We are focused on advancing constitutionalism, human rights, and the rule of law in Zambia through strategic and public interest litigation
Lusaka, Zambia
Joined October 2025
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On the eve of #Zambia’s 2026 General Elections, we — a coalition of 11 civil society organisations — have issued a joint statement on the conduct of the electoral process.
Electoral integrity isn’t just about polling day. It’s about whether citizens can freely make political choices, and whether their votes translate, without distortion, into leaders of their choice. That’s the standard we’re holding this election to.
Our concerns: restrictions on opposition mobilisation, unequal treatment by state institutions, use of public resources for partisan advantage, unchecked electoral violence, and late/unclear guidance on valid ballot marking.
Our call: ECZ must act with visible impartiality. Govt must not use state resources for partisan gain. Police must hold perpetrators of violence accountable — regardless of political affiliation. Parties must campaign peacefully and accept the outcome.
We call on all citizens of Zambia to turn out peacefully to exercise their constitutional right to vote — confident that their voice matters. We will be monitoring before, during, and after polling day.
#ZambiaDecides2026 #ZambiaElections #FreeAndFairElections
LCK Freedom Foundation retweeted
Wounded Leadership
One of the reasons that I often lament about the lack of women in leadership is that we often miss out on or underplay powerful voices that we should be listening to. This evening, I recalled a 2014 Tedx talk by former Namibian First Lady Monica Kalondo Geingos about wounded leadership which is still very relevant today. She talks about how corrosive power can be, more so in the hands of people in authority with character flaws induced by personal trauma.
As a disclaimer, Madam Geingos admits that she too is a wounded leader and that left unchecked, she too could be "a dictator of note". The truth is we're all wounded in some shape or form, I know that I am, but as Madam Geingos says if as a society we do not put in place guardrails to save our leaders from the worst versions of themselves, we will all suffer for it.
Take time to listen to this classic TEDx talk and please reflect on the role that you can play in protecting our leaders from themselves for the betterment of society.
#RuleofLaw
#Consitutionalism
#Democracy
#Zambia
Source: YouTube share.google/RrII8Gwz5P9Y5p7…
LCK Freedom Foundation retweeted
CHALO CHESU: THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Yesterday was World Peace Day. I sometimes wonder about the people of Congo, Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and Yemen. People who experience daily violence and upheaval. People who long for peace. Then there are those of them who have fled their countries to places alien to them, places that may offer them temporary shelter, but perhaps are unkind to them.
Have you ever lived in exile - whether spiritual, social, or physical? If you have then you know there’s no place like “home”: where you don’t have to explain yourself, where your identity is not questioned, where you are loved. I have thought about this a lot recently as I have witnessed my home country Zambia being turn into something almost unrecognizable. Fear, repression, and witch hunting are taking root - redefining terms that previously seemed unquestionable; words like “freedom”, “democracy” and “citizenship”.
The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13 that there is a better way, that way is love. The language of love is understood in all faiths and persuasions. It is the opposite of hate and of causing strife. In the words of Pope John Paul II: “Peace requires four essential conditions: truth, justice, love, and freedom”. I hope and pray that my fellow Zambianhs meditate on these values. They are won and easily lost.
#Zambia
LCK Freedom Foundation retweeted
CSOs respond to the AG's statement of 16 Sept:
Our rule of law concerns are backed by observer missions, Bar Associations & the UN Special Rapporteur. We welcome dialogue & propose a concrete agenda.
ADGF, Caritas Zambia, @CofZambia, @ZambiaFree , @FreedomLck #RuleOfLaw 🇿🇲
LCK Freedom Foundation retweeted
“What is happening in Zambia is completely unprecedented. Today, we have witnessed our entire judiciary being shut down, purportedly due to a security threat.
Today also happens to be the final day for filing a presidential election petition to challenge the results of the 13th August 2026 presidential election. Today may be the last day of our democracy.”
Linda Kasonde,
President of the Law Society of Zambia, 2016-2018.
LCK Freedom Foundation retweeted
Zambia’s election was flawed and may need to be rerun l.theafricareport.com/vC9
LCK Freedom Foundation retweeted
Zambian police summoned the nation’s opposition leader after he pledged to challenge the outcome of last week’s presidential election, over which observers have raised concerns bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
LCK Freedom Foundation retweeted
The Commonwealth expresses concern at the post-election situation in Zambia and urges full respect for the rights of all persons and for the rule of law, in line with the values of the Commonwealth Charter.
Read the Secretary-General's full statement: bit.ly/4gnuHez
LCK Freedom Foundation retweeted
Hakainde Hichilema almost certainly received the most votes. But evidence of inflated tallies presented by independent observers suggests the president did not win 60%, as the electoral commission claims economist.com/middle-east-an…
LCK Freedom Foundation retweeted
Irregular Network Patterns Observed on MTN and Airtel Networks
On 19 August 2026, irregular network performance was observed on the MTN and Airtel networks. Users experienced intermittent connectivity, particularly in Lusaka Province.
Several OONI Probe tests conducted by Chapter One Foundation monitors were unsuccessful or returned errors, indicating possible broader connectivity challenges. While the failed tests do not confirm the cause of the disruption, the combined observations point to a period of unstable and unreliable network service, warranting further monitoring and follow-up during the post-election period.
