By 
Former Lumezi Independent Member of Parliament, Munir Zulu, has taken the State to court, accusing prison authorities of humiliating and degrading treatment after allegedly being stripped naked in front of fellow inmates at Mwembeshi Correctional Facility.
In his petition before the Lusaka High Court, Zulu cites the Attorney-General, the Commissioner General of Prisons, and the officer-in-charge of Mwembeshi Correctional Facility as respondents, arguing that their actions violated his constitutional rights.
Zulu, who is currently serving a 12-month sentence for criminal libel following his conviction in April, claims prison authorities have not only denied him access to money brought by visitors—contrary to established practice—but also subjected him to repeated strip searches.
Between September 7 and 13 this year, he alleges, officers forced him to undress in front of other inmates, acts he describes as “humiliating and psychologically damaging.”
Read more: Lumezi lawmaker, Zulu, to remain in prison as High Court upholds criminal libel conviction
He named four officers—Mr. Sarmakai, Mr. Tichaona, Mr. Luneta, and Mr. Shamzumba—as those responsible.
“The actions of the officers have exposed me to ridicule among fellow inmates and left me mentally distressed due to the humiliating and degrading treatment,” Zulu stated in his petition.
He argues that the conduct contravenes Articles 11, 15, and 17(1) of the Constitution, which protect individuals from inhuman treatment and safeguard the right to privacy. Further, he says denying him possession of money sent by visitors breaches Article 16(1), which prohibits unlawful deprivation of property.
Zulu has asked the court to declare the officers’ actions illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional. He is also seeking an order compelling authorities to stop what he describes as degrading treatment and to permit him to receive money from visitors.
Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court has struck out a petition by Zulu, in which he challenged the decision to declare his parliamentary seat vacant.
Zulu had petitioned the court, citing Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti and the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) as respondents.
He sought an order rescinding the declaration of his seat vacant, a restraint against the ECZ from holding a by-election in Lumezi, and a declaration that the Speaker’s decision following his conviction by the Subordinate Court was unconstitutional, null and void as he had appealed.
However, a panel of judges comprising Justices Judy Mulongoti, Maria Kawimbe and Kenneth Mulife, in a ruling delivered by Justice Mulongoti, struck out the matter after finding that Zulu had failed to prosecute his case.
“The perusal of the record of proceedings confirms that the petitioner has neglected to attend compliance conferences and has not complied with the order for directions.
Furthermore, he has not filed any response in relation to the current application,” the ruling stated.
The respondents, represented by the Attorney General, had filed a notice of motion to dismiss the petition for want of prosecution pursuant to Order 25 Rule 1 of the Rules of the Supreme Court.
The court noted that Zulu, through his lawyers Messrs Joseph Chirwa and Company, had initially participated in preliminary proceedings in April 2024. But when the matter came up for compliance conferences on June 17 and July 1, 2025, Zulu and his counsel were absent without explanation, while the respondents attended.
“It is evident from the record that the petitioner and his counsel were not present at two consecutive compliance conferences without any reasons advanced for the absence, and they neglected to file a response to the notice of motion raised by the State,” the court observed.
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