M’MEMBE, BANDA Cleared by Constitutional Court
By Hannock Kasama
The full bench of the Constitutional Court has dismissed a petition challenging the eligibility of Socialist Party President FRED M’MEMBE and his running mate DOLIKA BANDA to contest the 2026 General Election.
The court ruled that the petitioners failed to provide sufficient evidence to support their claim that Ms. BANDA does not possess a Grade 12 Certificate or its equivalent as required by the Constitution.
Delivering the judgment on behalf of the full bench, Constitutional Court Judge MAPANI KAWIMBE said the petitioners had relied solely on evidence obtained from the Electoral Commission of Zambia -ECZ.
The evidence consisted of a response from the Examinations Council of Zambia stating that Ms. BANDA’s Cambridge OCR General Secondary School Certificate, obtained in 1978, is not equivalent to a Grade 12 School Certificate.
Judge KAWIMBE said the petitioners were required to present their own adequate evidence to prove that Ms. BANDA did not possess the academic qualification prescribed by the Constitution.
The petition was filed by civil liberties activist ISAAC MWANZA and the Consortium of Civil Society Organisations for Good Governance and Constitutionalism.
Speaking after the judgment, Dr. M’MEMBE described the court’s decision as impartial and professional.
Impartial and proffessiomal because it is in his favour. If it had gone against him, he would have said the court has been hijacked by the UPND.
It’s good that he will be on the ballot paper so that Zambians can show him how useless a politician he has been. I can’t help seeing zeros coming his way this August.