President Hakainde Hichilema has accepted the resignation of Justice Catherine Kunda Makungu as a Judge of the Court of Appeal of Zambia. According to a press release issued by Clayson Hamasaka, Chief Communications Specialist at the Office of the President, State House Press and Public Relations Office, on Monday, 5 October 2026, Justice Makungu formally […]

President Hakainde Hichilema has accepted the resignation of Justice Catherine Kunda Makungu as a Judge of the Court of Appeal of Zambia.

According to a press release issued by Clayson Hamasaka, Chief Communications Specialist at the Office of the President, State House Press and Public Relations Office, on Monday, 5 October 2026, Justice Makungu formally tendered her resignation to President Hichilema on 1 October 2026.

The resignation was submitted in writing and was made in accordance with Article 142(5) of the Constitution of Zambia, according to the statement from State House.

“President Hakainde Hichilema has received and accepted the resignation of Justice Catherine Kunda Makungu as a Judge of the Court of Appeal,” the statement reads.

The State House did not give any reason for Justice Makungu’s decision to step down from the Court of Appeal.

President Hichilema, however, thanked Justice Makungu for her service to the Judiciary and the nation and wished her well in her future endeavours.
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Justice Makungu has served as a member of Zambia’s Court of Appeal and is listed by the Judiciary of Zambia among the country’s Court of Appeal judges. Judiciary records also show that she has continued to sit on appellate matters in 2026.

Her judicial career dates back several decades. Parliamentary records show that Justice Makungu was admitted to the Zambian Bar in 1992 and later established her own law firm, Makungu and Company. She was appointed a Puisne Judge in 2004 and subsequently served as Judge-in-Charge at the Kitwe High Court before her appointment to the Court of Appeal.

Her departure comes at a time when Zambia’s superior courts have undergone significant changes, including a major round of judicial appointments in 2026. President Hichilema in May swore in 40 judges across the Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, Court of Appeal and High Court, in what State House described as the largest judicial appointment exercise in Zambia’s history.

The resignation of Justice Makungu therefore adds another development to Zambia’s evolving judicial landscape, although the State House statement does not indicate whether a replacement will immediately be appointed or provide details on the next steps.

For now, the official position is that President Hichilema has accepted Justice Makungu’s resignation, bringing her tenure as a Judge of the Court of Appeal to an end.