Edith Zewelani Nawakwi (born ) is a Zambian politician and economist by profession. She is the first woman in Zambia to hold the post of Minister of Finance following her appointment in 1998 since Zambia's independence 33 years previously to that time. She was also the first woman to hold that post in the SADC region. She is the President of the

Forum for Democracy and Development The Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) is a political party in Zambia. History The FDD was founded in 2001 by former members of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD), disaffected by Frederick Chiluba's efforts to change the constit ...

under which she ran for president at the 2016 general election.

Early life and education

Nawakwi was born in Mwenzo, Northern Province of Zambia. She holds a degree in Agriculture Economics and Business Management from the

University of Zambia The University of Zambia (UNZA) is a public university located in Lusaka, Zambia. It is Zambia's largest and oldest learning institution. The university was established in 1965 and officially opened to the public on 12 July 1966. The language of ...

and a post-graduate diploma in Economics of Energy and Development from Imperial College London, London.

Career

Her political career saw her join the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) in 1990. She held various political positions including Minister of State for Energy & Water Development, Minister of Energy & Water Development, Minister of Agriculture, Food & Fisheries, Minister of Finance and Minister of Labour & Social Security between 1992 and 2001. In 2001, she and some ex-members of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy formed the

where she served as the party's secretary-general and vice-president before she was elected party president in 2005, making her the first woman in Zambia to achieve such feat. In 2011, under the platform of the Forum for Democracy and Development, she was the only woman who contested in the 2011 general election, placing seventh on the log with a total of 6,833 votes. She also contested in the 2015 presidential election, placing third with a vote percentage of 0.92%. In 2016, she ran for the presidency at the 2016 general election where she placed third, receiving a total of 24,149 votes.

Personal life

She is married to Geofrey Hambulo with whom she has three children. In January 2013, one of her daughters, Hatamba Hambulo was murdered. Her dumped body was found in a manhole in Ibex Hill with her hands and legs tied.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nawakwi, Edith 1959 births Living people Finance Ministers of Zambia Agriculture ministers of Zambia University of Zambia alumni Alumni of Imperial College London People from Northern Province, Zambia Forum for Democracy and Development politicians Zambian economists Zambian women economists Female finance ministers 20th-century Zambian women politicians 20th-century Zambian politicians 21st-century Zambian women politicians 21st-century Zambian politicians Women government ministers of Zambia Members of the National Assembly of Zambia Energy ministers of Zambia