Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has suspended three top judges over alleged judicial misconduct, sparking accusations of political interference in the judiciary.
In 2016, three Constitutional Court judges dismissed President Hichilema’s petition in which he challenged the election victory of former President Edgar Lungu.
They were also involved in a controversial ruling that allowed Lungu to run in 2021, despite having served twice as president of Zambia.
Political tensions are rising in Zambia ahead of the 2026 elections, when Hichilema and Lungu are expected to face each other for a fourth time.
All three are expected to appear in court on Thursday to decide whether Lungu can run.
The presidential palace said the suspension of the judges, which has sparked a backlash, was made on the recommendation of a panel investigating them.
The suspended judges – Justice Annie Sitali, Justice Mungeni Mulenga and Justice Palan Mulonda – have yet to comment on the matter.
The trio were investigated by the Judicial Complaints Commission (JCC) after lawyer Joseph Busenga complained about their judicial conduct.
Mr Busenga, who is currently a diplomat at the Zambian embassy in Belgium, submitted an application to the JCC in 2022 to remove the three judges on the grounds that they had “improperly handled” a 2016 presidential election petition.
They ruled against Hichilema and in favour of Lungu, whom he later replaced.
After a two-year investigation, President Hichilema suspended them on Monday on the recommendation of the JCC, the president’s office said.
“The suspension of these three people is in exercise of the powers vested in the president,” the presidential office said in a statement, without providing further details.
The move has drawn sharp criticism as Lungu’s Patriotic Front (PF) has called the suspension illegal.
“I want to say to the people of Zambia that it is time for you to stand up and fight against the injustice being done to the judiciary because when we lose the judiciary, we lose everything,” Lungu told journalists on Tuesday.
Activists also accused President Hichilema of interfering with the independence of the judiciary.
Neither the president nor his office has responded to the allegation.
However, some argue that the judiciary has become politicized.
Social and political commentator Laura Miti said the judges deserved to be fired, but that at least part of the president’s motive was revenge.
“My honest opinion is that judges have done a disservice to the country and now the president is doing the same,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
The suspension of the judges comes just 48 hours before the Constitutional Court is due to hear Lungu’s disqualification case.
Former President has announced his return to politics. and is preparing to run for president in 2026 – against Hichilema.
“This is an extremely dangerous political game that Hichilema is playing out of a desire to eliminate Lungu,” political analyst Sishuwa Sishuwa posted on X.
The three judges will undergo a disciplinary process, after which they will either be removed or reinstated.
Under the Zambian constitution, all judges, including the chief justice, are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the JCC and approved by the National Assembly.
Critics argue that presidential involvement in the appointment and removal of judges would undermine the independence of the judiciary.
