from ARNOLD MULENGA in Lusaka, Zambia
Zambia Bureau
LUSAKA, (CAJ News) – ZAMBIA resembles a ticking time bomb as the Constitutional Court prepares to deliver judgement on the eligibility of ex-president, Edgar Lungu, to contest the next presidential election.
Ahead of the announcement on Tuesday, the Southern African country is tense and unpredictable.
Whichever way the court decides in the challenge against Lungu, it is a litmus test for the judiciary in Zambia.
Such is the magnitude of the case that it is to be televised nationwide and citizens have been banned from the court premises on the day.
The move is to curtail any protests, especially if the court disqualifies Lungu.
Police have hinted at a crackdown after alleging having “credible evidence” of some individuals planning “disturbances” during the court proceedings.
“Any acts intended to disrupt public peace and order will not be tolerated,” Graphel Musamba, Inspector General of Police, warned.
“Those found engaging in such activities will be dealt with to the full extent of the law,” the police chief added.
In a strange turn of events on Sunday, Zambia Police Service (ZPC) said it had arrested four individuals, aged between 28 and 39, for alleged ritual activities at the court premises.
“The quartet has been detained on a holding charge of conduct likely to cause a breach of peace,” said Rae Hamoonga, police Public Relations Officer.
Polls are scheduled for 2026 but already, interparty tensions are rife, with the main opposition accusing President Haikande Hichilema of compromising the judiciary in an alleged effort to disqualify Lungu from contesting.
The two men fought a bruising battle won by Hichilema in 2021 but the two are experiencing contrasting fortunes, with the economy worsening under the current administration.
Lungu on the other hand seems appealing to the average Zambian eager for change.
The seven judges handling the eligibility case have reportedly demanded more personal security ahead of the judgement.
Raphael Nakacinda, Secretary General of Lungu’s Patriotic Front (PF), in a press briefing, accused Chief Justice Mumba Malila and Musamba for violating the rights of Zambians by barring citizens from attending court proceedings.
The rejuvenated Lungu is seen as the biggest threat to a second term for Hichilema in this increasingly polarised nation.
They have a fierce rivalry that culminated in the then opposition leader winning in 2021.
Lungu’s eligibility has been a political and legal poser in recent times.
The Constitutional Court has previously ruled that Lungu is eligible as his stint after succeeding Michael Sata in 2014 did not constitute a term.
Thus, according to the law, Lungu’s only term was between 2016 and 2021 when Hichilema defeated him.
Since Lungu exited office, members of his family have been subject to probes against corruption amid criticism the government is retaliating to his government’s imprisoning Hichilema when he was opposition leader.
– CAJ News