... as Hichilema accepts her resignation Zambia’s Court of Appeal has lost one of its judges after President Hakainde Hichilema accepted the resignation of Justice Catherine Kunda Makungu. Justice Makungu tendered her resignation in writing to the President on October 1, 2026, and President Hichilema formally accepted it on Monday, October 5. State House announced ... as Hichilema accepts her resignation Zambia’s Court of Appeal has lost one of its judges after President Hakainde Hichilema accepted the resignation of Justice Catherine Kunda Makungu. Justice Makungu tendered her resignation in writing to the President on October 1, 2026, and President Hichilema formally accepted it on Monday, October 5. State House announced President Hakainde Hichilema has accepted Justice Catherine Kunda Makungu’s resignation from the Court of Appeal, effective after she tendered notice on October 1.

… as Hichilema accepts her resignation

Zambia’s Court of Appeal has lost one of its judges after President Hakainde Hichilema accepted the resignation of Justice Catherine Kunda Makungu.

Justice Makungu tendered her resignation in writing to the President on October 1, 2026, and President Hichilema formally accepted it on Monday, October 5.

State House announced the development in a brief statement issued by Chief Communications Specialist Clayson Hamasaka.

The statement says the resignation was made in accordance with Article 142(5) of the Constitution of Zambia. It does not, however, give any reason for Justice Makungu’s decision to leave the Court of Appeal.

That absence of an explanation is likely to make the circumstances surrounding her departure one of the key questions following the announcement.

For now, the official position is simply that Justice Makungu resigned and that the President accepted her resignation.

What Article 142(5) means

The constitutional provision cited by State House is significant because it distinguishes a resignation from the removal of a judge.

Article 142(5) provides for a judge to resign from judicial office by giving written notice to the President.

The State House statement specifically says Justice Makungu exercised that provision when she submitted her written resignation on October 1.

There is therefore no indication in the statement that she was removed from office or that the resignation followed a disciplinary process.

The reason for her decision remains undisclosed.

A decade on the Court of Appeal

Justice Makungu has been part of Zambia’s appellate judiciary since the establishment of the Court of Appeal in its current constitutional form.

Parliamentary records show that she was admitted to the Zambian Bar in 1992 after beginning her legal career as an Assistant Advocate at Ellis and Company.

She later became a partner at Muleza and Company before establishing Makungu and Company.

She was appointed a Puisne Judge in 2004 and subsequently served at the Kitwe High Court, including as Judge-in-Charge, before being nominated for appointment to the Court of Appeal in 2016. Parliament’s Select Committee recommended her appointment, alongside other judges who became part of the newly established appellate court.

The Judiciary’s official website continues to list her among the Court of Appeal judges in its records, while its case archive shows her sitting on appellate matters in 2026.

Her departure therefore marks the exit of a judge who has spent years handling appeals at one of Zambia’s highest levels of adjudication.

The timing is also notable

Justice Makungu’s resignation comes at a time when Zambia’s superior courts are undergoing significant changes.

In May this year, President Hichilema swore in 40 judges across the Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, Court of Appeal and High Court.

State House described the appointments as the largest judicial appointment exercise in Zambia’s history and said they were intended to improve access to justice and ease pressure on the courts. Twenty-six of the 40 newly appointed judges were women.

The Court of Appeal was among the courts affected by that wider reshaping of the Judiciary.

Justice Makungu’s departure now creates another change within the appellate bench.

What happens next?

The immediate question is whether a replacement will be appointed and how quickly that process will begin.

The Court of Appeal plays a central role in Zambia’s justice system, dealing with appeals from the High Court and other matters falling within its jurisdiction.

A judicial vacancy does not by itself mean the court cannot function. But appointments and the distribution of cases are important to the capacity of the appellate system to deal with its workload.

The State House statement does not announce a replacement for Justice Makungu.

It also does not indicate whether the President has begun the process of appointing another judge to fill the vacancy.

And there is no indication in the statement of what Justice Makungu intends to do after leaving the bench.

For now, what is known is limited but clear.

Justice Catherine Kunda Makungu has resigned from the Court of Appeal.

She submitted her written resignation on October 1.

President Hakainde Hichilema accepted it on October 5.

State House thanked her for her service to the Judiciary and the nation and wished her well in her future endeavours.

What remains unanswered is why she chose to leave the bench and whether there will be any further changes to the composition of the Court of Appeal.

Zambian Eye will follow those questions as more information emerges.

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