M’membe Warns Zambia Cannot Build Peace On Blocked Justice After Election Tensions Socialist Party (SP) president Dr Fred M’membe has warned that Zambia risks long-term instability unless authorities address the tensions that followed the election, among them the suspension of…

M’membe Warns Zambia Cannot Build Peace On Blocked Justice After Election Tensions

Socialist Party (SP) president Dr Fred M’membe has warned that Zambia risks long-term instability unless authorities address the tensions that followed the election, among them the suspension of vote counting, the closure of courts on the petition deadline and the arrests of opposition members. In a statement, Dr M’membe said these concerns cannot be set aside under a call for the country to move forward.

“The tensions following the August 2026 elections, fuelled by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ)‘s suspension of vote counting, the closure of courts on the petition deadline, and the sweeping arrests of opposition members, cannot be swept under the rug in the name of ‘moving forward’,” he said.

The ECZ suspended the counting and announcement of results nationwide on 14 August, saying the decision followed reports of violence targeting polling staff and, in some cases, the theft of marked ballot papers. The commission later lifted the suspension. The European Union Election Observation Mission said the suspension was followed by a deterioration in the transparency of the tabulation process.

Dr M’membe’s comments also touch on the closure of judicial premises on 24 August, the final day of the constitutional period for filing a presidential election petition. The Judiciary said staff had been advised not to report for work for security reasons, and police described the closure as a security measure. Human Rights Watch said the closure effectively prevented access to the courts on the last day for challenging the result.

He said stability requires authorities to deal with such concerns openly instead of suppressing them. “When the state prioritises superficial peace over institutional transparency, it risks institutionalising injustice,” Dr M’membe said.

Dr M’membe said a call for calm carries little weight while legal avenues for settling disputes are seen as blocked. “Forcing a narrative of calm while blocking legal channels of dispute only deepens public distrust, erodes democratic guardrails, and builds pressure for future unrest,” he said. He added that peace and justice cannot be separated. “You cannot build lasting peace on a foundation of political repression and blocked justice,” he said.

He said the demand that the country simply stay peaceful while opposition figures face heavy-handed charges and state crackdowns is unsustainable. True stability, he said, depends on accountability, transparent institutions and genuine respect for the rule of law, not an artificial calm that sweeps irregularities under the rug. Zambia’s democratic future, he said, depends on settling disputes through institutions established by law.

The arrests he referred to follow a joint security operation in Kabulonga. Government has said persons linked to alleged militia activity had been under surveillance for several years before the operation, which led to the recovery of restricted military equipment and the arrest of several people. Alliance leader Brian Mundubile, his running mate Makebi Zulu and other opposition figures are named in a treason case connected to the matter.

TONSE Alliance presidential affairs chairperson Binwell Mpundu disputed the government’s account and challenged the State to produce its evidence. He said people connected to Mr Mundubile are being targeted in an effort to obtain statements implicating the opposition leader and his associates.

Former Cabinet minister Given Lubinda, who acted as Patriotic Front president, made a related point on the right to challenge an election. He said that a person who is not satisfied with the conduct of an election has a right under the Constitution to be heard. “They must not be heard only on social media. No, they must be heard by the court,” he said.

For Dr M’membe, the way out is a clear one. He called for a transparent resolution of electoral irregularities, protection of the right to seek legal redress and an end to the weaponisation of the criminal justice system against political opponents.