The Zambian government has selected Dr. Inonge Mbikusita Lewanika, a veteran woman politician and diplomat as its candidate for the position of African Union (AU) Commission. The elections for the position of the AU Commission chairperson will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in January 2008.

Mbikusita Lewanika is currently the country’s Ambassador to the United States of America (USA).

Lewanika, who holds a PhD in Early Childhood and Education-Teacher Educator and a Masters Degree in Education and Psychology, once headed an ill-fated opposition political party called Agenda for Zambia before joining the current ruling party, Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD). From 1991 to 2001, Lewanika served as Member of Parliament (MP) in the Zambian National Assembly.

Born Princess Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika on 10 July 1943 in Senanga western Zambia, She is the daughter of King Lewanika of Barotseland.

She attended New York University and began her career as a lecturer and professor of education at the University of Zambia She was later employed by UNICEF as a regional adviser for Africa. She ran for president in 2001, capturing about 0.6 percent of the vote under the Agenda for Zambia (AZ) banner.

The country’s Vice-President Rupiah Banda is leading the campaign for Lewanika. When he launched the said campaign in the Capital Lusaka on September 11, Banda noted that Southern Africa had never produced a candidate for the top job of the continental body.

He particularly called on Sothern Africa Development Community (SADC) to support Lewanika saying AU faced many challenges that called for the reinvigoration of the continental organisation to enable it rise to the occasion.
“I wish to make an appeal for support to all our true friends in the SADC region as well as in Central, Eastern, Northern and West Africa,” Mr Banda said.

Zambia, through its president Levy Mwanawasa, is the current chair of SADC.
To Zambians, the Vice-President said:“You are all urged to take advantage of every single opportunity of interaction on every single forum to, whether regional, continental or international, to drive the campaign that is about to begin,” he said.
“I urge all Zambian friends and well-wishers on the continent and in the international arena to support and actively participate in the campaign for the candidature of Ambassador Mbikusita-Lewanika,” he said.

And Mike Mulongoti, Zambian government spokesperson appealed to African women to support the candidature of Lewanika.

According to the Zambian government spokesperson, Lewanika had been associated with the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) which was the forerunner of the AU. Mulongoti said Lewanika was once appointed as President Levy Mwanawasa’s special envoy to the OAU when the Zambian President was chairperson from 2001 to 2002.

According to Mulongoti, She has also participated in the drafting of the Charter of the African Child and chaired several OAU workshops on gender mainstreaming and competently served as a member of the African Women Committee on Peace and Development.