Zambia shuts top courts as deadline hits for election challenge
Why it matters: The closures could stop opposition candidate Brian Mundubile from contesting President Hakainde Hichilema’s re-election before the Sept. 1 inauguration.
Zambian authorities closed the country’s top courts in Lusaka on Monday, the final day for the opposition to challenge this month’s presidential election, raising fears that a legal petition could be blocked. Access was cut off at the Supreme Court complex, which houses the Constitutional Court, as well as other court premises, while police maintained a heavy presence. A judiciary memo cited “security reasons” and told staff not to report to work. Opposition candidate Brian Mundubile, who won 38% to President Hakainde Hichilema’s roughly 60%, had planned to file a petition over alleged irregularities. The dispute comes amid arrests of opposition figures, the killing of former minister Mutotwe Kafwaya during a security operation, and widening concerns from rights groups and lawyers over judicial independence.