Courts
Chief Justice Malila: courts ready for poll disputes
Chief Justice Mumba Malila says Zambia's judiciary will decide disputes from the 13 August general election without fear or favour, and inside the statutory 90-day window.
6d ago5 min read
The Zambian justice system — the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and the High Court, and the cases that set precedent or settle power.
The Bank of Zambia has told the Lusaka High Court that its liquidation of Investrust Bank was lawful and necessary, after 155 former employees sued over unpaid redundancy benefits. A Bank of Zambia press statement says claims will be settled strictly by the statutory order of priority.
A group of 25 former mayors and council chairpersons, led by Duncan Kaonga, has filed a lawsuit in the Lusaka High Court seeking more than K153 million in alleged unpaid salaries, allowances and benefits from their time in local government office.
The High Court has set aside an Electoral Commission of Zambia decision barring the Candle symbol from 2026 ballots, resolving a dispute Kwacha News earlier reported when a court stayed the order.
South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal has set aside an order that would have let Zambia repatriate Edgar Lungu for a state funeral, ruling that the burial decision rests with his family. The government says it disagrees but will not appeal, ending a year-long dispute.
Zambia’s Constitutional Court has ruled that a statutory residence-permit requirement is invalid where it narrows the constitutional definition of “ordinarily resident” under Article 266, reaffirming that an ordinary Act cannot amend the Constitution.
Zambia’s Supreme Court has dismissed Lumwana Mining Company’s appeal, affirming that an employer must consult and negotiate with workers before a redundancy and upholding twelve months’ salary in damages for ten workers made redundant in 2019.
On 11 May 2026 Zambia’s Constitutional Court declared Sections 56 and 57 of the Local Government Act unconstitutional, ruling that the Minister of Local Government cannot suspend elected councils and install an unelected administrator in their place.
The Lusaka High Court has stayed an Electoral Commission of Zambia directive ordering five independent candidates to drop the ‘Candle’ symbol, granting them leave to seek judicial review and keep the mark until the case is heard.
Zambia’s Constitutional Court has dismissed a petition challenging President Hakainde Hichilema’s eligibility to contest the 13 August general election, ruling it lacked merit and keeping him on the ballot as the UPND’s candidate.
Zambia’s Constitutional Court has cleared Socialist Party leader Fred M’membe and running mate Dolika Banda to contest the 13 August 2026 election, dismissing a petition over her school qualifications.
A Lusaka High Court petition by activist Isaac Mwanza and a civil-society consortium asks the court to disqualify more than 100 independent candidates for the 13 August election, arguing Article 51 bars party members from standing as independents. Named candidates include Garry Nkombo and Miles Sampa. No hearing date has been set.
Zambia's Constitutional Court will hear on 17 June a petition seeking to bar the Socialist Party ticket of Fred M'membe and running mate Dolika Banda from the 13 August ballot, over whether Banda holds a Grade 12 certificate or a proven equivalent. A full bench is listed to determine the matter. The Socialist Party disputes the claim.
Former Information Minister Chishimba Kambwili pleaded guilty before the Lusaka Magistrates' Court to departing Zambia without passing through immigration, a charge tied to a 2024 Zimbabwe crossing. The plea change sends the matter to sentencing on 4 June 2026.
Once the Electoral Commission declares a presidential winner, the result is not automatically final. Under Article 101 of the Constitution, it can be challenged — but only by petition to the Constitutional Court, filed within seven days of the declaration, and the court must hear and decide it within fourteen. The compressed timeline has been the most contested feature of Zambian election law since 2016. Here is how the petition route works and why the clock matters so much.
A Lusaka High Court witness has told the M'membe firearm trial that a search of the Socialist Party president's vehicle, after a 2023 by-election fracas in Serenje, uncovered a CZ97B pistol, 35 rounds of ammunition, a metal axe, a catapult and pepper spray.
Courts is Kwacha News' coverage of the Zambian justice system — the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the High Court and the magistrates' courts, and the cases that set precedent or settle power. The section follows the rulings that shape the election cycle and the economy: constitutional petitions, electoral disputes before the Electoral Commission of Zambia and the courts, commercial and tax litigation, judicial review of government decisions, and the work of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the anti-corruption agencies. The reporting stays close to consequence and to the record — what was filed, what the court actually held, and what it means for citizens, companies and the state. Due process is the posture: a charge is not a conviction, and the section reports the law as it is decided, not as it is spun.
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