Jean Kapata

Jean Kapata (born 25 December 1960) is a Zambian politician who currently serves as Minister of Lands and Natural Resources since September 2016.

Early life and education

Kapata has a Diploma in Nursing.

Career

Kapata worked as a theatre nurse before being elected to represent the Mandevu constituency at the 2006 election for the Patriotic Front. She was re-elected in 2011 and 2016.[1]

Kapata served as Deputy Minister of Community Development, Mother & Child Health. On 2 October 2009, she was arrested with nine other Patriotic Front MPs after they protested the acquittal of former president Frederick Chiluba with car honks and whistles. They were released on 7 October.[2]

In 2014, Kapata was appointed by President Michael Sata as Minister for Tourism and Arts.[3] Under her tenure, the ban on big-game hunting cats in Zambia was lifted.[4][5] In response to the international media attention surrounding the killing of Cecil the lion in neighbouring Zimbabwe, Kapata said, "the West seemed more concerned with the welfare of a lion in Zimbabwe than of Africans themselves."[6][7]

Kapata was a member of the Zambia delegation to the United Nations 60th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2016.[8] In the lead up to the August 2016 election Kapata received death threats and her driver was attacked by armed men demanding to know where she was.[9] The MMD candidate for her constituency, Mary Phiri, accused Kapata of sending people to attack her campaign team.[10] On 27 September 2016, she became Minister for Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.[11] She is also the Patriotic Front's Chairperson for Elections.[12][13]

Personal life

Kapata is married and is a mother and grandmother.[10] In 2013, First Lady Christine Kaseba officiated the wedding of Kapata's daughter.[14]

References
  1. Adamu, Peter (31 July 2016). "Prediction: Jean Kapata Will Win Mandevu Constituency". Zambia Reports. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  2. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2009. US Government Printing Office. 2009. p. 725.
  3. "Worldly Wonders". The Business Year. 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  4. "Zambia: Jean Kapata Says Zambia's Big Cats Intact". Zambia Reports. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  5. Mfula, Chris (20 May 2015). "Zambia lifts ban on big cat trophy hunting". Reuters. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  6. Winkler, Lawrence (2016). Fire Beyond the Darkness. Bellatrix. ISBN 9781988429038.
  7. Onishi, Norimitsu (12 September 2015). "A Hunting Ban Saps a Village's Livelihood". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  8. "Zambia reaffirms commitment to women advancement at UN meeting". Lusaka Times. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  9. "Jean Kapata in death threats". Zambia Daily Nation. 21 June 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  10. "Jean Kapata accused of sending PF cadres to attack MMD Campaign team". Open Zambia. 29 July 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  11. "Jean Kapata ~Minister – Lands and Natural Resources (Sep-2016)". National Assembly of Zambia.
  12. "Jean Kapata calls for unity in PF". Lusaka Times. 20 December 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  13. "PF not in support of people declaring themselves as parliamentary aspiring candidates-Kapata". Lusaka Times. 6 February 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  14. "First Lady officiates at the wedding ceremony of Jean Kapata's daughter". Lusaka Times. 22 December 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
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