Zambia's court system has been effectively shut down on the final day for filing a legal challenge to last month's presidential election result, raising urgent concerns about access to justice and judicial independence. Court premises in the capital, Lusaka — including the High Court, the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court, which shares the same building — have been cordoned off with tape and are guarded by armed personnel, preventing lawyers and members of the public from entering. An internal memo circulating online, attributed to a judiciary administrative official, instructed court staff not to report to work on grounds of unspecified "security reasons", though no formal public explanation has been provided.
The closure comes as Monday marks the final day of a constitutionally mandated seven-day window in which a candidate may petition the Constitutional Court to nullify the result of a presidential election. Incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema won a second term on 13 August with 60% of the vote. Opposition candidate Brian Mundubile, who came second with 38%, has said he intends to challenge the result, citing irregularities. Mundubile is currently in hiding, protected by what his campaign describes as an international human rights body, following the arrest of several opposition figures and the death of former minister Mutotwe Kafwaya during a raid by security forces — an incident officials described as an exchange of fire. Amnesty International called Kafwaya's killing "deeply alarming" and demanded an independent investigation.
Lawyers who arrived at the courts on Monday were turned away. One attorney told reporters that three armed men approached his vehicle, identified themselves and ordered him to leave. The Law Association of Zambia expressed grave concern, noting the presence of heavily armed military personnel around court premises and warning that the closure had "immediate implications for access to justice, particularly for persons requiring urgent judicial intervention." Opposition figures have alleged the shutdown is a deliberate attempt to prevent Mundubile from filing his petition.
The post-election period has been marked by broader controversy. Although regional and international observers described voting on 13 August as largely peaceful, the European Union observation mission raised concerns about late electoral reforms, restrictions on media access in the campaign period and what it called an "uneven contest." The mission also flagged a heavy military presence at tallying centres, gaps in result verification and a lack of transparency in the publication of polling-station-level results.
Why this matters: a valid election petition could potentially delay or complicate Hichilema's inauguration, currently scheduled for 1 September at Lusaka's National Heroes Stadium, for which preparations appear to be continuing. The forced closure of courts on the last day permitted for filing a legal challenge strikes at the heart of constitutional guarantees around electoral disputes. Rights groups and lawyers' associations are calling for immediate reopening of the courts, a full explanation of the closure and independent investigations into the violence that followed the poll.