EleZambia liphakathi kwamalanga ayisikhombisa okulila uMongameli Levy Mwanawasa walelolizwe, obhubhe ngolwesibili ekuseni. UMwanawasa obeleminyaka engamatshumi amahlanu lasitshiya munwe munye ufele kwele France lapho kade eselatshwa khona ngemva kokutshaywa yistroke emhlanganweni weAfrican Union e Egypt ngenyanga kanhlangula.
UMwanawasa obengumgcinisihlalo womanyano weSADC nguye umkhokheli owezwekazi leAfrica owakuqala owaphuma egcekeni esola umbuso kaMongameli Mugabe. Umuyi wakhethwa ngumnu. Frederick Chiluba ukuthi abengumsekeli wakhe ngomnyaka ka1991. Kodwa ngemva kwenyanga ezilutshwana wakhalala umsebenzi esithi uhulumende kaChiliuba ugcwele iziphathamandla ezingathembekanga.
Ngomnyaka ka2001 uMwanawasa wanqoba uMnu. Michael Satha kukhetho lokudinga uMongameli ngamavoti amalutshwana. Esengumongameli uMwanawasa wahle wasungula uhlelo lokuqeda ukungethembeki wabopha uChiluba lezinye iziphathamandla. Lokhu kwabangela ukuthi amazwe entshonalanga amuphe imali enengi yokulungisisa umnotho welizwe.
Umsekeli wakhe, uMnu. Rupiah Banda nguye osaphethe isikhundla sikamongameli kulungiselelwa ukhetho olumele lubekhona kungekedluli inyanga ezintathu ezilandelayo phansi kwesisekelo sombuso walelolizwe. Amalungiselelo okubekwa kwakhe akakaziswa. UChris Gande weStudio 7 uxoxe lengcwethi ecubungula ezombusazwe, uMlamuli Nkomo ukuze sizwe imbono yakhe ngaloludaba.