Nakonde residents welcome two nominated MPs

Residents of Nakonde District in Muchinga Province have welcomed the nomination of two locals as Members of Parliament under the Proportional Representation (PR) system. The two are Florence Mweene, who was nominated by the United Party for National Development (UPND) under the…

Residents of Nakonde District in Muchinga Province have welcomed the nomination of two locals as Members of Parliament under the Proportional Representation (PR) system.

The two are Florence Mweene, who was nominated by the United Party for National Development (UPND) under the women’s category, and Harry Simuntala of the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP), who was nominated under the youth category.

Former Nakonde Member of Parliament Yizukanji Siwanzi said the inclusion of people from Nakonde on the PR list demonstrates political parties’ recognition of the contribution of people in border districts to national development.

Mr Siwanzi said youths in Nakonde have for a long time felt excluded from decision-making processes despite making up a significant part of the population.

He said the presence of a youth representative in Parliament would motivate young people to participate in entrepreneurship and cross-border trade, which are major sources of livelihood in the district.

Mr Siwanzi was speaking in an interview with the media in Nakonde .

“We are happy that our own people from Nakonde have been considered. We expect them to speak for us, especially on issues affecting women and young people in border areas,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nakonde resident Norman Simusamba said the development will inspire more young people and women in the district to take a keen interest in governance matters.

Mr Simusamba said the nomination of Ms Mweene is particularly encouraging as it demonstrates a commitment to promoting women’s leadership and gender equality.

He noted that women in Nakonde face unique challenges relating to trade, health and education and expressed confidence that the new female MP will effectively raise such issues in the National Assembly.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) yesterday validated 40 Members of Parliament under the PR system.

Of the 40 MPs, 20 are women, 15 are youths and five are persons with disabilities.

The seats were created following the enactment of the Constitution of Zambia Amendment Act Number 13 of 2025.