The “note” issued by the ECZ on presidential nominations is more serious than many politicians think.
ECZ has clearly warned that adoption certificates must only be signed by officials recognised by the Registrar of Societies. Not by factions. Not by parallel leaders. Not by people recognised only on Facebook or by cadres.
This is where many political parties may face problems.
For years, Zambia has seen confusion in political parties. Parallel leaderships. Court injunctions. Suspensions. Expulsions. Different people all claiming to be in charge of the same party. Examples are UNIP, MMD and PF (Funny enough they are all former ruling parties).
But elections are legal processes.
And the law requires order.
Imagine nomination day where Miles Sampa signs adoption certificates for PF candidates while Robert Chabinga also signs separate certificates under the same PF. That would create total confusion for ECZ.
Who becomes the legitimate authority?Which signature should ECZ recognise?Which adoption papers become valid?
This is exactly the kind of chaos ECZ is trying to avoid.
Some political parties are gambling, hoping ECZ will bend under pressure at the last minute. That would be a very dangerous mistake.
Once nomination papers are rejected, emotions, insults and press conferences will not help anyone.
I know my former party PF loves to dare the system as if they were not previously in government and fully aware of how state institutions operate.
But we cannot always have an “aka wawawa” mentality even on serious constitutional and electoral matters
Sometimes leadership requires humility and the wisdom to simply do the right thing.
It is this same arrogance that cost PF Kabushi and Kwacha. The party knowingly fielded candidates whose eligibility was legally questionable and instead of correcting the situation early, they chose to challenge and dare the system.
In the end, it was not ECZ or the courts that suffered politically. It was PF itself.
The truth is simple: a political party that cannot organise itself properly may struggle to organise a country properly.
ECZ is simply saying political parties must put their houses in order before nominations begin.
Fix your records.Resolve your leadership disputes.Respect your party constitution.Ensure your adoption process is lawful.
Because when nominations begin, politics will give way to law.
And the law has no emotions.
Do the right thing bane namipatata.
Nipano tuli, Kabusha ta kolelwe bowa🚶 🚶♂️
Simon Mulenga Mwila – Aspiring Mayor of Lusaka. (DBA Student, MBA, LLM, LLB, Legal Practitioner, Commissioner for Oaths, Notary Public)
They scheme and create confusion in Political Parties, judiciary and government agencies like Registrar of Societies, then the Electoral Commission of Zambia comes up with rules to reward the schemers and deny the electorate an Election.
There’s a limit to what Zambians can accept. Do not push people to the wall.
Let’s have an Election on 13th August, 2026, not nonsense.
A Judge rules that an Appeal lacks Merit and throws out a Case. The Appellant goes to the Supreme Court which also throws out the case. The Appellant goes back to the same High Court Judge who had earlier thrown out the case for lacking merit . Well, the Judge rules against her own judgement and issues an Injunction!!! This is what is happening in Zambia. How does one explain this?
The Movement for National Renewal can’t register as a Political Party due to Road blocks at the Registrar of Societies, meanwhile Bruuuu Bruuu Parties are easily registered.
The FDD holds a Convention, and submits the new office bearers to the Registrar of Societies, the changes reflecting the updated list of office bearers can’t be made.
The 13th August, 2026 Election is proving to be the most confused Elections in the History of Zambia..and it’s all because of serial Election losers who have a phobia for
Elections. They don’t want an Election on 13th August, 2026 but a Coronation.
Mr No Emporers in the land . Some times blaming this or that is not helping. If some parties have failed to register why not the leaders in the opposition get organized under the parties which are fully registered. The biggest challenge is everyone wanting to be my president. ECZ has given instructions, why not sit down and straitagise and come with one or two candidates who will meet the ECZ conditions.
Do you people know that even a mare member can stand as president on a party ticket as long as one has what it takes? It’s just lack of logic and selfishness in the opposition. ECZ just organizes elections and does not win elections for any party. Should the opposition win the August elections will they petition ECZ for wrongful declaration?. Zambia has been changing Governments. No opposition has ever refused taking up power because ECZ should have favored the rulling party. Opposition in Zambia is a disappointment