Zambia Closes High Courts On Election Appeal Deadline

Lusaka, August 24, 2026 - Zambian authorities closed the country's high courts on August 24, the deadline for filing appeals against the August 13 presidential election results, citing security reasons.

A message from the chief justice said all staff were asked not to report to work that day. Police said security arrangements were ongoing but gave no further details.

Opposition leader Brian Mundubile had said he planned to file a constitutional appeal after finishing second behind President Hakainde Hichilema, who won nearly 60 percent of the vote. Independent election monitors reported evidence that the winning margin may have been inflated, a claim Hichilema denied.

The Supreme Court complex in Lusaka, where the Constitutional Court sits, was closed and police were deployed nearby. Opposition allies said they were working to file complaints before the legal window closed.

The episode underscores rising political tension in a copper-rich neighbor whose stability affects southern African trade corridors and investor sentiment in the region.