NGOCC condemns 'unprecedented' court closures

By Francis Maingaila ♥️ 

Lusaka, Zambia24 – 24-08-2026 -- The Non-Governmental Gender Organisations' Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has condemned the closure of court premises across Zambia, warning the move threatens to obstruct the constitutional right to challenge presidential election results.

"The wanton, unprecedented and unexplained action has rendered the court of law inaccessible to members of the public, with no timeline given for their reopening," NGOCC Board Chairperson Beauty Katebe said in a statement on Monday.

The closure coincided with the final day for opposition candidate Brian Mundubile to file a petition challenging President Hakainde Hichilema's re-election in the 13 August poll.

"By shutting the very institution citizens must approach to exercise this right, the judiciary risks obstructing a process the Constitution guarantees," Katebe said.

She warned that the action had "left the citizenry shocked and questioning what has become of a democratic Zambia".

The closure, which affected the Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, Lusaka High Court and several local courts, was attributed by the judiciary to "security reasons". Security personnel were stationed at the gates and staff instructed not to report for work.

"An inaccessible judiciary weakens the doctrine of separation of powers, upon which our constitutional order rests, and signals a troubling drift toward executive overreach," Katebe said.

The NGOCC chairperson noted that the closure "fits an unhealthy pattern of aggression witnessed prior to the elections, particularly directed at those opposed to the ruling government".

"This pattern persists post-election erodes public trust and threatens to turn what should be a season of national healing into one that further jeopardises the unity Zambia has long cherished," she added.

Katebe expressed particular concern for women, who "stand to lose the most when courts are shuttered without cause, as it further narrows already limited avenues for redress and participation in governance".

The Law Association of Zambia has called for the urgent restoration of access to the courts, expressing concern over the presence of heavily armed military personnel around court premises.

Mundubile, who secured about 38 percent of the vote, announced last week he would challenge the result. He remains in a secure location under the protection of what his campaign describes as an "international human rights body".

"We are trying our best to ensure that the petition is filed," New Heritage Party President Chishala Kateka told Reuters.

Police spokesman Godfrey Chilabi said security assessments were ongoing but declined to give details. A spokesperson for the judiciary could not be reached.

Despite the dispute, preparations for Hichilema's inauguration, scheduled for 1 September, are continuing at National Heroes Stadium.

NGOCC called on the judiciary to "act transparently, independently and in full defence of citizens' constitutional rights".

"This is an indictment on the current government, whose duty it is to safeguard the independence and accessibility of the courts," Katebe said.