Saviour Chishimba—a once-upon-a-time Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe wannabe who has since swapped the Toga-Style outfit (wrap around garment) for a Bekishe & kippah
Saviour Chishimba—a once-upon-a-time Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe wannabe who has since swapped the Toga-Style outfit (wrap around garment) for a Bekishe & kippah.
Born on January 28, 1974, Chishimba is a public consultant on HIV/AIDS and TB-related ailments.
As of 2006, his qualifications included Advanced Certificate in Business Administration, Certificate in Business Administration, Certificate in Reproductive Health HIV/AIDS, GCE ‘O’ Level, PhD in Public Health (Honourary) Certificate in Transformational Leadership.
His political career began on a high note in 2006 when he was elected Member of Parliament for Kasama Central on the PF ticket, polling 12,201 votes against the MMD’s Major Richard Kachingwe, who managed 6,853.
But instead of serving a full five-year term in Parliament, Chishimba threw in the towel just after three years.
In July 2009, he dramatically resigned from both the Patriotic Front and Parliament, declaring that Zambia’s political system had failed its people.
At a press briefing held at his residence in Ndola’s Kansenshi township, he announced that he was abandoning partisan politics to champion a new movement that would usher in a fresh generation of youthful leaders.
As is often the case in Zambian politics, “quitting partisan politics” simply means starting another political party.
Barely a month later, in August 2009, Chishimba launched the United Progressive People (UPP) at Ndola’s Broadway Cinema.
He declared that Zambia lacked transformational leaders and promised that UPP would provide “a gentle but revolutionary voice” founded on sound principles.
Like many political party launches, the revolution arrived in a suit and tie, accompanied by microphones, banners and lofty promises. The transformation, however, struggled to move beyond the launch stage.
His resignation triggered the Kasama Central by-election, paving the way for Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM), who comfortably won on the PF ticket with 10,688 votes against the MMD’s Burton Mugala’s 4,184.
The following year in 2010, GBM would equally also announce his resignation as Kasama Central MP after battering his wife but rescinded the decision.
For GBM, his victory in Kasama Central was political redemption. Just three years earlier, he had attempted to enter Parliament through Kabwata on the MMD ticket but was thoroughly humbled by PF’s Given Lubinda, who polled 23,419 votes against his 8,131.
Sometimes politics is less about destiny and more about finding the right constituency at the right time.
Anyway, back to Chishimba, despite all the excitement surrounding UPP, the party didn’t even contest the historic 2011 elections that brought PF into government. The revolutionary voice apparently observed election year in silence.
Yet while presiding over a political party that wasn’t exactly making the list on the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s ballot papers, Chishimba found himself appointed Board Chairman of the National Youth Development Council (NYDC) in 2013 by then Sports Minister Chishimba Kambwili.
The two had been comrades from their opposition days. In March 2009, only months before Chishimba abandoned PF, the pair had even protested together outside ZNBC over mining issues.
In 2014, amid mounting allegations of financial impropriety at NYDC, Chishimba underwent perhaps the most unexpected political rebranding in recent memory. He converted from Christianity to Orthodox Judaism and adopted the Hebrew name Yehuda Bendavid.
While politicians often change parties, Chishimba changed faith. Whether this was spiritual conviction or simply impeccable timing became a matter of public debate.
The corruption allegations only intensified.
In June 2015, Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) wrote to then Permanent Secretary Agnes Musunga demanding action within 72 hours over findings from the Auditor General’s report.
Then TIZ Executive Director Goodwell Lungu alleged that NYDC had made double payments to Chishimba amounting to K153,134.41. According to the Auditor General, almost the entire annual Board meetings budget of K154,710 had been consumed by allowances paid to the chairman.
The report further noted that approximately 30 percent of funds released to NYDC had gone towards the chairman’s expenses. It also alleged that Chishimba had effectively assumed duties reserved for the Council Secretary, contrary to the Youth Act.
One could be forgiven for wondering whether NYDC stood for National Yehuda Development Council.
Calls mounted for his resignation.
Chishimba refused.
Then Sports Minister Vincent Mwale eventually dissolved the entire NYDC Board instead.
The Anti-Corruption Commission was engaged to investigate the matter, although the eventual outcome remains unclear.
Chishimba, meanwhile, threatened legal action against TIZ. Like many political threats issued at press conferences, that one quietly disappeared into Zambia’s archive of unfinished stories.
In the 2016 presidential election, Chishimba and running mate Sinanzeni Chuma entered State House race and finished sixth out of nine candidates with 9,221 votes out of the 3.78 million ballots cast.
His presidential campaign proved that while every Zambian has a constitutional right to contest, voters also have a constitutional right to politely decline.
In July 2017, Chishimba made headlines after describing President Edgar Lungu’s declaration of emergency powers following the City Market fire as irrational and suggested that the President undergo mental examinations.
At the time, Zambia was experiencing one of its most politically tense periods, with opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema facing treason charges.
Police arrested Chishimba in August 2017 for allegedly defaming the President.
He spent about a week in the cells at Woodlands Police Station before being released without charge.
Sometimes in Zambian politics, the punishment is the process.
UPP again sat out the 2021 general elections.
By June 2026, Chishimba had endorsed President Hakainde Hichilema’s re-election bid, with UPP joining the long list of Mickey Mouse political parties that form the UPND Alliance.
In Zambia’s political ecosystem, there is always room for another alliance, another press conference and another declaration that “this time things will be different.”
For Chishimba, the journey has taken him from PF MP, to revolutionary reformer, party president, board chairman, corruption controversy, presidential hopeful, police detainee, Orthodox Jew and finally alliance partner.
Few politicians have travelled so many political roads while arriving at so few electoral destinations.
In the picture, Chishimba & Kambwili during their 2009 protest against the mines.
