New Heritage Party faults continuous closure of courts

The New Heritage Party says the closure of Courts in the country constitutes an injustice not only to the opposition but to Zambians who expected the petition process to proceed, and to the President-elect whose victory now risks being questioned.

Party leader, Chishala Kateka noted that the courts had been surrounded by the police since Friday through Sunday and have remained closed from Monday to date.

She has since written to the Chief Justice demanding answers over the closure of Zambia’s courts during the period for filing presidential election petitions.

In the letter, Kateka noted that the Presidential election result had a seven days window for petitions but that the Judiciary cited security reasons for the closure of courts. She argued, however, that the timing raised serious concerns given the constitutional significance of the petition deadline.

“Following this unprecedented move to have the courts closed on the pen-ultimate and ultimate day for the filing in of the election petition and you being aware of the significance of the dates, what measures or alternative channels were provided to Opposition to file in the petitions?” Kateka asked the Chief Justice.

She further questioned whether the failure to provide alternatives was deliberate or an oversight, and pressed for clarity on what would happen once the courts reopen.

“Will you, once the courts are opened, allow the Opposition ? As you are well aware, precedent in Zambia and across the Commonwealth is that ‘where a litigant is prevented from filing by state action, time does not run against them’,” she stated.

Kateka argued that anything less than a two-day extension would be inequitable and in bad faith.

“Do you believe that denying the Opposition their constitutional right to file a petition is the just thing to do or do you recognise this as an injustice? From where we are sitting, this is injustice not only to the Opposition but especially to the Zambian people who had pinned their hopes on this petition,” she said.

Kateka stated that it was also an injustice to the President Elect and UPND, who have been robbed of their right to legitimise their victory claims through the court process.

The New Heritage Party leader also referenced a Judiciary memo dated 25 August 2026 signed by the Administrator, and asked whether courts were “half closed.”

“We have seen that there has been a memo from the Judiciary dated 25 August 2026 signed by the Administrator. Does this mean that the Courts are only half closed, able to conduct some work and issue memos, but not able to receive Petitions?” she asked.

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