Felix Mutati

Felix Chipota Mutati (born 29 January 1959) is a Zambian politician and leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party.^[1][2] He is also a member of the UPND Alliance.^[3][4] As a member of the alliance, he was nominated as a Member of Parliament (MP) and was appointed the Minister of Technology and Science on 17 September 2021 by President Hakainde Hichilema.^[5][6]

Felix Mutati
Ministry of Technology and Science
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 September 2021
Minister of Works and Supply
In office 14 February 2018 – 6 November 2018
Preceded by	Mathew Nkhuwa
Succeeded by	Mutotwe Kafwaya
Minister of Finance
In office 15 September 2016 – 14 February 2018
Preceded by	Alexander Chikwanda
Succeeded by	Margaret Mwanakatwe
Member of Parliament
In office January 2002 – September 2016
Constituency	Lunte
Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry
In office 2004 – September 2011
President	Levy Mwanawasa (2004-2008) Rupiah Banda (2008-2011)
Minister of Energy and Water Development
In office 2002–2004
President	Levy Mwanawasa
Personal details
Born	(1959-01-29) 29 January 1959 (age 66) Northern Rhodesia
Political party	Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (2002–2020) Movement for Democratic Change (2020–present)
Residence(s)	Lusaka, Zambia
Occupation	Accountant

Political Career

Felix Mutati was elected as the Member of Parliament for Lunte constituency in three consecutive elections (2001, 2006 and 2011) as the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy candidate.^[7]

Under the presidency of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (Levy Mwanawasa and Rupiah Banda), Mutati served as the Minister of Energy and Water Development from 2002 to 2004 and as Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry from 2004 to 2011.^[8][9]

Under the presidency of Edgar Lungu, Mutati served as Minister of Finance from September 2016 to February 2018^[1][10] and as Minister of Works and Supply from February 2018^[11] to November 2018^[12] as a nominated member of parliament.

On 12 October 2020, Mutati left the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy and launched a new political party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).^[2]

On 7 May 2021, the MDC decided to join a newly-formed alliance named the Zambia We Want Alliance (ZWW) together with the Zambia Shall Prosper Movement (ZSP; led by Kelvin Fube Bwalya), the Zambians for Empowerment and Development (ZED; led by Ernest Mwansa) and Movement for Change and Equality (MCE; led by Kaluba Simuyemba).^[13][14] Two days later, the Zambia We Want Alliance, which includes the MDC, merged into the UPND Alliance, another alliance of political parties, and supported the presidency of Hakainde Hichilema, declaring that the MDC would not field its own candidate at the 2021 general election.^[3][4] After the UPND won that election, Mutati was appointed the Minister of Technology and Science and was therefore a nominated member of Parliament.^[5][6]