Hichilema is finishing Mazoka’s term- Chuzu

8 Views President Hichilema at the funeral of his Uncle Josias HamalamboPresident Hakainde Hichilema’s first presidential term will only begin in 2031, according to long-serving UPND official Michael Chuzu. Chuzu, who says he works in the office of the UPND Secretary General, made the remarks when he featured on the Big Hour programme on KBN. […]

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President Hichilema at the funeral of his Uncle Josias HamalamboPresident Hakainde Hichilema’s first presidential term will only begin in 2031, according to long-serving UPND official Michael Chuzu.

Chuzu, who says he works in the office of the UPND Secretary General, made the remarks when he featured on the Big Hour programme on KBN.

As monitored by Zambian Eye, Chuzu argued that although President Hichilema has just begun his second term following the August 13, 2026 general elections, his two constitutional terms should only be counted from 2031.

According to Chuzu, President Hichilema is currently completing the presidential tenure that belonged to late UPND founding president Anderson Mazoka.
Mazoka, who was the first president of the UPND, died in 2006.

The UPND was formed in 1998 and first contested national elections in 2001, with Mazoka narrowly losing the presidential election to MMD candidate Levy Mwanawasa. Mazoka disputed the election results.

Following Mazoka’s death, Hichilema succeeded him as UPND president after defeating then Acting Party President Sakwiba Sikota at a closely contested party convention.

Hichilema subsequently made several unsuccessful attempts at the presidency, contesting the 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015 and 2016 elections before finally winning the 2021 presidential election.

Chuzu’s interpretation of Hichilema’s tenure comes against the backdrop of the constitutional provision limiting a person to two terms in the office of President.

However, Chuzu argues that Hichilema’s first and second presidential terms should be counted from 2031 because, in his interpretation, the current term is effectively a continuation of Mazoka’s unfinished tenure.

He further said the UPND was putting measures in place to ensure that the party remains in power for a long time, unlike previous ruling parties such as UNIP, MMD and the Patriotic Front.
The argument that political leaders’ tenure should be viewed differently depending on when their party formed government is not new within the UPND.
Long-serving UPND lawmaker Jack Mwiimbu has previously made a similar argument.

Mwiimbu, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2001, recently moved from the long-held Monze Central seat to the newly created Monze East Constituency.

Speaking about the move, Mwiimbu said that although he had served in Parliament for years, he would be starting his first term in Monze East because it was a newly created constituency.

He subsequently won the Monze East seat in the August 13, 2026 general elections and returned to Parliament.
The argument has drawn comparisons with Chuzu’s position on President Hichilema’s tenure, as both seek to distinguish between previous political service and the beginning of a new political term based on a change in circumstances.

Zambian Eye reports that Chuzu’s latest comments are likely to fuel further debate over the interpretation of presidential tenure and whether President Hichilema could seek to remain in office beyond two terms.

The debate comes amid growing calls from some quarters for President Hichilema to continue beyond the two-term limit.

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