Can Politicians survive without foreign funding for campaigns?

Political party financing has remained a key […]

Political party financing has remained a key issue in many African democracies, with growing calls for greater transparency and reduced dependence on foreign donors. Against this backdrop, political and human rights activist Gabriel Sampa Mailo has urged Zambia to prioritize locally funded political parties, arguing that the approach would strengthen accountability, protect national security and safeguard the country’s sovereignty.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Zambian Business Times -ZBT Mailo said African countries should be cautious about relying on financial support from foreign governments and organizations to sustain political parties.

He said discussions on political party financing have become increasingly important, particularly following continental engagements on electoral integrity. “Many African countries should move away from sourcing funds from foreigners outside their continent, or outside Zambia in this case,” Mailo said.

According to Mailo, some foreign organizations that finance political activities may have questionable backgrounds, making external funding a potential risk to a country’s internal security. “Some of these institutions funding political parties are involved in terrorism, human trafficking and other questionable activities. The moment you receive money from anyone, you risk exposing your country’s internal security,” he said.

Mailo said political parties should instead mobilize financial support from local citizens, arguing that this would make political leaders more accountable to the people who elect them. “For me, local contributions from the Zambian people are the way to go because citizens can hold leaders accountable once they form government. If leaders fail to deliver, the same people who supported them have every right to demand accountability,” he said.

He further questioned whether African countries could claim to be fully independent while political institutions continued to depend heavily on foreign financial support.

“Today we are still questioning whether African countries are truly independent, and one of the reasons is that many institutionscontinue receiving funds from Europe, North America and other foreign countries,” Mailo said.

He said strengthening domestic political financing would not only protect Zambia’s sovereignty but also promote greater public confidence in the country’s democratic system by ensuring political parties remain accountable to the citizens they seek to serve.

 By Karen Ngulube.