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PoliticsZambia

Our time is now: Zambia's youth running in elections

June 11, 2026

As Zambia races toward August 13 general elections, a new generation is challenging the status quo—and they're asking a tough question: Why does a nation of young people keep electing old voices?

https://p.dw.com/p/5Dd7j

With Zambia’s August 13 elections approaching, young candidates are challenging an aging political order. Fed up with exclusion, they reject being labeled “the future” and demand representation now.

After decades of marginalization—under 1% of MPs under 30—the youth surge signals determination, activism, urgency, and generational change across Zambia’s democratic landscape nationwide.