THE ZAMBIA WE WANT PARTY FIRES ITS NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT KAPEMBWA SIMBAO, SG MUHABI LUNGU AND CHAIRPERSON AUXILIA PONGA

🇿🇲 BRIEFING | Zambia We Want Party Expels Top Leadership Days After Election

The Zambia We Want (ZWW) Party has expelled its newly elected leadership, triggering fresh instability within the opposition space just days after internal elections.

In a notice dated March 21, 2026, the party’s National Leadership Council declared that it had “moved a vote of no confidence in your leadership” against Party President Kapembwa Simbao, Secretary General Muhabi Lungu, and Chairperson Auxilia Ponga. The council further stated that following their actions, “you have terminated your membership from the Zambia We Want Party.”

At the centre of the fallout are allegations of indiscipline and breach of party procedure. The statement accuses the trio of “joining another political grouping without authorization”, a move the party says violates its constitution and undermines internal authority structures.

The leadership council also cited operational failures. According to the statement, the officials failed “to mobilize the Party from the time of elections… despite having made promises that you would mobilise membership in Lusaka and Copperbelt once elected.” This, the party argues, contributed to weakening its political footing at a critical time.

Further, the document points to unauthorized alliances, stating that the officials engaged in political partnerships “without the NLC sanction or determination of any Terms and Conditions,” actions said to have diverted party resources and damaged internal cohesion.

On governance, the tone becomes sharper. The council accuses the leadership of breaching core principles, noting “breach of the core values of Accountability, Team Leadership and Loyalty to the Party Constitution,” and adds that no proper reports were submitted on key decisions.

The conclusion is decisive. The party states that the three officials “have ceased to be members of the Zambia We Want Party from the day you joined another political party,” and has since moved to organise fresh elections to fill the vacant positions.

This episode reinforces a growing pattern across Zambia’s opposition landscape. Internal disputes are no longer contained. They are public, rapid, and often self-destructive. When leadership is elected and removed within days, the issue is no longer individuals. It is institutional weakness.

For voters, the signal is clear. Stability inside a party is now becoming as important as the message it carries.

© The People’s Brief | Goran Handya