27/08/2026
Zambia’s Prime Ministers: The One-Party Era
In 1973, Zambia formally became a one-party state under a new Constitution, beginning an era in which democracy came with a notable qualification: there was only one party from which to choose.
The United National Independence Party (UNIP) was the country’s sole legal political party, so elections continued but the political menu offered only one option.
Around the same period, Zambia closed its border with Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, amid escalating regional tensions. On December 5, 1973, general elections were held, with Dr Kenneth Kaunda standing as the sole presidential candidate. UNIP candidates contested seats in the unicameral National Assembly.
The one-party system followed the 1972 prohibition of opposition political activity and the signing of the Choma Declaration with the African National Congress. The new constitutional order formally took effect in 1973, confirming UNIP’s status as the country’s only legal political party.
It also introduced another significant feature into Zambia’s political architecture: the office of Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister was responsible for the administration of government, with Mainza Chona becoming the first person to hold the office. Over the next 18 years, five other men would serve in the position before it was abolished in 1991, following the restoration of multiparty politics.
Here is a look at the men who served as Zambia’s Prime Ministers between 1973 and 1991:
Mainza Chona
Born on January 21, 1930, Chona became Zambia’s first Prime Minister, serving from August 25, 1973, to May 27, 1975.
He later returned to the office from July 20, 1977, to June 15, 1978 evidence that, in politics, a departure does not always mean a permanent exit.
He died in 2001 at the age of 71.
Elijah Mudenda
Born on June 6, 1927, Mudenda served as Prime Minister from May 27, 1975, to July 20, 1977.
He died in 2008 at the age of 81.
Daniel Lisulo
A lawyer by profession, L