She won the election and became the first woman to represent Kasenengwa, a largely rural seat in her home Eastern Province, in the National Assembly.
[5] In October 2006, shortly after the election, President Levy Mwanawasa appointed Tembo as Deputy Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources in his cabinet.
[6][7] Vera Tembo, who was re-appointed Deputy Minister by Mwanawasa's successor, President Rupiah Banda, held the ministry portfolio from 2006 until 2011, when she left the National Assembly.
In 2010, Tembo oversaw the relocation of black rhinoceroses to North Luangwa National Park and other natural areas of Zambia, citing the program as a boost to both the country's environment and the tourism industry.
[8] In March 2015, Vera Tembo announced that she had become a Christian pastor and had founded a new church called the Healing International Ministry.