Zambia’s Judiciary Grinds To A Halt As Election Challenge Deadline Approaches

Courts across Zambia, including the capital Lusaka, have been shut down and cordoned off just as the legal deadline nears for filing a petition against the country’s disputed presidential election result, a move already drawing sharp criticism from legal circles.

Opposition leader Brian Mundubile, who finished second with 38% of the vote to incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema’s 60%, has vowed to challenge the outcome in court over alleged irregularities. But with Monday marking the final day such a petition can be filed, the sudden closure of key judicial buildings including the High Court, the Supreme Court, and the Constitutional Court has raised serious questions about whether that legal avenue is being deliberately blocked.

The situation on the ground has grown increasingly tense. Lawyers attempting to access court premises have reportedly been turned away, with one describing being approached by armed men who ordered him to leave. According to local reports, judiciary staff were instructed not to report to work, citing vague “security reasons” with no further explanation offered.

Mundubile himself is currently in hiding, citing threats to his safety, and is said to be under the protection of an international human rights organization. His flight into hiding followed a violent and controversial period after the election, including the arrest of several opposition figures and the death of former minister Mutotwe Kafwaya during a security raid, an incident officials have characterized as an exchange of fire, but which rights groups are demanding be independently investigated.

The Law Association of Zambia has voiced alarm over the court closures, noting they directly threaten access to justice at the exact moment it matters most — within the narrow window allowed for challenging a presidential election result. The organization says no formal explanation has been given for either the closures or how long they might last.

Despite the turmoil surrounding the judiciary, preparations for Hichilema’s inauguration are moving forward as planned, with officials continuing site inspections ahead of the ceremony scheduled for September 1st at National Heroes Stadium.

International observers who monitored the election described voting day itself as largely peaceful, but flagged a number of troubling issues in the process including a heavy military presence at tallying centres, inconsistent record-keeping between digital and paper results, and limited media access ahead of the vote. The EU’s observer mission has since called for full transparency around the final outcome, noting that Zambia’s electoral commission never released a breakdown of results by individual polling station.