Zambia Courts Shut as Election Petition Deadline Looms

Sun Sep 06 2026 02:31:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Courts in Zambia sealed with police presence as opposition leader Brian Mundubile plans to file a challenge to the presidential results before the Monday deadline.

High court and other tribunals in Lusaka have been sealed off with armed police guarding the entrances as the deadline for filing an election petition approaches. Opposition candidate Brian Mundubile, who secured 38% of the vote, intends to contest Hakainde Hichilema’s 60% victory in court. The closures have raised concerns about access to justice, especially given the recent violence and arrests surrounding the election. With the inauguration scheduled for 1 September, the timing of the court shutdown is seen as potentially aimed at hindering legal challenges.

Courts in Zambia sealed as election petition deadline looms

Courts in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, and other judicial premises have been shut as there is a tight deadline for filing a petition against the presidential election outcome.

In Lusaka, a considerable police presence—heavy‑metal armed guards and barriers—has been seen at the entrances to the High Court, the Supreme Court, and the Constitutional Court.

Brian Mundubile, the National Reconciliation Party for Unity candidate who captured 38% of the vote, said he would challenge the results in court citing alleged irregularities.

Mundubile has been in hiding following threats to his safety, after the arrest of opposition politicians and the death of former minister Mutotwe Kafwaya during a security raid.

The final day to file an election petition is Monday, the day that would set a legal road‑block to Hichilema’s planned 1 September inauguration.

Lawyers who tried to enter the closed courts were being asked to leave, with one reporting armed men approaching his vehicle and instructing him to depart.

The closures are unannounced, and no official explanation has been released for either the security situation or the expected duration of the shutdown.

Opposition voices and the Law Association of Zambia have raised concerns that the move may undermine judicial independence and deny urgent access to justice.

A memo from a judiciary administrative official told all staff not to report to work “for security reasons,” but it offered no details.

With the dispute over the election result potentially affecting the install of the new president, the timing of the court shutdown has been widely criticised as strategically placed.