Zambia
Zambia performs in the mid-range across all four categories of the Global of State of Democracy (GSoD) framework. Compared to 2019, it has experienced significant improvements in Credible Elections, Civil Liberties, Absence of Corruption and Civil Society. Zambia is a low-income country and heavily dependent on foreign aid and its mining industry, with copper exports comprising about 80 per cent of its export earnings. These dependencies have contributed to an ongoing economic crisis, characterised by high inflation and a rising debt burden. Poverty and inequality levels are among the highest in the world.
Zambia has been inhabited for thousands of years prior to its colonization at the end of the 19th century by the British South African Company. Extractive colonial rule left Zambia underdeveloped, with a lopsided economy and weak administrative capacity. It gained independence in 1964, and until 1991 was led by former President Kenneth Kaunda, a prominent African nationalist, who governed under an authoritarian one-party system and whose economic policies exacerbated Zambia’s uneven economic development. Kaunda reintroduced multipartyism in 1991 and the general election in that year produced a transfer of power.
Since then, however, Zambia’s trajectory has been largely authoritarian, interspersed with short periods of democratisation. The election in 2021 of President Hakainde Hichilema raised hopes in this regard, with promises of reform and openness. However, despite positive early signs, his administration has recently displayed familiar authoritarian tendencies and democratic challenges remain. Political power continues to be highly concentrated in the presidency and the separation of powers is incomplete. The presidency’s judicial appointment powers have been used to manipulate the judiciary. Opposition parties have also been subject to government interference and harassment and, while civil society organisations have played an important democratising role, they too have been hampered by government co-option and coercion. Legal restrictions on the freedoms of expression, association and assembly are a particular problem. Corruption has long been a pressing political issue and remains endemic.
Zambia’s diverse ethnic-linguistic identities are highly politically salient and are used by political parties to mobilize the fluid, multi-ethnic coalitions that drive the country’s politics. However, while ethno-regional identities have generally not been used to create divisions and inter-ethnic relations are good, polarisation along these lines has grown in response to political repression. The political coalitions are also strongly influenced by Zambia’s mining and agricultural industries, which have given rise to two competing, regionally based ideologies. The first promotes a statist approach to economic development and is associated with the capital Lusaka and the northern copper mining area. The second is a form of neoliberalism that predominates in the agrarian south.
Zambia is a mid-performer in Gender Equality, but despite increasingly robust legal protections, women continue to suffer from inequality in education, employment and other key areas. Women also remain politically underrepresented and gender-based violence is a major challenge. The LGBTQIA+ community lacks legal protections and faces widespread social stigma and violence. Myths surrounding albinism mean people living with the condition experience abductions, mutilations and killings.
Looking ahead, it will be important to monitor Zambia’s democratic trajectory, amid concerns about growing authoritarianism. Credible Elections, Civil Liberties, Civil Society and Effective Parliament merit particular attention, as the country approaches the 2026 general elections, the impact of restrictive new cyber laws are felt, and the government pursues controversial constitutional reforms.
Last updated: July 2025
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
April 2025
New cyber laws require ICT providers to share more data with government
On 8 April, President Hakainde Hichilema signed into law the Cyber Security Act and the Cyber Crimes Act, replacing previous 2021 cyber legislation. The newly enacted laws mandate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) companies to intercept and monitor electronic communications, including phone calls, emails, and text messages, to detect and report ‘critical information’ to authorities. Although the government stated that interceptions will require a court warrant, civil society groups argue the legislation lacks sufficient safeguards and poses risks to privacy and freedom of expression. Another aspect of the laws is the criminalization of ‘misleading’ digital headlines, which could undermine press freedom. The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) announced plans to challenge the laws in the High Court.
Sources: National Assembly of Zambia (1), National Assembly of Zambia (2), Zambia Monitor (1), Zambia Monitor (2), Committee to Protect Journalists, British Broadcasting Corporation, Lusaka Times
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
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