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Zambia’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has rejected the proposed Benefits of Former Presidents and Former Vice-Presidents Bill, 2026, arguing that it confuses dignity with excess and would impose unsustainable costs on taxpayers.
The draft law proposes tax-free lifetime earnings at 80 percent of the incumbent’s salary, state-funded executive houses or large cash alternatives, and a wide range of benefits including vehicles, staff, travel and security.
In a statement, DPP President, Antonio Mourinho Mwanza, said there was no dispute that former presidents and vice-presidents deserved dignity in retirement, noting that the offices they held carried immense responsibility.
Mwanza said it was appropriate that the state guaranteed their security and basic welfare after leaving office, as this preserved the integrity of the presidency and supported national stability. But he said the proposed provisions went too far.
“Why should poor taxpayers be building mansions for former presidents and former vice presidents? You mean a president and a vice president can fail to build a house for themselves?” he said.
He said the bill raised concerns about sustainability, equity and national priorities.
“At a time when many Zambians face economic hardship, when public services remain under strain, and when fiscal space is limited, it is difficult to justify such expansive and permanent obligations on the Consolidated Fund,” he said.
Mwanza said the proposals risked creating an unjustified gap between political office holders and other public servants, stressing that leadership should be about service rather than guaranteed lifelong privilege. Excessive post-office benefits, he warned, could erode public trust and weaken the moral foundations of public service.
He said the bill, in its current form, expanded entitlements instead of aligning them with Zambia’s fiscal realities.
“This is not just a policy issue—it is a moral question about the kind of Republic we are building: one grounded in equity, responsibility, and shared sacrifice,” he said.
The DPP is calling for a balanced approach that protects dignity without promoting excess, aligns benefits with economic capacity, ensures fairness across the public service, and upholds the principle of servant leadership.
Mwanza said that all public workers — including teachers, nurses, doctors, ZNS, Army and ZAF officers — deserved dignified retirement benefits, not only politicians.
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