By Zambian Economist Analyst
Chief Justice Mumba Malila says Zambia’s Judiciary will handle any electoral disputes arising from the 2026 General Election without fear or favour, as the High Court steps up preparations for a role that carries real weight for the country’s political and economic stability.
Dr Malila was speaking in Lusaka at the official opening of the Electoral Dispute Resolution Workshop for the High Court of Zambia, an event bringing together judges, election management specialists and international justice partners ahead of next month’s vote.
No selective justice, Chief Justice tells judges
Addressing the workshop, Dr Malila said no judge would be coerced into delivering an electoral dispute judgment selectively, a statement he framed as consistent with the principle of judicial independence and the fair administration of justice. Electoral disputes, by their nature, tend to arrive under intense public scrutiny and tight timelines, and courts that are seen to bend under pressure risk undermining confidence in the outcome itself, not just the individual case.
Also speaking at the workshop, Judge Mapani Kawimbe, who chairs the Chief Justice’s Advisory Committee on Election Management, said the Judiciary has a significant role to play once ballots are cast, since disputed results, recounts and petitions typically end up before the courts rather than at the polling station.
International backing for an independent bench
The workshop drew support from beyond Zambia’s borders. Commonwealth Secretariat Legal Advisor Elizabeth Macharia acknowledged that judicial independence is critical to the fair adjudication of electoral disputes, and praised the Judiciary for its proactive preparedness ahead of the election.
Waicha Ndhlovu, Zambia Operations Director at the Chandler Institute of Justice, praised the Judiciary for working to speed up the delivery of justice in electoral matters, noting that delayed rulings can be almost as damaging to public confidence as disputed ones.
Why this matters beyond the courtroom
Electoral dispute resolution is usually discussed as a legal or constitutional issue, but it has a direct bearing on business and investor confidence too. Markets and companies price in political risk, and a judiciary that is seen to resolve disputes promptly, transparently and without political interference reduces the uncertainty that can delay investment decisions, spook currency markets or stall hiring in the weeks after an election. Our earlier analysis of how policy certainty influences investment, employment and growth sets out that link in more detail.
Conversely, a contested election with a slow or distrusted dispute resolution process can weigh on sentiment well beyond the immediate political fallout, affecting everything from portfolio flows to day-to-day business planning. That is one reason institutions such as the Economics Association of Zambia have pushed to tighten electoral rules well before polling day; see our coverage of why the EAZ says its rulebook needs fixing first.
Part of a broader push for a peaceful vote
The workshop adds to a series of institutional moves aimed at keeping the 2026 election orderly. The Zambia Air Force recently held an intercessory prayer service calling for a peaceful and credible poll, a gesture covered in our report on ZAF’s prayers for peaceful elections, while the Electoral Commission of Zambia has already begun distributing ballot papers after completing its verification process.
Taken together, these preparations, judicial, security and administrative, point to a system trying to reduce the room for disputes to fester once the votes are counted. Readers can follow the rest of our coverage in the Election 2026 Economics series.
Photo credit: Judiciary of Zambia.
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For a full side-by-side of both campaigns, see our analysis comparing Hichilema’s record with Mundubile’s Tonse Alliance platform.
