Makebi Zulu

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Makebi Zulu
Member of the National Assembly of Zambia
In office
August 2016 – August 2021
ConstituencyMalambo
Personal details
Born (1981-12-25) 25 December 1981
PartyPatriotic Front
University of Zambia
ProfessionLawyer

Makebi Zulu (born 25 December 1981) is a Zambian lawyer[1] and politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Malambo Constituency from 2016 to 2021, during which he served as the Provincial Minister for Eastern Province.[2] He is a member of the Patriotic Front.[2]

Education

He studied law at the University of Zambia, completing in 2005.[3]

Makebi Zulu is a practicing lawyer and founding partner at Makebi Zulu Advocates, a Lusaka-based law firm known for its involvement in legal matters. He has represented clients in both civil and criminal cases and is known for his work in constitutional law and electoral law.[4]

Political career

Zulu was elected to the National Assembly of Zambia in the 2016 general election to represent Malambo constituency under the Patriotic Front.[2] He was later appointed as Eastern Province Minister,[2] where he oversaw development initiatives and government projects in the region.[5]

He has also been vocal in parliamentary debates, especially on constitutional amendments and governance issues.[6] Zulu played a visible role in public legal discussions around Bill 10, a proposed constitutional amendment bill that sparked national debate.[7][8][9]

Zulu decided to stand again in Malambo constituency at the 2021 general election and finished second to Peter Phiri of the United Party for National Development.[10] He then became the lawyer and spokesperson for former President Edgar Lungu and his family. He was Lungu's lawyer in the case of whether Lungu is eligible to stand for presidency at the next election in 2026[11][12] as well as in the case of where to bury Lungu after he died in June 2025.[13][14]

In October 2025, Zulu announced his intention to contest for the presidency of the Patriotic Front (PF).[15] On 11 March 2026, the PF Pamodzi Alliance was formed by a faction of the PF where Given Lubinda was the acting president, with the party resigning from the Tonse Alliance.[16][17] On 15 March 2026, Lubinda announced that after many delays, his PF faction would host a convention to choose their new leader within four days.[18] The convention took place virtually on 21 March 2026 and the delegates that were present elected Makebi Zulu to be the president of the party faction with 49.2% of the vote, with Chitalu Chilufya winning 34.1% of the vote.[19][20]

Due to Miles Sampa being recognized as the legal PF party president at the time,[21][22][23] the PF faction led by Makebi Zulu opted to use a different party from among the membership of the PF Pamodzi Alliance for candidacy at the 2026 general election and the Resolute Party was chosen as the special purpose vehicle in early May 2026 after a meeting by the party leaders within the alliance.[24][25] During the same month, the PF Pamodzi Alliance had agreed to an alliance partnership with the Tonse Alliance (which the PF was previously part of) led by Brian Mundubile for unity in the 2026 general election and an agreement was made for Mundubile to be the presidential candidate of the alliance and Zulu to stand as his running mate (vice president) in the alliance at the election to happen in August that year.[26][27][28][29][30]

References

  1. zamobserver (4 August 2025). "MAKEBI ZULU SCORES HIS OWN GO IN COURT - The Zambian Observer". Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  2. "Makebi Zulu | National Assembly of Zambia". www.parliament.gov.zm. Archived from the original on 13 January 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  3. zamobserver (8 October 2022). "PERSONALITY PROFILE OF THE WEEK: Senior Counsel Makebi Zulu - The Zambian Observer". Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  4. "Lawyer Makebi Zulu Speaks on Bill 10". Zambia Reports. 4 November 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  5. "Eastern Province Minister Makebi Zulu praises Chinese support". Lusaka Times. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  6. "Zambia : Makebi Zulu Warns of Dangerous Power Grab as Government Seeks to Alter Constitution". 26 May 2025. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  7. Malunga, Julia (12 January 2022). "Bill 10 could've fixed Article 52 – Makebi". Zambia: News Diggers!. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  8. "Zambia : Calls for the Government to subject Bill 10 to a referendum are baseless-Makebi Zulu". Lusaka Times. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  9. Nkomesha, Ulande. "UPND's attempts to stop Bill 10 outside Parley will fail – Makebi". Zambia: News Diggers!. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  10. Results for the 2021 parliamentary elections - Electoral Commission of Zambia
  11. "ECL Will Not Petition For ConCourt to Change Verdict — Makebi Zulu | Zambian Digest". 29 October 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  12. "Court reserves July 8 for ruling on Lungu's eligibility for elections, as govt lawyers oppose dismissal of case | Zambia Monitor". 14 June 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  13. "Edgar Lungu funeral: Zambia's ex-president left instructions that Hichilema should stay away". www.bbc.com. 13 June 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  14. AfricaNews (25 June 2025). "Edgar Lungu's family condemns court decision to stop private burial in South Africa". Africanews. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  15. zamobserver (29 October 2025). "Makebi Zulu Eyes Presidential Bid — Pledges to Heal, Unite, justice, and Constitutional Order in Zambia - The Zambian Observer". Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  16. Mabenga, Elizabeth. "Lubinda's PF launches Pamodzi Alliance, distances itself from Tonse". Zambia: News Diggers!. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  17. SICHULA, AUGUSTINE (11 March 2026). "Lubinda-led PF faction forms Pamodzi Alliance, cuts ties with Tonse Alliance (Video)". Zambia Monitor. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  18. "THE LONG AWAITED PF CONVENTION TO BE HELD WITHIN FOUR DAYS". Diamond Media. 15 March 2026. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  19. "Zambia : Makebi Zulu Wins Patriotic Front Presidential Race with 49.2 Percent". Lusaka Times. 22 March 2026. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  20. Jere, Shadreck. "PF convention votes Makebi, as Chitalu beats Lubinda". Zambia: News Diggers!. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  21. "Zambia : Sampa dissolves PF structures, resets leadership after court ruling". Lusaka Times. 7 April 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  22. Jere, Shadreck. "I'm still the legal PF president – Miles". Zambia: News Diggers!. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  23. "PF leadership wrangles continue to 'thicken', as Miles Sampa declares himself president - Mwebantu". 3 April 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  24. Munkombwe, Elijah. "Makebi to contest under Resolute Party". Zambia: News Diggers!. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  25. Jere, Shadreck. "ECZ names 26 presidential aspirants who paid nomination fees". Zambia: News Diggers!. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  26. "Zambia : Mundubile Succesfully [sic] Files In With Makebi As Running Mate". Lusaka Times. 19 May 2026. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
  27. zamobserver (20 May 2026). "From Division to Unity: Brian Mundubile & Makebi Zulu's Rise as Zambia's New Opposition Force for 2026 - The Zambian Observer". Retrieved 24 May 2026.
  28. muvi (18 May 2026). "Mundubile-Makebi alliance tests UPND confidence". Muvi TV. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
  29. Jere, Shadreck. "Mundubile, Makebi file in for Aug polls, dedicate their campaign to Lungu". Zambia: News Diggers!. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
  30. Jere, Shadreck. "Mundubile, Makebi will give the opposition an outright win – Mumbi". Zambia: News Diggers!. Retrieved 24 May 2026.