Zambia falls on global rule of law index amid concerns over entrenched authoritarian practices

**LUSAKA-(MaraviPost)-**Zambia has slipped further down the global rule of law rankings, in what civil rights groups say is confirmation that authoritarian practices are becoming entrenched under President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration.

In the 2026 World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index released this week, Zambia’s overall score fell to 0.44, placing it 108th out of 143 countries globally, down from 103rd last year when it scored 0.45. a8ff

The five-place drop continues a downward trend that has been building for several years.

Chapter One Foundation, a Zambian civil rights organisation, warned that Zambia is among countries that have suffered a sustained five-year decline in at least one of three key safeguards against authoritarian rule: constraints on government powers, open government and fundamental rights.

“The Index finds that authoritarian practices are no longer merely an emerging threat but are becoming entrenched,” Executive Director Josiah Kalala said in a statement.

The WJP index paints a bleak picture of Zambia’s civic space. The country is ranked 121st globally in fundamental rights and 25th out of 34 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is placed 111th globally in open government, 109th in absence of corruption and 119th in regulatory enforcement.

According to the report, the global rule of law recession continued in 2026, with adherence declining in 68 percent of countries surveyed, driven primarily by the expansion of authoritarian trends. For Zambia, the report specifically notes a shrinking civic space.

“Freedom of opinion and expression declined in 73% of countries, including Zambia. The freedom of assembly and association declined in over 70 percent of countries,” the report stated.

The findings are particularly striking for a government led by Hakainde Hichilema, who swept to power in 2021 defeating Edgar Lungu after a campaign that promised to restore constitutionalism, judicial independence and respect for civil liberties.

The drop in the rankings comes against a backdrop of mounting accusations of lawfare — the use of the legal system and state security apparatus to harass, detain and prosecute opposition leaders.

The most high-profile case follows the disputed general election of 13 August 2026. President Hichilema was declared winner with 60.49 percent of the vote against challenger Brian Mundubile’s 37.87 percent. The results remain contested.

On 24 August, a day before the deadline for petitions to challenge the results, police sealed off access to Zambia’s courts.

The judiciary cited security reasons, but the opposition said it was a deliberate move to block legal challenges.

An election night raid on opposition leader Brian Mundubile’s residence forced him into hiding.

Officers killed former minister Mutotwe Kafwaya and arrested 11 other opposition figures, accusing them of possessing AK-47 rifles and planning an armed insurgency — claims the opposition dismissed as fabricated.

Mundubile and his running mate Makebi Zulu later sought refuge in a United Nations facility before surrendering to police. Both were detained and face treason charges, an offence punishable by death under Zambian law.

UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to peaceful assembly and association, Gina Romero, described the charges as “concocted” and called for the release of all political detainees.

Reports indicate hundreds of opposition supporters were also arrested in the post-election period, many held beyond legally mandated timeframes without formal charges.

The pattern predates the 2026 poll. Opposition figures including Socialist Party leader Fred M’membe, Patriotic Front leaders and activists from the Tonse Alliance have repeatedly faced summons, arrests and prolonged court cases over charges ranging from unlawful assembly to defamation and espionage. Opposition leaders say venues for rallies are routinely cancelled at the last minute, while permits for peaceful assembly are denied under the Public Order Act — a law Hichilema once promised to reform.

The government denies violating rights of detained opposition figures and says no lawlessness will be tolerated regardless of political affiliation, insisting it has worked since 2021 to restore confidence in democratic institutions.

But for Chapter One Foundation and international observers, the WJP findings suggest the promise of 2021 is slipping away. The Foundation said judicial constraints on government power have declined and that freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and civic participation — essential mechanisms for citizens to scrutinise authority — are deteriorating.

“Equally concerning is the finding that Zambia has seen a decline in the extent to which the judiciary effectively limits government powers,” Kalala said.

As Zambia faces a second term under Hichilema, who was sworn in on 1 September, critics warn that the legal tools once used to suppress dissent under previous administrations are being repurposed, undermining the very constitutionalism his government pledged to defend.

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