| Lazarous Kapambwe | |
| Order: | Permanent Representative of Zambia to the United Nations |
| Term Start: | 2007 |
| Term End: | 2012 |
| Predecessor: | Tens Chisola Kapoma |
| Successor: | Ngosa Simbyakula |
| Order1: | Ambassador of Zambia to the United States |
| Term Start1: | January 2020 |
| President1: | Edgar Lungu |
| Term End1: | August 2021 |
| Order2: | Ambassador to Ethiopia |
| Term Start2: | 2003 |
| President2: | Levy Mwanawasa |
| Term End2: | 2007 |
| Order3: | 67th President of the Economic and Social Council |
| Term Start3: | 2011 |
| President3: | Michael Sata |
| Term End3: | 2012 |
| Order4: | Permanent Representative of Zambia |
| Term Start4: | 2017 |
| President4: | Edgar Lungu |
| Term End4: | 2020 |
| Birth Name: | Lazarous Kapambwe |
| Birth Date: | 31 December 1959 |
| Birth Place: | Lusaka, Zambia |
| Alma Mater: | University of Zambia, Nairobi University |
Lazarous Kapambwe (born December 31, 1959) is a Zambian diplomat,[1] the 17th Ambassador of the Republic of Zambia to the United States of America since January, 2020.[2] He has served as Zambia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York from 18 June 2007[3] to 31st December 2019.[2] He was the sixty-seventh President of the Economic and Social Council.[4] He has also served as Zambia's Ambassador to the African Union, from June 2003 to June 2007.
Kapambwe is a bachelor's degree holder in political economy obtained from the University of Zambia he is also a post-graduate diploma holder in international relations which he obtained from Nairobi University.[5] He served as director for European Affairs from June to August 1996 then he was moved to Director for Africa and Organization of African Unity Affairs from 1996 to 2000. Deputy Permanent Secretary from 2000 to 2002 he served as Deputy Permanent Secretary Asia, Africa and the Middle East. He has also served as Zambia's Ambassador to the Ethiopia, Sudan, Yemen, Djibouti and Somalia.[6]
In February 2020, former Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba announced Kapambwe had been expelled from the US, when he was scheduled to present his credentials to President Donald Trump[7] in response to how the Zambian government unfairly treated the American Ambassador to Zambia Daniel Foote who was implicitly expelled from Zambia by then President Edgar Lungu in 2019https://www.africanews.com/2019/12/16/zambia-orders-pro-gay-us-ambassador-to-leave//. However, Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji stated that he was just swapped positions with Ngosa Simbyakula who was based at Zambia's Mission in Washington DC and the reason he was in Zambia at the time was because he was waiting for a bilateral visa for him to operate in Washington.[8] Vice President Inonge Wina also added that no Zambian diplomat has been expelled by the US Government in retaliation to the expulsion of that country's Ambassador to Zambia Daniel Foote.[9] On July 17, 2020 President Trump formally received credentials during the Credentialing Ceremony in the Oval Office at the White House.[10]