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Zambia
Women in decision-making positions
7%
Members of local deliberative bodies are women (116 elected women)
No woman is Head of State/Government
15%
Parliamentarians are women
16%
Ministers are women

Government organization

Zambia is a unitary republic with two spheres of government: central and local.

One tier of central government and one tier of local government composed of cities, towns, districts and municipalities.
Central government
  • Head of State: The President is directly elected by voters.
  • Head of Government: The President is the Head of State and the Head of Government.
  • Legislative body: The National Assembly is a unicameral legislature, which consists of 156 members directly elected by voters, a maximum of eight nominated members, the Vice-President, the Speaker, and the First and Second Deputy Speakers.
  • Executive body: The Cabinet consists of the President, Vice-President, ministers, and the Attorney-General, as an ex-officio member. Members of the National Assembly are appointed to be ministers by the President.
Local government
  • Organization: Local government is organized into one tier of city-level government units, district-level local government units, municipalities and town-level local government.
  • Competencies: Local government is responsible for levying taxes, making grants and loans, and making by-laws regarding local agriculture, community development, education, public amenities, public health, sanitation and drainage, and the general administration of the local government area.
  • Ministerial oversight: The Ministry of Local Government and Housing is responsible for central government oversight of local government.

Overview of local government

Local government composition
City, district, town and municipal levels of government

Deliberative body: The district, city, and municipal councils are composed of a chairperson (in towns) or mayor (in cities and municipalities), elected members, and not more than three chief representatives each. The chairperson/mayor presides over the council; the chairperson/mayor is not vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The principal officer, who is the chief executive officer of the council and is responsible for confirming by-laws and authenticating documents on behalf of the council, is the executive of the city/district/municipal level of government in Zambia.

Local government elections
Electoral system

Electoral system for local deliberative bodies:  majority/plurality (first-past-the-post)

  • Elections to councils shall be conducted under a first-past-the-post electoral system; when the counting of the votes has been completed and the result of the poll ascertained the returning officer shall declare to be elected the candidate to whom the majority of votes has been given. Each local government area is divided into wards for the purpose of local deliberative body elections; one member is elected per each ward.

Electoral system for council chairpersons/mayors: majority/plurality (first-past-the-post)

  • The council chairperson/mayor is directly elected by voters using a first-past-the-post electoral system during the same elections as the councillors.

Source: Constitution of Zambia, 1991 (amended through 2016), articles 47(3), 153 and 154.

Quotas
  • Gender quotas: No
  • Additional quotas: No
Term of elections
  • Term length: 5 years
  • Last local elections: 2021
  • Next local elections: 2026
Electoral management body

Electoral Commission of Zambia

National legal framework on local government
National legal framework
  • Constitution of Zambia, 1991 (amended through 2016);
  • Local Government Act, 2019;
  • Electoral Process Act, 2016 (amended through 2021).
Constitutional provisions on local government

There are constitutional provisions that establish local government in Zambia. According to Article 147 of the Constitution of 1991 (amended through 2016), “the management and administration of the political, social, legal, and economic affairs of the State shall be devolved from the national government level to the local government level. The different levels of government shall observe and adhere to the following principles: good governance, through democratic, effective, and coherent governance systems and institutions, respect for the constitutional jurisdiction of each level of government, autonomy of the sub-structures, and equitable distribution and application of national resources to the sub-structures.”

Legislative provisions on local government

The National Assembly is responsible for establishing the national legal framework on local government. The key piece of legislation which regulates local government is the Local Government Act of 2019 which defines the functions of local authorities.

Sources:

1. UN Women: Data on share of women in local government as of 1 January 2023.

2. UN Women: Information on Head of State and Government as of 3 October 2023.

3. Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU): Data on share of women in the single/lower chamber of parliament as of 1 January 2023.

4. IPU and UN Women: Data on share of women in ministerial positions as of 1 January 2023.

5. Information on local government organization as of 1 January 2022.