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The Ministry of Information and Media says government has instituted proactive and comprehensive national measures to safeguard the integrity of information as Zambia heads toward the 2026 general elections.
Principal Public Relations Officer, Shamwinda Tembo, said the multi-sectoral approach reflects government’s strong commitment to defending democratic values and ensuring that citizens have access to accurate, credible and trustworthy information.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Saturday, Tembo said a major milestone in these national efforts was the establishment of the Zambia Action Coalition on Information Integrity in Elections, created in November 2025.
He explained that the coalition brought together government institutions, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), civil society organisations, academia, media bodies, technology partners and the United Nations to respond to growing challenges posed by misinformation, disinformation and rapidly evolving digital threats.
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Tembo said that beyond combating misinformation, government had advanced key democratic reforms aimed at enhancing transparency, accountability and citizen participation.
“Notably, Zambia enacted and operationalised the Access to Information Act (Act No. 24 of 2023), a landmark law that came into effect on 25th June, 2024 after years of national consultation and advocacy,” he said.
He explained that the law granted citizens, the media and civil society organisations the legal right to access information held by public bodies, empowering them to independently verify information—particularly important during election periods when falsehoods tend to spread.
Tembo noted that the Access to Information Act strengthened democracy by enabling the public to obtain information about government activities, decisions and policies, thereby improving informed public discourse and reducing susceptibility to misinformation.
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