Courts across Zambia have been closed amid heightened security as the deadline for challenging the outcome of the country’s recent presidential election approaches.
Court premises in the capital, Lusaka, including the High Court, Supreme Court and Constitutional Court, were sealed off, while a heavy police and military presence was reported around some facilities.
The closure has raised concerns over access to justice, particularly as Monday marks the final day for filing a petition against the presidential election result.
Opposition candidate Brian Mundubile, who finished second with 38 per cent of the vote, has rejected the outcome and said he intends to challenge the result, citing alleged irregularities. Incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema won the election with 60 per cent and is scheduled to be inaugurated for a second term on 1 September.
Lawyers who arrived at the courts on Monday were reportedly ordered to leave. One lawyer told the BBC that three armed men approached his vehicle, identified themselves and instructed him to vacate the area.
It remains unclear when the courts will reopen. The BBC said it had contacted the Zambian police and judiciary for explanations.
Local media reported that a directive from a judiciary administrative official instructed court staff not to report for work following the closure, citing security reasons. The reported memo did not provide details about the nature of the security concerns.
Opposition figures have questioned the timing of the closure. Emmanuel Mwamba, a prominent opposition voice, alleged that the action was intended to prevent Mundubile from filing his presidential election petition.
The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) also expressed concern over the closure and the deployment of heavily armed military personnel around court premises in Lusaka.
LAZ said there had been no formal public explanation for the closure or information on when the courts would resume operations. It warned that the development had immediate implications for access to justice, particularly during the seven-day period allowed for challenging the election of a president-elect.
Despite the court shutdown, preparations for Hichilema’s inauguration appear to be continuing. The Ministry of Youth and Sport has invited journalists to accompany a cabinet official on an inspection of arrangements at the National Heroes Stadium, where the inauguration is expected to take place.
Mundubile went into hiding after announcing plans to challenge the election result. His campaign said he was being kept in a secure location under the protection of an international human rights organisation.
His decision to go into hiding followed the arrest of opposition figures and the death of former minister Mutotwe Kafwaya during a security operation in Lusaka. Authorities described Kafwaya’s death as resulting from an exchange of fire.
The arrests and Kafwaya’s death have triggered calls from rights groups and the Law Association of Zambia for independent investigations. Amnesty International described the killing as deeply alarming and called for prompt, thorough and impartial investigations.
The 13 August election was described by regional and international observers as largely peaceful, but concerns were raised over electoral reforms, media freedom and opposition access to the media before the vote.
The European Union election observation mission said restrictions placed on the opposition may have contributed to what it described as an “uneven contest”.
The mission also raised concerns about the vote-counting process, citing a heavy military presence that it said could have been intimidating, as well as reports of attacks on some tallying centres.
It said officials at many centres failed to record results on tally sheets immediately after they were announced, while verification between digital entries and paper records was weak. Returning officers also frequently suspended proceedings while awaiting instructions from electoral commission headquarters.
The EU mission called for maximum transparency in the handling of the election results, noting that the electoral commission had not published separate results from individual polling stations.
