ACC, were complicit in corrupt deals that undermined anti-corruption efforts by failing to prosecute politically-connected individuals. He laid the blame on Shamakamba and other senior officials, who he accused of receiving payments in exchange for ‘legally senseless settlements immunising some of the most corrupt individuals.’ Kaaba’s revelations were made in response to a report published by the state Financial Intelligence Centre earlier in July, which found that in 2023 corruption had significantly increased compared to previous years.
Sources: Mail & Guardian, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Amulufe Blog, Financial Intelligence Centre, ISS Africa
May 2024
Opposition politician sentenced for ‘Defaming President’ under repealed law
On 17 May, Raphael Nakacinda, secretary general of Zambia’s main opposition party, the Patriotic Front, was sentenced to 18 months in prison with hard labour, having been convicted of defaming the President under a law repealed in December 2022. The conviction related to 2021 comments in which he accused President Hakainde Hichilema of coercing the judiciary. The colonial-era defamation law had long been used by Zambian governments to silence their critics and in signing its repeal, Hichilema had described it as ‘inhibit[ing] the growth of democracy…’ However, the repeal did not apply retroactively and defamation cases such as Nakacinda’s, which were initiated before the repeal are still being prosecuted. When sentencing Nakacinda, the magistrate is reported to have said she wanted to deter others and NGO Human Rights Watch have warned that the case will have ‘a broad chilling effect’ on freedom of expression in Zambia. A growing number of commentators and CSOs have raised concerns about civic space shrinkage in the country.
Sources: Human Rights Watch, International IDEA (1), Vatican News, Zambia Monitor, International IDEA (2), Mail & Guardian
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Global ranking per category of democratic performance in 2023
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