Prime Ministers of Zambia

Prime Minister of the Republic of Zambia
Coat of arms of Zambia
Appointer	President of Zambia
Formation	25 August 1973
First holder	Mainza Chona
Final holder	Malimba Masheke
Abolished	31 August 1991

Zambia
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Zambia
Constitution Human rights
Government President Edgar Lungu Vice-President Inonge Wina Cabinet
Legislature National Assembly Speaker: Patrick Matibini Constituencies
Elections General 1964 1968 1973 1978 1983 1988 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 Referendums 1969 2016 Political parties
Administrative divisions Provinces Districts
Foreign relations Minister of Foreign Affairs Diplomatic missions of Zambia to Zambia Passport Visa requirements
National symbols Flag Anthem
Other countries Atlas

The prime minister of Zambia was the head of government of Zambia. From 1973 to 1975, Mainza Chona was the first person to hold the position following independence from the United Kingdom (Kenneth Kaunda was the only prime minister of Northern Rhodesia in 1964, before it became independent as Zambia).

The position of the prime minister of Zambia was abolished in 1991, in the last months of Kaunda's presidential term. Since then, the President of Zambia serves as both the head of state and the head of government.

History

Northern Rhodesia

When the country was founded as the British colony of Northern Rhodesia separate from British South Africa Company rule in the Rhodesias, the elected Legislative Council was created. At the time, the office of prime minister did not exist, with all executive power being vested in the governor of Northern Rhodesia. However, the leader of the largest elected party on the council was considered as the "unofficial" prime minister. When Northern Rhodesia united with Southern Rhodesia and Nyasaland to form the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, the office of prime minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was created, with Northern Rhodesia's Roy Welensky becoming the second and final holder of the office. Following the breakup of the federation due to the withdrawal of Northern Rhodesia, the office of prime minister was created for the colony. The first and only prime minister of Northern Rhodesia was the United National Independence Party's (UNIP) Kenneth Kaunda after winning the 1964 general election ahead of independence.

Zambia

Upon independence and the renaming of the country as Zambia, Kaunda became the new president of Zambia after being elected unopposed. The office of prime minister was abolished accordingly. In 1973, following an amendment to the Constitution of Zambia, the office of prime minister was re-established as the titular head of the government but the holder would be subordinate to the Secretary-General of UNIP in governing Zambia. This was because the Central Committee of UNIP had precedence over the Parliament of Zambia under the Constitution. President Kaunda appointed his former vice-president, Mainza Chona, as prime minister. In 1975, Chona resigned and was replaced by Elijah Mudenda. In 1977, Chona became prime minister again for a year before the role was taken over by Daniel Lisulo. Kebby Musokotwane took the role over from Nalumino Mundia in 1985, becoming the youngest prime minister and also the first that was not a member of UNIP's Central Committee. He was removed in 1989 and given an overseas diplomatic post due to President Kaunda believing he was aiming to become the next president.

In 1991, the office was abolished again following a new constitution being created to allow for multi-party democratic elections following UNIP negotiations with the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD). The powers the prime minister had were subsumed back into the office of president. The constitution allowed for the final prime minister, Malimba Masheke, to remain in office until the 1991 Zambian general election. According to Masheke, at the time of abolition the prime minister was being paid less than his private secretary.

List of officeholders

Political parties

  United National Independence Party (UNIP)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Head of state
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
Prime Minister of Northern Rhodesia
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 1		Kenneth Kaunda (1924–2021)	22 January 1964	24 October 1964	7007238464000000000♠276 days	UNIP	Elizabeth II
Prime Ministers of the Republic of Zambia
Post abolished (24 October 1964 – 25 August 1973)							Kenneth Kaunda
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 1		Mainza Chona (1930–2001)	25 August 1973	27 May 1975	7007553176000000000♠1 year, 275 days	UNIP
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 2		Elijah Mudenda (1927–2008)	27 May 1975	20 July 1977	7007677808000000000♠2 years, 54 days	UNIP
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| (1)		Mainza Chona (1930–2001)	20 July 1977	15 June 1978	7007285120000000000♠330 days	UNIP
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 3		Daniel Lisulo (1930–2000)	15 June 1978	18 February 1981	7007845424000000000♠2 years, 248 days	UNIP
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 4		Nalumino Mundia (1927–1988)	18 February 1981	24 April 1985	7008131846400000000♠4 years, 65 days	UNIP
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 5		Kebby Musokotwane (1946–1996)	24 April 1985	15 March 1989	7008122752800000000♠3 years, 325 days	UNIP
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 6		Malimba Masheke (born 1941)	15 March 1989	31 August 1991	7007777168000000000♠2 years, 169 days	UNIP
Post abolished (31 August 1991 – present)

Timeline

<timeline> ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:21 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:150 left:20 AlignBars = late

Define $today = 19/04/2024

Colors =

 id:unip value:rgb(0.07,0.55,0) legend:United_National_Independence_Party

 id:gray1  value:gray(0.85)
 id:gray2  value:gray(0.95)

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1964 till:01/01/1992 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = gridcolor:gray1 unit:year increment:5 start:1965 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:gray2 unit:year increment:1 start:1964

Legend = columns:1 left:150 top:35 columnwidth:170

TextData =

 pos:(20,38) textcolor:black fontsize:M
 text:"Political party:"

BarData =

bar:Kaunda
bar:Chona
bar:Mudenda
bar:Lisulo
bar:Mundia
bar:Musokotwane
bar:Masheke

PlotData =

 width:5 align:left fontsize:9 shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

bar:Kaunda
 from: 22/01/1964 till: 24/10/1964 color:unip text:"Kenneth Kaunda"
bar:Chona
 from: 25/08/1973 till: 27/05/1975 color:unip
 from: 20/07/1977 till: 15/06/1978 color:unip text:"Mainza Chona"
bar:Mudenda
 from: 27/05/1975 till: 20/07/1977 color:unip text:"Elijah Mudenda"
bar:Lisulo
 from: 15/06/1978 till: 18/02/1981 color:unip text:"Daniel Lisulo"
bar:Mundia
 from: 18/02/1981 till: 24/04/1985 color:unip text:"Nalumino Mundia"
bar:Musokotwane
 from: 24/04/1985 till: 15/03/1989 color:unip text:"Kebby Musokotwane"
bar:Masheke
 from: 15/03/1989 till: 31/08/1991 color:unip text:"Malimba Masheke"

</timeline>

See also

• Governor of Northern Rhodesia
• President of Zambia
• Lists of office-holders

External links

• World Statesmen – Zambia