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The Acton Institute for Policy Analysis Centre (AIPAC) has called on Parliament and government to reintroduce Deputy Ministers and to re-establish the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs, saying their absence had undermined governance and service delivery.
AIPAC Executive Director, Solomon Ngoma said the institute conducted extensive research and concluded that Zambia’s current structure was overstretching Cabinet Ministers.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Wednesday, Ngoma noted that Zambia and Kenya were the only countries in Africa without Deputy Ministers, a situation the institute said had made it difficult for ministries to respond effectively to sector challenges.
He further argued that Zambia adopted the model without sufficient adaptation to local context, pointing to Kenya’s 2010 constitutional amendments as the origin of the structure in Africa.
“Zambia and Kenya remains the only countries in Africa without Deputy Ministers, and this has made the work of Cabinet Ministers more difficult as they struggle to address the many challenges facing various sectors,” Ngoma said.
He said the decision to remove Deputy Ministers was wrong and had left ministries without adequate support to implement government programs and monitor policy delivery across the country.
Ngoma cautioned against copying governance models from other countries without tailoring them to Zambia’s needs.
“It was wrong for Zambia to have borrowed this model which was only introduced in Africa by Kenya during its 2010 constitutional amendments. We must always be careful when borrowing certain laws and governance structures from other countries without adapting them to our own context,” he said.
He rejected claims that Deputy Ministers were a drain on public resources, describing such arguments as political rather than evidence-based and maintained that deputies were necessary to improve efficiency and ensure policies are executed on time.
“Parliament should act without delay to restore the positions. We therefore urge Parliamentarians to table a bill in the next sitting of Parliament to reintroduce Deputy Ministers as a matter of urgency,” Ngoma stated.
In addition to Deputy Ministers, Ngoma appealed to President Hakainde Hichilema to bring back the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs which was critical for preserving cultural heritage and for coordination between government and traditional leadership.
Ngoma also called for greater inclusivity in future Cabinet and Provincial Minister appointments.
“In exercising this authority, we respectfully urge him to consider appointing at least one person with disabilities and one representative from the private sector. This would broaden inclusivity and bring diverse perspectives into government,” he said.
Ngoma further pressed government to prioritize job creation through new economic models, with AIPAC proposing the immediate rollout of a 24-hour economy to expand opportunities and stimulate growth.
“AIPAC believes that these measures will enhance governance, improve service delivery, and reinforce Zambia’s democratic, cultural, and economic foundations,” Ngoma said.
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