While failed tests alone cannot establish the specific cause of the disruption, they provide an important indication of connectivity challenges during the period. This was also notable as monitors had not previously experienced the application failing to operate to this extent due to poor network connectivity.
Overall, the combination of slow WhatsApp message delivery, frequent network interruptions and unsuccessful OONI Probe tests indicates a period of irregular and unreliable network performance on the the 19th August 2026. These observations warrant further monitoring and follow-up, particularly given the importance of reliable communication and access to information during the post-election period.
Chapter One Foundation is monitoring the Internet Disruptions and Network performance as part of its broader efforts to strengthen electoral integrity, promote digital rights, and protect access to information in Zambia.
#InternetWatch
#DigitalRights
#KeepItOn
#ChapterOneFoundation
LCK Freedom Foundation retweeted
The assassination of Mutotwe Kafwaya (Member of Parliament) in Zambia demonstrates the character of the 'election' held in that country under the aegis of President Hakainde Hichilema - whose administration suspended the voting, arrested opponents, and then, the gunfire.
We stand with the Zambian people who deserve better than bullets and truncheons.
LCK Freedom Foundation retweeted
Joint CSO Statement on the killing of former Minister Mutotwe Kafwaya and calling for a full investigation
Issued by:
Advocates for Democratic Governance Foundation, @ActionAidZambia , Alliance for Community Action, @FreedomLck LCK Freedom Foundation, Caritas Zambia, @CofZambia , Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection, PANOS Zambia, @ti_zambia , NGOCC, Zambia Free Press Initiative
LCK Freedom Foundation retweeted
Recording of press conference by the Pan-African Lawyers Union addressing concerns about the electoral environment before, during, and after the Zam General Election featuring
@ActionAidZambia Executive Director Faides TembaTemba
@FreedomLck Executive Director Linda Kasonde
@ssishuwa
LCK Freedom Foundation retweeted
But God did……. 🙏🏾🇿🇲
IRIS KAINGU DEFEATS UPND CANDIDATE IN MWANDI
By Gabriel Josias Muuba
Independent candidate Iris Kaingu has won the Mwandi Constituency parliamentary seat, defeating the ruling UPND candidate, Sibeso Sefulo.
Returning Officer Nowa Nowa has declared Kaingu as duly elected MP for Mwandi after polling 6,595 votes compared to Sefulo who obtained 6,110.
Kaingu, who had previously joined the UPND, was left out of the party’s adoption process after the party opted to back Sefulo, who has now lost the election.
Kaingu is the daughter of former Mwandi Member of Parliament and former Education Minister Michael Kaingu, who represented the constituency for two terms.
During the campaign period, Kaingu faced criticism from some UPND supporters after deciding to contest the election as an independent candidate.
Despite reported attempts to persuade her to reconsider, Kaingu maintained that her decision reflected what she described as the will of the people.
#NewsOnTheGo #thezambianvote #electiondataplug
LCK Freedom Foundation retweeted
I will be sharing these over the course of the week as I compile the data for the After the Count essay.
The Lusaka Central parliamentary declaration records:
36,383 valid votes
776 rejected ballots
37,159 total ballots cast
The announced presidential figures are:
Hakainde Hichilema: 19,184
Brian Mundubile: 18,179
Top-two subtotal: 37,363
The two leading presidential candidates alone received 204 more votes than the entire parliamentary ballot count. But 204 is not the final gap. Zambia had fourteen presidential candidates, and ECZ has not published the votes received by the other twelve candidates or the rejected presidential ballots for Lusaka Central.
The exact gap is therefore:
204 + other presidential candidates’ votes + rejected presidential ballots.
What we can say is that the available Lusaka Central figures broadly track. They do not show anything resembling Solwezi Central, where the two leading presidential candidates received 56,285 votes against only 29,940 total parliamentary ballots cast.
LCK Freedom Foundation retweeted
The Tanzanian playbook again!
Zambia’s Secretary to the Cabinet, Patrick Kangwa, says opposition presidential candidate Brian Mundubile was present when police raided a group authorities have described as a “militia,” accused of developing military plans involving foreign nationals and operating illegal training camps.
Kangwa said police exchanged gunfire with members of the group, who were allegedly found with weapons.
Among those arrested is Patrick Mwansa, husband of Tasila Lungu, daughter of the late former President Edgar Lungu.
Also arrested was Bishop Trevor Musonda Mwamba, a Zambian national and president of the United National Independence Party (UNIP). Bishop Mwamba is the son-in-law of Botswana’s former President Sir Ketumile Masire. His family had earlier raised alarm about his disappearance after they were unable to contact him from the evening of Friday, 14 August.
Initially, the Zambian authorities had denied that there were any arrests on Friday involving members of the opposition or the main opposition leader.
LCK Freedom Foundation retweeted
JOINT CSO STATEMENT ON THE ALARMING ELECTORAL ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THE ZAMBIAN AUGUST 2026 ELECTION IS TAKING PLACE
Link below:
youtu.be/acDl4oUoT4s?si=QKBa…
Issued jointly by the undersigned Civil Society Organisations:
@ActionAidZambia , @ZambiaAsks , @zambloggers , Caritas Zambia, @CofZambia , Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection, LCK Freedom Foundation @FreedomLck , NGOCC, @ti_zambia , Zambia Council for Social Development, Panos Institute Southern Africa
