Several Zambian civil society organisations have announced plans to hold a peaceful procession and public assembly on November 25, 2026, to defend the Constitution and oppose proposals to abolish presidential term limits. In a joint statement issued on November 3, organisations including Chapter One Foundation, Transparency International Zambia, ActionAid and the Council of Churches in […]

Several Zambian civil society organisations have announced plans to hold a peaceful procession and public assembly on November 25, 2026, to defend the Constitution and oppose proposals to abolish presidential term limits.

In a joint statement issued on November 3, organisations including Chapter One Foundation, Transparency International Zambia, ActionAid and the Council of Churches in Zambia said they had formally notified the Zambia Police Service of their intention to demonstrate.

The groups said the planned gathering would provide an opportunity for citizens to express their opposition to constitutional changes that could allow presidents to remain in office beyond the current two-term limit.

The organisations acknowledged that another group of citizens had exercised their constitutional rights on October 27 by petitioning the National Assembly to abolish presidential term limits. While disagreeing with that position, they said they respected the petitioners’ right to express their views and intended to exercise the same freedoms to defend the existing constitutional provisions.

The groups argued that presidential term limits are an important safeguard against excessive concentration of political power, recalling Zambia’s successful resistance to a proposed third presidential term in 2001.

They also pointed to constitutional review consultations in 2025 that recommended retaining the current limits, insisting that protecting the Constitution is a collective responsibility shared by all Zambians.