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High Court Judge-in-Charge, Kelvin Limbani, has warned members of 57 tribunals constituted to hear local government election disputes not to allow political pressure, public opinion or fear to influence their decisions.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony at the Supreme Court, Justice Limbani told the 108 tribunal members to remain independent and determine petitions without fear, favour or ill will, regardless of the personalities or political interests involved.
He said the tribunals, each headed by a chairperson, had been entrusted with determining disputes arising from the Aug. 13, 2026 General Elections.
The membership comprises magistrates, state prosecutors and lawyers from the Law Association of Zambia.
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“Fear must not form part of your reasoning. There should be no fear of political personalities, political parties, criticism in the press, social media commentary, unpopular decisions, influential litigants or being misunderstood,” Justice Limbani said.
He similarly cautioned the tribunal members against favouritism, saying political prominence, professional familiarity with a lawyer or the status, office or personality of a witness should have no bearing on their decisions.
Justice Limbani said local government was the first, if not the most regular, point of contact with democracy for most citizens and that disputes arising from local government elections should therefore not be treated as matters of lesser constitutional importance.
He said the campaigns had ended and the electoral process had now entered the adjudication phase, reminding tribunal members that their role was neither to defend nor overturn an election, but to determine whether the law had been followed and whether a challenged election could stand.
Justice Limbani said the 2026 Local Government Elections Tribunals Rules required petitions to be heard and determined within 30 days of filing, but warned that the need for speed should not compromise fairness.
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