INCLUSIVE POLITICS IN FOCUS AS NGOCC ENGAGES RESOLUTE PARTY ON WOMEN’S ADOPTION
The Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has continued its engagement with political parties as part of its broader campaign to promote inclusive leadership. On this occasion, NGOCC met with the Resolute Party, coming just days after similar courtesy engagements with other political parties, aimed at strengthening the participation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities in political leadership and governance.
Speaking during the meeting, NGOCC Board Chairperson and delegation leader, Ms Beauty Katebe stated that the purpose of the engagement was to understand the party’s roadmap and deliberate measures being put in place to position women, youth, and persons with disabilities within the party structures and electoral processes ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Responding to issues raised during the engagement, Resolute Party President Mr Makebi Zulu said the party’s symbol, a bag, embodies its commitment to inclusivity by accommodating people of all backgrounds and abilities.
He explained that the party has deliberately established inclusive structures that recognize diverse disability groups, including persons with albinism, the deaf community, and those with visual or physical impairments. Mr Zulu added that this commitment is reflected within the party’s leadership, noting that the Chairlady herself is a person living with a disability
Mr Zulu also added that the party places high value on women and young people and has gone beyond the Mixed Member Proportional Representation (MMPR) framework by deliberately positioning more women and persons with disabilities within its leadership and structures. He added that while the party has dedicated women and youth wings, persons with disabilities are fully integrated across all structures to avoid segregation..
Ms Dongo Mumba Mubanga, representing the Zambia National Association of Women with Disabilities, urged the Resolute Party not to limit inclusion of persons with disabilites to seats under the Mixed Member Proportional Representation framework and encouraged the party to go beyond constitutional minimums.
In response, Mr Zulu reaffirmed that the Resolute Party’s inclusion agenda extends beyond MMPR, with deliberate efforts to represent diverse disability groups, including persons with albinism and other marginalized communities.
Meanwhile, NGOCC Executive Director Ms Anne Mbewe-Anamela cautioned against the practice of adopting women candidates in low chance constituencies merely to meet representation targets.
She urged the Resolute Party to apply the zebra principle in its proportional representation to achieve balanced gender inclusion among youth and persons with disabilities. In response, Mr Zulu reaffirmed the party’s commitment to equality, citing women’s leadership across key departments as evidence of its inclusive approach.
In closing, NGOCC Chairperson Ms Beauty Katebe officially handed over a list of female aspiring candidates who had expressed interest in joining the Resolute Party through NGOCC as part of efforts to increase women’s political participation and representation in Zambia.
By Lucy Bwalya Chawinga
NGOCC