GODAZA Urges MPs to Support Return of Deputy Ministers

By Pauline Ngozoh

The Governance and Development Advocates Zambia (GODAZA) says the Grow Zambia Agenda is the only practical solution to economic growth, poverty alleviation and sustainable development for more than 22 million citizens.

GODAZA Executive Director Elias Mulenga said the agenda requires proper distribution of resources, effective service delivery and close monitoring at national and grassroots levels, which cannot be achieved with the current lean structure.

He observed that Zambia's population is now estimated at 22.1 million in 2026, with 25 Cabinet Ministers, 164 Members of Parliament and 10 Provincial Ministers supervising development. He advanced that one Minister is effectively responsible for about 880,000 citizens and one MP for about 134,146 citizens.

Mulenga said it is practically impossible for one Minister to supervise a vast ministry, attend Parliament, attend Cabinet and monitor projects in all 10 provinces, noting that stalled projects, weak Constituency Development Fund monitoring and poor service delivery are consequences of this gap.

He emphasised that the Constitution of Zambia previously provided for Deputy Ministers and can be amended through Article 79, which allows a Private Member's Bill supported by two-thirds of MPs to table an amendment.

He noted Deputy Ministers would improve monitoring, balanced representation, capacity building and efficiency without merely increasing cost, and called upon newly elected MPs to put Zambia first and propose a Private Member's Motion to debate the re-introduction of Deputy Ministers.