State House Denies Ordering Court Closure to Block Election Petitions

State House has strongly rejected claims that President Hakainde Hichilema ordered the closure of the courts on Monday, 24 August 2026, to prevent the opposition from filing election petitions, describing the allegation as inconsistent with both the constitutional order and the facts.

In a statement issued by Chief Communications Specialist Clayson Hamasaka, State House stressed that the President is a firm believer in the separation of powers and has neither the authority nor the power to determine when or from whom the courts receive filings.

The statement explained that Monday's measures were not aimed at the Judiciary alone. As the Inspector General of Police had confirmed, intelligence-led security assessments were being carried out at several key Government premises, including institutions under the Ministries of Justice and Home Affairs, the National Prosecution Authority and the Attorney General's Chambers. A precautionary measure applied across multiple institutions, it said, could not reasonably be portrayed as targeting a single litigant.

State House added that suspensions of court business were not unprecedented, citing disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. It noted that the courts had sat and received filings on the working days following the declaration of the presidential result on 18 August, yet no petition had been lodged during that period.

Challenging those making the claims to produce any prepared petition and evidence of an attempt to file it, State House said the courts remained open, and urged the nation to move forward peacefully and constitutionally.