By Kellys Kaunda
PARTICIPATION IN ACTIVE POLITICS IS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT – REFLECTIONS ON THE PROPOSED RETIREMENT BENEFITS FOR FORMER PRESIDENTS AND VICE PRESIDENTS
The National Assembly Bill, N.A.B. No. 5 of 2026, which went past First Reading this past week seeks to repeal and replace the current Act.
But it is repeating, in the main, in section 7 (1) (b) what was in the previous act, namely, (1) The retirement benefits of a former President and former Vice President referred to under sections 4 and 5 shall not be paid or provided, if that former President, or that former Vice President (b) is engaged in active politics
The proposed act, as in the one it is seeking to repeal defines “active politics” as “the doing of an act indicating a person’s intention to hold an elective or appointive office or holding an elective or appointive office in a political party or in an organization whose aim is the furtherance of political objectives”.
If a former President or former Vice President is eligible to run for political office such as the Presidency, what is fair and respectful of their fundamental human rights, is that, until and unless they win that election, they should continue to enjoy their retirement benefits.
They must choose to continue or not engage in such active politics as campaigning for candidates of their choice without losing their retirement benefits.
Presidents and Vice Presidents are politicians who may want to remain active politically after office.
Their experience is an asset for their political parties which the latter may want to continue utilizing.
This should not stop the government of the day from using them on non-partisan state errands at home or abroad.
We must grow our democracy to a point where our former Presidents and Vice Presidents continue to take an active part in politics, choosing their sides, without losing retirement benefits.
We must formulate laws reflective of our recent past. This past requires informing how we wish to govern ourselves going forward.
What we experienced with our former and late President Lungu must have taught us why withdrawing retirement benefits from a former President who chooses to rejoin active politics is not a wise move.