Dolika Banda To Challenge HH In 2026

Former late president Rupiah Banda’s niece, Dolika Banda, is set to challenge President Hakainde Hichilema in the 2026 general elections, according to a reliable family source.

President Hichilema appointed Banda to head ZCCM-IH in December 2021, becoming the first female board chairperson. However, she resigned from her position in May 2023, with some sources quoting her as citing political interference.

Reliable sources say that Banda is expected to stand on an already existing party, and that talks have advanced.

“She is standing next year. That decision has already been communicated to the family. Of course, some family members have expressed apprehension around this development and are not quite supportive. 

When asked whether Banda would register and launch a new political party in the remaining time, the source stated, “No, no. She is in talks with one of the existing political parties. The talks have advanced, and the plan is to hand her the party leadership.”

Meanwhile, in a Facebook post on 13 August 2025, Banda stated that Zambia needed a governance structure that was accountable to actual results.

“There’s still a gap between what we say and what actually changes. That gap is where governance matters most. It’s no longer enough to have powerful mission statements or well-written strategies. We need governance structures that hold us accountable to actual results. For me, the next frontier is integrating impact outcomes directly into how organisations are led and measured. Impact should not be an afterthought, it must be part of the design,” read the post.

Banda has, to date, refrained from offering any public statement regarding the speculation over her potential candidacy in the 2026 presidential race. However, the timing for launching a serious campaign is already running out, raising questions about how viable, and ultimately how successful, such a bid could realistically be.