Zambia’s Accidental Presidencies

Zambia has had two accidental presidencies, writes Alliance for Community Action Executive Director Laura Miti.  

Former President Levy Mwanawasa and President Edgar Lungu found themselves in exactly the same position in their first terms of office. 

“The two men were trying to run a presidency given to them on a silver platter. 

It was a gift both solidified via an election few believed they had actually won,” she writes. 

However, Miti believes the similarities between the two end there. 

“There is an oceanic difference between how the two dealt with a weak presidency,” she claims. 

According to Miti, Mwanawasa used his first term to ensure he would fairly win a second term. While she acknowledges that some of his decisions were questionable and self-serving she says that few would argue with the claim that during his time as President Mwanawasa had the nation’s best interests at heart. 

“He died a good President. I remember observing him at one of his last international engagements and thinking, heck, this fellow has grown into his own and is making us proud,” she explains. 

President Edgar Lungu has taken a different path, Miti claims. 

“Having come to power via very dodgy processes, it seems like he decided that the only way to stay in the office, whose trappings, but not duty, he quickly took to heart, was to institute the Mulungushi PF Congress anarchy into his presidency.” 

Miti points to Lungu’s attempts to rewrite the whole constitution and the recent Bill 10 debacle as examples of his approach. She goes on to criticise the “astounding levels of lawlessness and use of power for selfish accumulation of wealth” under his watch. 

According to Miti, President Lungu now faces a near impossible task in seeking re-election next year in a fair contest.  

“One just has to listen to Zambia's unscientific, but quite dependable, indicators of how the vote will go - minibus drivers and people on random queues. By that indicator, barring either a miracle or massive rigging operation, the Edgar Lungu presidency is gone,” she concludes.