President Hakainde Hichilema has officially dismissed three top judges from the Constitutional Court, a move that has intensified concerns over political interference in Zambia’s judiciary.
The announcement, made late Sunday by presidential spokesperson Clayson Hamasaka, follows the judges’ earlier suspension due to allegations of judicial misconduct.
The judges – Annie Sitali, Mungeni Mulenga and Palani Mulonda – were removed from their posts based on recommendations from the Judicial Complaints Commission (JCC).
The statement noted that the dismissals were with immediate effect and were in accordance with the powers vested in the President under the Zambian constitution.
The affected judges previously presided over a significant presidential petition in 2016 where they dismissed Hichilema’s challenge against the election victory of former president Edgar Lungu.
They were also involved in a controversial ruling that permitted Lungu to run in the 2021 elections despite having already served two terms as president.
Their dismissal comes after a court application for a review of a judicial panel’s decision recommending their suspension was denied.
The JCC had investigated the judges following a complaint lodged by private citizen Moses Kalonde, which alleged gross misconduct.
A previous complaint from lawyer Joseph Busenga, which sought the judges’ removal for allegedly mishandling the 2016 election petition, was rejected by the JCC last year.
JN/APA