ERNEST MWANSA CALLS FOR INSTITUTIONAL POLITICS AND OPPOSITION UNITY

EMV TONIGHT: ERNEST MWANSA CALLS FOR INSTITUTIONAL POLITICS AND OPPOSITION UNITY

On Monday evening’s edition of Emmanuel Mwamba Verified, Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba hosted constitutional lawyer and former Chifunabuli MP, Hon. Ernest Mwansa, now interim leader of the Zambia We Want (ZWW) party. The discussion probed the role of the opposition ahead of Zambia’s 2026 elections, the credibility of national institutions, and the urgent need to build politics around ideas rather than personalities.

FROM MOVEMENT TO PARTY
Mwansa traced ZWW’s origins from civil society activism into a registered political party. Its central philosophy, he said, is institutional politics: building parties around manifestos, systems, and teamwork rather than the cult of a single leader. “Every government since the MMD has personalized politics. We want to return to the idea that it is the manifesto—not an individual—that must define a party,” Mwansa said.

He outlined ZWW’s proposals for a devolved system of government, stronger accountability mechanisms, and a culture of open internal criticism within political organizations. “A person who criticizes you is a friend. An enemy will never criticize you,” Mwansa noted, emphasizing that the party’s leadership structure is deliberately collective.

ECONOMIC FAULT LINES
Turning to economic issues, Mwansa lamented Zambia’s continued export of raw copper, the neglect of value addition, and the marginalization of small-scale miners in favor of foreign corporations. Agriculture, he argued, remains dangerously mono-crop, while energy insecurity cripples industry despite the country’s abundant potential.

“This is the only country where even making bricks must be in foreign hands. We can’t even produce a toothpick,” Mwansa charged. He called for investment in silos, renewable and nuclear energy, and industrial policy that prioritizes Zambian ownership and skills.

DEMOCRATIC BACKSLIDING AND THE ECZ
Both Mwansa and Mwamba raised sharp concerns about the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s independence. Listeners phoned in to accuse the ECZ of partisanship and exclusionary practices, citing blocked PF candidates, questionable voter ID processes, and the perception that the chairperson is aligned to the ruling UPND.

“If people don’t trust the process before elections happen, how will they trust the outcome?” Mwansa warned. He suggested that, if independence cannot be guaranteed, the ECZ leadership should consider resigning. Mwamba added that democracy itself is at risk if institutions tilt toward one side.

CALLS FOR UNITY AND A SECOND INDEPENDENCE
Callers pressed Mwansa on whether opposition parties can unite behind a single leader and a common platform. He admitted that “at the top we may have difficulties,” but urged citizens to build unity from the grassroots up, just as Zambians did in 1991.

In closing, Mwansa argued that Zambia is at a crossroads, what one caller described as “a second independence.” The future president, he suggested, must embody the best traits of past leaders: Kaunda’s patriotism, Chiluba’s communication skills, Mwanawasa’s accountability, Banda’s humility, Sata’s delivery, and Lungu’s groundedness.

“This country needs a revolutionary approach to development,” Mwansa said. “Politics must not be about me. It must be about service to the nation.”