The military, civil society and democracy in Zambia: Prospects for the future

This research paper examines the relationship between civil society, the military, and democratic consolidation in Zambia. It argues that while civil society has grown, it has largely ignored the 'democratisation of the military,' leaving a void in civilian oversight of defence policy and budgeting. The author suggests that stable civil-military relations require a partnership between the military, parliament, and civil society to ensure transparency, accountability, and the subordination of the armed forces to civilian control.

• Zambian civil society organisations, despite their activity in human rights and governance, have failed to take a leading role in the democratisation of the military or in ensuring the subordination of the military to civilian control.
• The Zambian military has historically maintained a culture of secrecy, though this is being challenged by independent media and legal rulings. For example, in November 1999, 13 journalists from The Post were charged with espionage for reporting on military preparedness against Angola, but were subsequently acquitted by the High Court in Lusaka.
• Zambia experienced two coup attempts in the 1990s. The 1990 attempt was viewed as a catalyst for the return of multiparty politics. The 1997 attempt by junior officers, who cited poverty and economic decadence, revealed weaknesses in the civilian government's ability to maintain stable civil-military relations and divided civil society groups.
• There is a significant lack of transparency and accountability regarding the Ministry of Defence's budget. Auditor General reports from 1994 to 1999 indicated the abuse of funds, yet neither Parliament nor civil society pursued these abuses as aggressively as they do in other public sectors.
• The author identifies a failure in consultation regarding defence policy, citing the executive's decision to mediate in the Great Lakes region and the deployment of troops to UN peacekeeping missions in Sierra Leone—where over 400 Zambian troops were captured in 2000—as examples of decisions made without public or parliamentary debate.
• The 2000 National Capacity Building Programme (NCBP), intended as a blueprint for good governance in Zambia over ten years, failed to mention how democratisation programmes would involve or affect the military establishment.

APA

Habasonda, L. M. (n.d.). The military, civil society and democracy in Zambia: Prospects for the future. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/OURSELVESHABASONDA.PDF

Chicago

Habasonda, Lee M. The military, civil society and democracy in Zambia: Prospects for the future. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/OURSELVESHABASONDA.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Habasonda |first1=Lee M |title=The military, civil society and democracy in Zambia: Prospects for the future |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/OURSELVESHABASONDA.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{habasondandmilitary, author = {Habasonda, Lee M}, title = {{The military, civil society and democracy in Zambia: Prospects for the future}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/OURSELVESHABASONDA.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }