Zambia Judiciary Confirms No Presidential Petition Filed Before Constitutional Court

The Judiciary of Zambia has confirmed that no presidential election petition had been filed before the Constitutional Court as of the close of business on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. In a press statement issued on Wednesday, August 26, Kalumba Chisambisha-Slavin, Deputy Director – Corporate Communications at the Judiciary of Zambia, said the Constitutional Court Registry […]

The Judiciary of Zambia has confirmed that no presidential election petition had been filed before the Constitutional Court as of the close of business on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.

In a press statement issued on Wednesday, August 26, Kalumba Chisambisha-Slavin, Deputy Director – Corporate Communications at the Judiciary of Zambia, said the Constitutional Court Registry had received no presidential petition by the close of business the previous day.

“Therefore, there is no Presidential Petition before the Constitutional Court,” Chisambisha-Slavin said in the statement.

The clarification follows an earlier statement issued by the Judiciary regarding correspondence relating to a purported presidential petition challenging the outcome of the August 13, 2026 general election.

The issue gained public attention after Chief Justice Mumba Malila confirmed that documents described as a “people’s presidential petition” had been received through his private email address.
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Justice Malila had described the use of his private email address for official court documents as highly irregular. He nevertheless exercised his administrative powers to refer the documents to the Constitutional Court for consideration of whether the petition had been properly filed.

The Judiciary subsequently clarified that sending documents to a private email address does not constitute formal lodgement of a petition with the Judiciary.

The latest statement now makes clear that, as of August 25, there was no presidential petition before the Constitutional Court.

The development comes amid heightened public interest in possible legal challenges to the August 13 presidential election, in which President Hakainde Hichilema was declared the winner by the Electoral Commission of Zambia.

The Judiciary has continued to urge members of the public to rely on official communication regarding court proceedings and filings, particularly as speculation surrounding the election outcome continues to circulate on social media.

The clarification also highlights the importance of following prescribed procedures when filing election petitions and other court documents.

Chisambisha-Slavin said the public should await official communication from the Judiciary regarding any developments concerning presidential election litigation.

The latest clarification is therefore expected to provide an official position on the status of the alleged presidential petition and distinguish between documents sent to officials and a petition formally lodged before the Constitutional Court.