By zambianobserver
Africa-Press – Zambia. – By Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane, MP (Liuwa),
Minister of Finance and National Planning
My fellow citizens, especially the young people of our beautiful country,
Let me speak to you plainly today. Among other matters in the Constituency review process, our nation is discussing something important — delimitation, or the updating of constituency boundaries.
I know the debate has become heated, emotional, and sometimes filled with deep concerns. That is natural because whenever a country looks at its constitution, the level of public discourse rises.
Beyond all that public debate, we must return to one simple question: Does Zambia need to modernise its constituency boundaries so development can reach people more effectively?
From where I stand — looking at the numbers, the experiences of communities, and the lessons from Africa and the wider world — the answer is yes. Strongly yes.
Let me explain why.
1. Zambian Population Has Grown — But Our Constituency Boundaries Have Not
Our population has passed 20 million people, yet we still have 156 constituencies, the same number we had when our population was far smaller.
In some areas today, one MP is responsible for a population as large as an entire district elsewhere.
What does that mean in real life?
– It means youths waiting longer for bursaries.
– It means stretched services.
– It means leaders cannot reach every corner of their constituency.
– It means CDF is shared among so many people that even good projects struggle to get attention.
Large constituencies create quiet inequality — not because anyone intends it, but because the structure no longer matches reality.
As Nobel Peace Prize Winner in Economics Paul Krugman explains: when institutions fail to adjust to population changes, inequality becomes embedded in the system.
2. The World Has Learned This Lesson — And So Have We
Across Africa, Asia, and global institutions like the AfDB, UNDP and World Bank, the message is consistent: development slows when outdated boundaries fail to reflect real populations and real communities.
As an example, Asian regional blocs have also shown that countries grow faster and more equitably when administrative units are kept up to date.
When boundaries match where people actually live, services improve. When they don’t, oversight becomes difficult. This is not a new idea. It is a tested governance principle.
As another Nobel Peace Prize Winner in Economics Joseph Stiglitz notes, systems that do not adjust “tend to drift toward serving fewer people while leaving many behind.” We don’t want to leave anyone behind in Zambia.
And our very own founding President, Dr. Kenneth David Buchizya Kaunda (blessed memory), once reminded us that: A nation only develops when all its people participate fully.
3. This Is Not About Politics — It Is About Fairness & Equitable Development
Some critics think delimitation is political. But even without political actors in the picture, Zambia would face the same structural problem. Some constituencies are simply too large to serve people effectively.
This is not ideology. It is arithmetic reality. It is geography. It is lived experience. It is about ensuring that all regions benefit from opportunities and resources via CDF and other facilities.
Regional research from both African and Asian development organisations confirms the same thing: when representation stretches beyond reasonable limits, accountability becomes difficult and development slows.
Updating Constituency boundaries is not a political tactic — it is a governance improvement and imperative.
4. Why Young People Stand to Gain the Most
Let me speak directly to the youth. You are the ones who will benefit when boundaries reflect reality. Why? Because opportunity will become fairer.
In oversized constituencies today:
– Youth bursaries become overcrowded.
– Empowerment grants become oversubscribed.
– CDF spreads too thinly.
– Leaders struggle to monitor projects.
– Your voice gets diluted by distance and constituency expanse.
But with reasonable constituency sizes:
– Your chances for bursaries will improve.
– Your community projects will receive proper attention.
– Your MP will meet you more often.
– Development becomes visible, reachable, and responsive.
Author Paulo Freire said: “The more people become agents in their own development, the more fully human they become.”
That is what delimitation unlocks — more agency, more access, more opportunity for more people.
5. Nothing About This Is Outside the Constitution
The Constitution actually expects boundary reviews.
It clearly sets criteria i.e. population size, geography, communication networks, and fair representation.
These are not political tools — they are constitutional guidelines meant to ensure equity.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia will lead the technical process, under criteria that citizens can openly review. Transparency protects all of us.
6. Decentralisation Works Better With Updated Boundaries
Today, CDF is one of our strongest tools for taking development directly to communities. It finances schools, clinics, markets, youth skills, women’s cooperatives, and local infrastructure.
But in very large constituencies, even CDF faces constraints. Demand becomes unusually high because the boundaries no longer match the population.
By aligning constituencies properly:
– CDF will become more targeted.
– Accountability will become stronger.
– Development will become more visible.
– Youth participation will become more meaningful.
So, it is not the size of the allocation that changes — it is the fairness of its reach.
7. Let Us Not Allow Fear to Restrict Progress
Some people fear delimitation. That is understandable. But fear alone cannot be our guide.
We cannot allow constituency boundaries drawn for the Zambia of decades ago to hold back the Zambia of today.
Nor should we allow misunderstandings to overshadow factual, constitutional requirements.
As Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General once said,
“Good governance is the cornerstone of development.”
So, updating our constituency boundaries is good governance.
8. What This Means in Simple Terms
If we modernise our constituency boundaries:
– Your MP will be closer to you.
– Your bursaries will be fairer.
– Your community projects will be better supervised.
– Your voice will carry more weight.
– Your community will receive its equitable share.
– Development will become more precise and more responsive.
So, this is not about favouring one group — it is about strengthening opportunities for all. Democracy is strongest when it adapts to the realities of its people.
As Freire reminds us:
“Democracy requires deliberate, collective action.” Delimitation is one such action.
My Appeal to You
My dear youths, mothers, fathers, workers, entrepreneurs, students and community leaders, let us support delimitation not because it is easy, but because it is fair, because it is constitutional,
and because it enhances service delivery and brings development closer to every community—without leaving anyone behind.
Zambia deserves constituency boundaries that reflect who we are today — and who we aim to become tomorrow in our development agenda.
This reform will not weaken our democracy. It will deepen it.
Thank you.
(NOTE THAT THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THE ARTICLE ARE PERSONAL: Other sources have also been quoted to leverage their expertise on some of these issues and help shape the debate into acceptable context).
Source: The Zambian Observer
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