Emerine Kabanshi
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Emerine Kabanshi
| office = Member of the National Assembly for Luapula
| term_start = September 2011
| term_end = August 2021
| president = Michael Sata
Edgar Lungu
| image =
| caption =
| office2 = Deputy Minister of Gender
| predecessor2 = Lucy Changwe
| successor2 = Esther Banda
| term_start2 = November 2011
| term_end2 = March 2012
| office3 = Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs
| predecessor3 = Nkandu Luo
| successor3 = Emmanuel Chenda
| term_start3 = March 2012
| term_end3 = July 2012
| office4 = Minister of Local Government and Housing
| term_start4 = July 2012
| term_end4 = March 2014
| office5 = Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health
| term_start5 = March 2014
| term_end5 = September 2018
| predecessor5 = Joseph Katema
| successor5 = Olipa Phiri
| party = Patriotic Front
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1964|11|27}}
| birth_place = Zambia
| nationality = Zambian
| spouse =
| alma_mater = University of Lusaka
| successor = Chanda Katotobwe
| predecessor = Peter Machungwa
}}
Emerine Kabanshi (born November 27, 1964) is a Zambian politician and livestock specialist. Kabanshi served as a member of the National Assembly of Zambia for Luapula from 2011 to 2021, and she was appointed to the cabinets of presidents Michael Sata and Edgar Lungu.
After facing allegations of mismanaging social welfare funds during her time as minister of community development and social welfare, Kabanshi was sentenced to two years in prison, which she served from 2023 to 2025.
Early life and education
Emerine Kabanshi was born in 1964.{{Cite web |title=Emerine Kabanshi |url=https://www.parliament.gov.zm/node/224 |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=National Assembly of Zambia}} She holds a certificate in animal nutrition and a diploma in animal production from an institution in Germany, and before entering politics she worked as an animal husbandry technologist.{{Cite web |date=2018-01-29 |title=High‐level panel discussion on the priority theme "Strategies for eradicating poverty to achieve sustainable development for all" |url=https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2018/01/CSocD56-List-Panellists.pdf |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=United Nations}} She has also pursued advanced studies in development at the University of Lusaka.
Political career
In 2011, Kabanshi was elected to the National Assembly of Zambia as a Patriotic Front representative for Luapula.{{Cite web |title=Emerine Kabanshi 2011 |url=https://www.parliament.gov.zm/node/2749 |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=National Assembly of Zambia}} Later that year, she was appointed Deputy Minister of Gender by President Michael Sata.{{Cite news |date=2011-11-29 |title=Zambia: President Sata Appoints Kabanshi As Gender Deputy Minister |url=https://allafrica.com/stories/201111290477.html |access-date=2025-02-24 |work=Times of Zambia}} In March 2012, Sata promoted her to Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs.{{Cite news |date=2012-03-10 |title=Fire Erring Civil Servants, Orders Sata |work=AllAfrica |via=ProQuest}} Then, in July 2012, she became Minister of Local Government and Housing in a cabinet reshuffle.{{Cite news |date=2012-07-26 |title=Four Ministers Swapped |work=AllAfrica |via=ProQuest}}{{Cite news |date=2012-10-12 |title=Zambia |work=Federal Information & News Dispatch, LLC |via=ProQuest}}
In March 2014, in another Sata cabinet reshuffle, she was shifted to Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health.{{Cite news |date=2014-03-13 |title=Zambia President Sata reshuffles Cabinet, fires minister |work=Daily Nation |via=ProQuest}} After Sata's death that October, she supported her party's candidate, Edgar Lungu, in the ensuing presidential by-election.{{Cite news |last=Dale |first=Penny |date=2014-10-29 |title=Obituary: President Michael Sata, Zambia's 'King Cobra' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29823354 |access-date=2025-02-24 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}{{Cite news |date=2014-11-14 |title=63 MPs for Edgar |work=AllAfrica |via=ProQuest}} On his election in early 2015, Lungu retained her as Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health.{{Cite news |date=2015-02-12 |title=Cabinet Unveiled |work=AllAfrica |via=ProQuest}}{{Cite news |date=2015-02-13 |title=Zambian president unveils full cabinet |work=BBC Monitoring Africa |via=ProQuest}}
Kabanshi was re-elected to her National Assembly seat in 2016.{{Cite news |date=2016-06-29 |title=Lungu Slams UPND |work=AllAfrica |via=ProQuest}} That year, she was appointed Minister of Community Development and Social Welfare, essentially retaining her previous portfolio.{{Cite news |date=2016-09-29 |title=Zambian president names 9 more ministers |work=Xinhua News Agency |via=ProQuest}} She held that position until 2018, when she was fired amid allegations of financial mismanagement that prompted a major foreign aid freeze.{{Cite news |last=Mfula |first=Chris |date=2021-05-28 |title=Zambia ex-minister jailed in graft case that led to aid freeze |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/zambia-ex-minister-jailed-graft-case-that-led-aid-freeze-2021-05-28/ |access-date=2025-02-24 |work=Reuters}}{{Cite web |last=Chawe |first=Michael |date=2018-09-19 |title=Zambian minister Emerine Kabanshi sacked over graft claims |url=https://nation.africa/kenya/news/africa/zambian-minister-emerine-kabanshi-sacked-over-graft-claims--88944 |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=Nation |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2018-09-19 |title=Zambia sacks minister over graft scandal |work=AFP International Text Wire |via=ProQuest}}
She was arrested in May 2019 and in 2021 was convicted on two counts of willful failure to comply with the law over the incident, with a judge concluding she failed to follow appropriate procedures in the distribution of social welfare via a state-owned company, which led to beneficiaries not receiving the funds they were due.{{Cite news |date=2019-05-15 |title=Zambia arrests ex-minister for graft after British aid freeze |work=AFP International Text Wire |via=ProQuest}}{{Cite news |date=2021-05-28 |title=Zambia ex-minister jailed in graft case that led to aid freeze |work=Naija 247 News |via=ProQuest}}{{Cite web |date=2023-09-16 |title=Court rules ex-minister Kabanshi must serve two years jail sentence for acts of corruption |url=https://www.zambiamonitor.com/court-rules-ex-minister-kabanshi-must-serve-two-years-jail-sentence-for-acts-of-corruption/ |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=Zambia Monitor |language=en}} After the judgement was upheld by the High Court in 2023, she served her full sentence of 24 months in prison, despite requests from some party allies for her release on compassionate grounds after she suffered a stroke; she was released in January 2025.{{Cite web |last=Muchinshi |first=Angela |date=2025-01-15 |title=Emerine Kabanshi leaves prison |url=https://diggers.news/local/2025/01/15/emerine-kabanshi-leaves-prison/ |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=Zambia: News Diggers! |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Muchinshi |first=Angela |date=2024-12-23 |title=Release Emerine Kabanshi on health grounds, Mecha asks to HH |url=https://diggers.news/local/2024/12/23/release-emerine-kabanshi-on-health-grounds-mecha-asks-to-hh/ |access-date=2025-02-24 |website=Zambia: News Diggers! |language=en}}
References
Category:Zambian women in politics
Category:Local government ministers of Zambia
Category:Women government ministers of Zambia
Category:Community Development and Social Services ministers of Zambia
Category:Members of the National Assembly of Zambia
Category:Patriotic Front (Zambia) politicians
Category:Politicians convicted of corruption