Amnesty condemns Zambia’s cancellation of passports of Six Govt critics

25 ViewsAmnesty International has condemned the cancellation of the Zambian passports of six prominent government critics, accusing authorities of using administrative powers to silence dissent. The rights organisation says the cancellation of the passports of former ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba, historian and academic Dr. Sishuwa Sishuwa, former opposition MPs Binwell Mpundu and Emmanuel Jay Banda, former […]

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Dr. Sishuwa Sishuwa

Amnesty International has condemned the cancellation of the Zambian passports of six prominent government critics, accusing authorities of using administrative powers to silence dissent.

The rights organisation says the cancellation of the passports of former ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba, historian and academic Dr. Sishuwa Sishuwa, former opposition MPs Binwell Mpundu and Emmanuel Jay Banda, former State House Special Assistant Kaizer Zulu and blogger Lillian Mutambo violates international human rights law.

The passports were cancelled through Government Gazette Notice No. 1421 of 2026, with the authorities citing security reasons and the interest of national security. The notice says the documents are no longer valid for identification, travel or any official purpose.

Binwell Mpundu

Emmanuel Mwamba

Lillian Mutambo

Responding to the decision, Amnesty International Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa Vongai Chikwanda said the Zambian authorities were “weaponizing citizenship documents” to target dissidents, activists and political opponents.

“The arbitrary cancellation of passports by Zambian authorities is a violation of international human rights law,” Chikwanda said.

She said the decision breached the right to freedom of movement protected under Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Amnesty Calls for Passports to Be Restored

Chikwanda said the move was particularly concerning in the context of what Amnesty described as a wider post-election crackdown on dissent, including arbitrary arrests and detention of opposition members and other government critics.

“This is deeply concerning, particularly given the wider post-election crackdown on dissent, including arbitrary arrests and detention of members of the opposition and other government critics,” she said.

Amnesty further said the cancellation of the passports effectively stripped the affected individuals of their legal and social identity and left them in what it described as a state of “de facto statelessness”.

“It undermines their dignity and basic civil protections,” Chikwanda said.

Amnesty has called on the Zambian authorities to revoke the cancellations, restore the passports and remedy any harm resulting from what it described as an unlawful decision.

Government Cites National Security

The Government’s position is that the passports were cancelled for security reasons and in the interest of national security.

Gazette Notice No. 1421 states that the affected passports are no longer valid for identification, travel or any official purpose, and warns that their use may constitute an offence.

The public, government institutions, financial institutions, border-control authorities and law-enforcement agencies have been directed not to accept, recognise or rely upon the cancelled documents.

Anyone in possession of the passports has also been directed to surrender them to the Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship, Immigration or the Zambia Police Service.

However, the Gazette does not give specific details of the security concerns relating to each of the six individuals.

Amnesty Questions Legal Basis

Amnesty says that under Zambia’s passports and citizenship legislation, passport cancellation is permitted only on specified grounds, including loss of citizenship, obtaining a passport through fraud or misrepresentation, certain forms of passport fraud, specified convictions and death.

The organisation argues that political criticism or opposition to the Government is not, in itself, a stated ground for cancellation.

Amnesty is therefore challenging the use of the administrative powers in this case and has called for the affected documents to be restored.

The Government has not, in its Gazette notice, stated that the passports were cancelled because of the individuals’ political views.

Move Comes Amid Wider Post-Election Crackdown

The passport cancellations come amid heightened international scrutiny of Zambia’s treatment of opposition figures, journalists and government critics following the August 13 general election.

In August, Amnesty International published a report documenting what it described as an “alarming regression into authoritarian practices” in Zambia, citing restrictions on freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.

Amnesty has also continued to raise concerns about post-election arrests.

On September 8, the organisation called for the immediate release of Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance member George Chisanga, who it said was being detained without charge at Kabwe Maximum Security Prison. Amnesty said Chisanga was arrested during a security operation at a property linked to opposition presidential candidate Brian Mundubile, during which former cabinet minister Mutotwe Kafwaya was fatally shot.

The latest passport cancellations add another dimension to the growing debate over the Government’s treatment of opposition figures and critics.

Passport Issue Already Before the Courts

The development also comes days after the Government cancelled the NRC and passport of Tonse Pamodzi Alliance Secretary General Celestine Mukandila.

Mukandila has since gone to the Lusaka High Court seeking to challenge the decision and have the cancellation of his NRC and passport overturned. He argues that the cancellation of his NRC has no legal basis under the National Registration Act and is seeking judicial review of the Government’s decision.

The case could provide an important legal backdrop to the latest passport cancellations, although Mukandila’s case concerns both his NRC and passport and involves different grounds cited by Government.

Six Critics Affected

The six individuals whose passports have been cancelled have occupied different positions in Zambia’s political and public life.

Mwamba is a former ambassador to Ethiopia and former Permanent Representative to the African Union.

Sishuwa is a historian and academic who has been a prominent commentator on Zambia’s political affairs.

Mpundu is a former Nkana MP and senior Tonse Pamodzi Alliance figure, while Jay Banda is a former Petauke Central MP who remains an active opposition voice.

Zulu is a former State House Special Assistant, while Mutambo is a blogger and political commentator.

Reports indicate that all six are currently outside Zambia.

National Security Versus Freedom of Movement

The dispute now places two competing positions at the centre of the debate.

The Government says the passports were cancelled in the interest of national security.

Amnesty International argues that administrative powers cannot lawfully be used to silence political opponents and critics and says the cancellations violate the right to freedom of movement.

Whether the cancellations comply with Zambian law could ultimately be tested through the courts if the affected individuals challenge the decisions.

For now, Amnesty is demanding that the Government restore the six passports and reverse what it describes as an unlawful decision.

The Government has yet to publicly respond to Amnesty International’s latest statement.