Zambia courts shut on final day for election challenge

Zambia's top courts were closed on Monday for what authorities called security reasons, preventing access on the final day for the opposition to challenge President Hakainde Hichilema's election victory.

A memorandum from the judiciary advised staff not to report for work, while police were seen inside the closed gates of the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court in Lusaka. Authorities said security assessments were ongoing.

The timing has drawn criticism from opposition figures, lawyers and civil society groups because Monday marked the deadline for filing an election petition.

Hichilema was declared the winner of the August 13 election with about 60% of the vote. He has denied allegations of electoral fraud, while independent observers have raised concerns about the conduct of the poll.

Opposition leader Brian Mundubile had said he planned to challenge the result. But several members of his camp were arrested after the election, and Mundubile was later questioned by police over alleged national security offences, which he says were fabricated.

Opposition allies said they were still trying to ensure a petition was filed before the deadline.

Civil society groups and the Law Association of Zambia warned that the court closure risked undermining the constitutional right to challenge the election results.

The episode has also renewed concerns about shrinking space for dissent in Zambia, once viewed as one of Africa's more stable democracies.

For now, the closure leaves questions over whether the opposition will be able to secure judicial scrutiny of an election whose result has already become politically contested.