By Brian Matambo – Lusaka, Zambia

John Sangwa, one of Zambia’s most prominent constitutional lawyers, has broken months of speculation by issuing a wide-ranging public statement that places him within reach of the country’s highest office.

In a three-page call titled “A Call to National Reflection”, Sangwa acknowledged the mounting pressure from within and outside Zambia for him to join politics. While carefully avoiding the language of a formal declaration, the respected State Counsel left little doubt that he is now positioning himself as a potential presidential contender ahead of the 2026 elections.

“The future will not be secured by one person’s sacrifice alone, but by the collective will of all citizens acting together under the Constitution,” Sangwa wrote, before adding that he is “ready to serve, but only if the people of Zambia are ready to walk this path” with him.

TEN QUESTIONS FOR RENEWAL
Rather than launching a manifesto, Sangwa framed his statement around ten searching questions, which he described as a mirror for national self-reflection. These range from whether Zambians are ready to confront corruption and economic wastage, to whether they can rise above tribe, region, and party loyalties in order to build a nation that “works for all.”

He pressed citizens to embrace sacrifice, discipline, and unity, warning that leadership alone cannot transform Zambia unless matched by the people’s readiness to change. “Only the collective will of disciplined, united, and responsible citizens can,” he stated.

Among his sharpest challenges were calls for Zambians to:
• Fund their own democracy, rather than depend on foreign donors or financiers.
• Live within their means, rejecting reckless debt and managing resources responsibly.
• Respect equality before the law, ensuring no one is above or beneath its protection.
• Elect leaders of integrity, not those trading in tribe, populism, or money.

A LAWYER STEPS TOWARD POLITICS
For years, Sangwa has been best known as an uncompromising critic of successive governments and a defender of constitutional limits on executive power. His latest intervention, however, is more than civic education. It is a subtle but unmistakable opening into public office, anchoring his potential candidacy in the Constitution itself.

By rooting his appeal in Article 43 of the Constitution, which spells out citizens’ shared duties to the nation, Sangwa has positioned himself as both a teacher of law and a leader prepared to embody it.

Political analysts say the statement marks the clearest signal yet that Sangwa may contest the presidency, most likely as an independent candidate aligned with Zambia’s opposition Patriotic Front, with whom he has built bridges in recent months.

“RENEWAL CANNOT COME FROM MY SACRIFICE ALONE”
In perhaps the most revealing passage, Sangwa wrote: “I am ready to serve, but only if the people of Zambia are ready to walk this path with me. Renewal cannot come from my sacrifice alone, but from our collective decision to change course together.”

That language has already fueled debate in Lusaka’s political circles about whether his measured entry could reshape the opposition landscape, where unity and credibility remain in short supply.

A CAREFUL LINE
Yet, in keeping with his legal caution, Sangwa stopped short of an outright campaign launch. The statement is labeled a “non-partisan civic message” and explicitly notes that “no party or candidate is endorsed.”

Still, the timing, tone, and content leave little doubt that John Sangwa is now available for public office. With his signature at the bottom of the document dated 2 October 2025, the constitutional lawyer has moved from being a critic of the system to a man increasingly seen as ready to lead it.

The question is no longer whether John Sangwa wants the presidency. It is whether the Zambian people are willing to walk that path with him.

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