Lusaka, Zambia — Finance and National Planning Minister, Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane, has urged citizens to reframe the national conversation on constituency delimitation, describing it as a critical development imperative rather than a political maneuver.
In a message directed at the public, Dr. Musokotwane explained that modernizing electoral boundaries is essential for fair representation and equitable access to public resources. He argued that Zambia is currently governed using a constituency map designed for a much smaller and differently distributed population, leading to inefficient service delivery and overburdened communities.
“We’ve outgrown our current constituency layout,” Dr. Musokotwane stated. “When the population expands but the map stays the same, people end up competing harder for the same limited services. That’s not sustainable.”
The Minister highlighted the practical strain on large constituencies, where a single Member of Parliament must serve a vast population. This, he noted, results in excessive demand for Constituency Development Fund (CDF) projects, overwhelmed bursary applications, and stretched empowerment programs, leaving community needs inadequately met.
Dr. Musokotwane emphasized that the issue is structural, not personal or partisan. He directly addressed concerns that delimitation could be used for political advantage, asserting that the process is constitutionally mandated and will be executed by the independent Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) using transparent, technical criteria.
“This is about strengthening representation,” he clarified. “It’s about giving every community a fair chance to be heard and served.”
He pointed out that young people, in particular, would benefit from “right-sized” constituencies, as they enable leaders to engage more directly with communities, supervise projects more effectively, and ensure opportunities reach more households. “Smaller and more balanced constituencies reduce congestion in bursary systems, improve project supervision, and give local residents more frequent interaction with their elected representatives,” he added.
Linking the exercise to broader governance goals, Dr. Musokotwane stated that delimitation is fundamental to successful decentralization, arguing that the impact of CDF and other resources becomes clearer and more equitable when constituencies reflect current demographic realities.
The Minister concluded by calling on Zambians to approach the boundary review with an open mind, cautioning against misinformation. He framed the process as a long-overdue step toward a more responsive, inclusive, and modern system of representation for the nation.
