Dipak Kumar A. Patel (born 12 July 1953 in
Lusaka) is a Zambian politician of Hindu Indian origin.
He served long tenures both as a legislator and as the Minister of Trade, Commerce, and Industry.
Patel was elected in 1991 to the National Assembly of Zambia under the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) in the Lusaka Central constituency . During this time he was also a member of the MMD’s national executive committee. He was appointed Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, and Industry from 1991 to 1992, then held a succession of Cabinet Minister positions in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (1992), the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Child Development (1992–1993), and the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, and Industry (1993–1996).
He was one of two cabinet-level members of Indian origin in President Frederick Chiluba ‘s government, the other being Minister of Agriculture Suresh Desai . However, he resigned from that last position in February 1996 due to disagreements with Chiluba; specifically, he objected to a proposed constitutional amendment which would bar individuals of “foreign parentage” from contesting the presidency.
In the 1996 elections , he ran without any party affiliation and was returned to his seat representing Lusaka Central; in the 2001 elections he ran on the Forum for Democracy and Development ticket and was again elected.