Who runs local government in Zambia?

Zambia has 116 elected district councils (city, municipal and town councils), each with a directly elected mayor or council chairperson and ward councillors. The 10 provinces are run by ministers appointed by the President. Chiefs administer customary land and are represented in a constitutional House of Chiefs and on local councils.

Republic of Zambia · Unitary presidential republic · Southern Africa

The levels of government below the nation

Level	How it is chosen	What it does
Provinces (10)	Provincial minister appointed by the President	Ensures national policy is carried out in districts; no elected provincial council.
Districts / local authorities (116: 5 city, 14 municipal, 97 town councils)	Mayor or council chairperson and ward councillors directly elected by first-past-the-post for five years; three chiefs' representatives also sit on each council; a district commissioner appointed by the President represents central government	Local services such as markets, water and sanitation in some areas, roads, planning, registration of villages and administration of chiefs' affairs.
Wards (1,858)	Each elects one councillor; Ward Development Committees are formed under the Local Government Act 2019	Community participation and local project planning.

Three questions about local power in Zambia

Are local leaders elected?

Mayors, council chairpersons and ward councillors are elected. Provincial ministers and district commissioners are appointed by the President. Chiefs are chosen by custom.

Which laws set up local government?

Councils, WDCs, the House of Chiefs and the chiefs' council seats are in the Constitution or statute. How chiefs are selected within royal families is customary.

Who are local leaders accountable to?

Elected officials face voters every five years. Council staff are appointed and moved by the Local Government Service Commission, not by councils. Chiefs answer to their communities and royal establishments; the House of Chiefs has no veto.

Traditional and customary authority

The Constitution guarantees the institution of chieftaincy and forbids Parliament from giving anyone the power to recognise or withdraw recognition of a chief, which is meant to protect chiefs from political interference. A chief who wants to hold office in a political party or most state offices must give up the throne, but may serve as a councillor. The House of Chiefs, made up of five chiefs elected by the chiefs of each province, considers bills on custom and tradition and advises government. Chiefs administer customary land in their chiefdoms and settle local disputes.

Community and neighbourhood power

Ward Development Committees (WDCs), set up under section 38 of the Local Government Act 2019, are the official channel for residents to shape council plans and projects. Neighbourhood health committees and village-level headpersons also connect people to services.

Points to know

Zambia elects its mayors directly, unlike many neighbours where councils choose them.
Council staff are hired by a national commission, which limits councils' control over their own administration.
13 new districts were created between 2016 and 2018, raising the total from 103 to 116.

Local terms

House of Chiefs: An advisory body of chiefs elected by fellow chiefs in each province.
Ward Development Committee (WDC): A statutory committee for community participation in each ward.

Sources

Constitution of Zambia 1991 (rev. 2016), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
Country profile: Zambia (SNG-WOFI, 2022 edition), OECD–UCLG World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment (SNG-WOFI), checked 14 October 2026
The local government system in Zambia: country profile 2017–18, Commonwealth Local Government Forum, checked 14 October 2026
Electoral Commission of Zambia (official site), Electoral Commission of Zambia, checked 14 October 2026