PR MPs HAVE BETRAYED THEIR MANDATE – CHISHANGE
Lusaka, 5th November 2026
Political strategist, Maimisa Chishange, has accused Proportional Representative (PR) MPs of betraying their mandate, saying they are representing the interests of the party that sponsored them to Parliament instead of representing the needs of the people.
Mr. Chishange said it is painful to watch a young person being given a rare chance to serve in leadership, only to use that chance not to speak for other young people, but to speak for power.
He said PR MPs were brought to Parliament to be the voice of those who have no constituency – the students, the youths, and the vulnerable – yet before they could even raise the issues of the poor, they were already talking about consolidating power.
“You are not representing the needs of the people. You are representing the party that sponsored you to Parliament,” Mr. Chishange said.
He said Zambians expected PR MPs to champion the needs of students and the welfare of young people, but instead they have chosen to champion the removal of the presidential term limit.
“By now, we expected you to be speaking about bursaries, about student accommodation, about jobs for graduates, and about the suffering of students. Instead, you are speaking about term limits,” he said.
Mr. Chishange said this is the tragedy of our time: that leadership, which should have been used to lift the vulnerable, is being used to protect power.
He said students are sleeping hungry in hostels, graduates are roaming the streets without employment, and young people are drowning in poverty, yet PR MPs have remained silent on these urgent matters.
“When students are crying, you are silent. When youths have no jobs, you are silent. But when it comes to term limits, you suddenly find your voice. That is not leadership. That is betrayal,” he said.
He challenged the PR MPs to return to campuses and communities and listen to what young people are actually demanding.
“Go to UNZA. Go to CBU. Go to Mulungushi. Go to the compounds. Ask the students what they need. They do not need a third term. They need bursaries. They need jobs. They need a future,” he said.
Mr. Chishange said the PR seat is a public trust, not a reward for loyalty to a party, and those occupying it must choose between serving the party and serving the people.
“You were brought to Parliament to speak for the voiceless, not to protect your position. If you continue to represent the party instead of the people, history will judge you as leaders who chose loyalty over duty,” he said.