Speaker’s Shameless Power Grab: Lumezi Seat Declaration Exposes UPND Agenda
By Thandiwe Ketis Ngoma
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Madam Nelly Mutti, has once again thrown the integrity of her office into question by declaring the Lumezi parliamentary seat vacant just three days after Hon. Munir Zulu’s conviction. This rushed and reckless move reeks of political interference and serves as yet another glaring example of her partisan loyalty to the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND).
Every Zambian knows that the law grants 30 days for an appeal following any conviction. Hon. Munir Zulu is well within that window. Yet Madam Mutti could not even wait for the legal process to take its course. Instead, she hastily moved to strip a democratically elected Member of Parliament of his seat. Why the indecent haste? What was the Speaker trying to achieve if not to please her political masters?
This is not just a misstep. It is an outright abuse of office.
It is now crystal clear that Madam Mutti is no longer the Speaker of the people but a full-fledged UPND operative draped in parliamentary robes. Her actions have exposed a disturbing agenda aimed at silencing critical voices, dismantling opposition influence in Parliament, and fast-tracking a one-party state under the guise of constitutional order.
Let’s be brutally honest. Hon. Munir Zulu has been a thorn in the side of the UPND. He has fearlessly called out corruption, government excesses, and the abuse of power. For that, he has been targeted. And the Speaker, instead of upholding the Constitution, has taken it upon herself to carry out political attacks on behalf of the ruling party.
What happens if he wins his appeal? Will the Speaker reinstate him with the same urgency? Will she apologize to the people of Lumezi for disenfranchising them unlawfully? Or will this blatant injustice be swept under the rug, as so many have before?
This is not the first time Madam Mutti has violated the principles of fairness and neutrality. We all remember how she unlawfully changed the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, a move widely condemned as unconstitutional and politically motivated. Just like then, she acted without shame, without respect for due process, and without regard for public trust.
How much more must the people endure? Does Madam Mutti believe Zambians are blind to her machinations? Does she think her office gives her a blank cheque to bulldoze constitutional rights?
Enough is enough.
Her pattern of behavior confirms what many feared: the Speaker is no longer a referee; she is a player and one wearing the UPND jersey. Parliament is supposed to be the heartbeat of our democracy, a place where all voices—government and opposition—are heard, respected, and protected. But under her leadership, it has become a weaponized space for political elimination.
This is not how democracy works. This is how tyranny begins.
The declaration of the Lumezi seat as vacant is not a procedural necessity. It is a political ambush. It sends a chilling message to all opposition MPs: criticize the government and you’re next. Follow the Constitution and you’ll be removed anyway. Speak up for the people and your career is over.
Zambians must rise in defense of our democracy. The Constitution must never be optional. The Speaker must be held accountable, and every institution must resist becoming a pawn in the ruling party’s political chess game.
Madam Nelly Mutti must decide whether she will be remembered as a guardian of the Constitution or as a partisan enforcer who presided over the erosion of Zambia’s democracy.
The people are watching. The people are angry. And the people will not forget.