FORMER CHIEF JUSTICE CHIBESAKUNDA URGES OPPOSITION UNITY AHEAD OF 2026 ELECTIONS
By Gloria Mwangala, Freelance Journalist
Former Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda has called on opposition political leaders and civil society actors to unite in a bid to remove the New Dawn Government from power ahead of the August 2026 General Election.
Justice Chibesakunda chaired a meeting of the Council of Elders held on Friday, 16 January, 2026, at Kapingila House in Kabulonga. The meeting was attended by several opposition political party leaders, most of them affiliated with the Patriotic Front (PF), as well as representatives from civil society organisations.
According to sources familiar with the meeting, Justice Chibesakunda urged participants to remain calm as the Council of Elders continues consultations with various aspiring opposition presidential candidates. The objective, the meeting was told, is to arrive at a single opposition presidential candidate who would challenge the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) in the 2026 polls.
Among those present at the meeting were NGOCC Chairperson Ms Beatrice Katebe, Mr Fackson Shamenda, a former labour movement leader and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung actor, PF faction leader Mr Given Lubinda, former Higher Education Minister Mr Brian Mushimba, and Ms Chishala Kateka, among others.
The involvement of Justice Chibesakunda in mobilising opposition unity has, however, sparked debate within political and legal circles. Critics argue that her active role raises questions about the perceived independence of the Judiciary during the Patriotic Front’s time in government, particularly given her former position as Chief Justice.
Furthermore, the developments have reignited discussions around the opposition’s calls for the separation of powers. Some observers question whether these calls are driven by genuine democratic conviction or are influenced by the opposition’s own experiences and alleged abuses of authority during their time in power.
As Zambia moves closer to the 2026 General Election, the unfolding efforts to consolidate the opposition are likely to intensify public debate around governance, democratic norms, and the role of former state officials in partisan political processes.
For the former Chief Justice, Hon Lombe Chibesakunda to come out in the open that Hakainde’s government should go , then there should be something she knows about the inner workings of this government.
Looking from the outside, one can see how low our governance system has fallen.
How honestly do you prepare a Constitution without involving the people? You just come with Articles and clauses prepared in some one’s “Bedroom” ?
The Constitutional Court rules that the Process is illegitimate and unconstitutional, but you IGNORE this and continue nevertheless, and make a law based on an illegitimate and unconstitutional process?
You constitute a Technical Committee on Constitutional Amendments, and it gathers views from the public in 10 days, and then you refuse to gazette the report and throw it away? You go back to the same Illegitimate and unconstitutional Bill 7 and continue with the process to make it Law, and you Make it Law ? Who does that?
How honestly can cases of the Patriotic Front take “forever” to be resolved in our Courts? From 2023 cases are just stuck in courts, without being heard. Meanwhile the biggest opposition Political Party ( with other 50 Mps, over Hundred Councilors, Mayors and Council Chair persons) , the Patriotic Front, can’t participate in Elections. What type of multi party democracy is this, where you remove the biggest opposition Political Party from the Ballot? The party now has to look for a long and winding path to be on the Ballot for the 2026 Presidential and General Elections. And some one says this is democracy??
The parties finally reconcile in April, 2025 . The case is kept in the files till 7 months later , when the Hon Judge Conceptor Chinyama looks at it..And she refers the matter to a full trial!
The parties all submit that the 24th October,2023 was illegal. Robert Chabinga doesn’t even bother to attend the court session . Instead of making a ruling there and then , the Hon Judge reserves judgement indefinitely!
Then you look at the abuse of State Institutions…the Executive and the Legislature.
Your honor former Chief Justice of Zambia, madam Lombe Chibesakunda, things are not alright in Zambia. It is very gratifying that you have noticed.. Your guidance is appreciated.
On my Ballot on 13th August,2026 will be
Hakainde’s Executive Misrule
The Dancing Nellie Mutti ‘s Parliament
Mumba Malila’s Judiciary
The Axis
The Axis will fall on 13th August,2026.
Ba Nkuku, her coming out of the closet simply means she was and still is a PF cadre.
As a former Chief Justice, she would have done well to keep her dignity by staying clear of partisan politics.
Waste justice in history, she has alway been a pf cadre
But she should know that the government of Hakainde can not and will not go by the word of her mouth, it can only go through the ballot. Winning Chawama should not deceive the opposition thinking that they will defeat UPND and form the next government. All Zambian voters don’t stay in Chawama, they cover the whole country. HH and UPND still enjoy a lot of support countrywide and come August, you will see and prove it yourselves. Their works have already campaigned for them. After Hakainde has worked so hard to bring back life to our country, Zambians won’t allow the same people who ran down the economy to come back and ransack it again, that will be shooting ourselves in the foot and we won’t do it. Even if the opposition will unite, no one among them can perform to reach the level of Hakainde Hichilema.
This explains the judgements that were made at night in secrecy during HH’s petitions. The chief Justice was compromised