Zambia’s Constitutional Court rejected the Legal Resources Foundation’s request to halt the ongoing recruitment of 20 Superior Court judges. The foundation argued the appointments violated constitutional principles and would cause irreparable harm, but Deputy President Justice Arnold Shilimi ruled the case did not meet the threshold for interim conservatory relief. The court emphasized that the recruitment, aimed at reducing case backlogs, serves public interest, allowing the appointments process to continue while the substantive petition proceeds.

Zambia’s Parliament passed the Constitution Amendment Bill 7 of 2025 with a two-thirds majority, introducing a mixed-member proportional representation system and expanding parliamentary seats. The reforms align national and local government terms, remove term limits for mayors, and restrict by-elections close to polls. President Hakainde Hichilema says the changes promote fairer development, but critics warn they could entrench ruling-party dominance ahead of next year’s elections.

Zambia’s Chawama by-election, set for January 15, 2026, has drawn nine candidates after UPND replaced its nominee over a technical disqualification. Timothy Kantenga was withdrawn after it was discovered that his name was not on the current voters’ roll. Morgan Muunda was endorsed instead. UPND says the swift change ensures compliance with ECZ rules. The poll follows the vacancy left by former MP Tasila Lungu.

Zambia launched a nationwide recruitment drive to fill 2 000 positions in the health sector, targeting nurses, midwives, clinical officers and medical support staff. Health authorities said the hiring aims to address chronic workforce shortages, strengthen service delivery and improve access to care, especially in rural districts. The recruitment process is expected to be transparent and merit-based, with deployments prioritised to underserved facilities to boost public health outcomes.

The Auditor General flagged 72 local authorities for failing to effectively collect revenue from taxes, levies and fees, undermining service delivery and financial stability. The 2024 audit found weak revenue systems, poor enforcement, manual cash handling and inadequate monitoring, leading to arrears and leakages. The report warned that under-collection increases reliance on central government transfers and urged stronger controls, electronic payments and tighter oversight.

Government begun implementing Cabinet-approved pension reforms aimed at improving benefit adequacy and sustainability. Labor Minister Brenda Tambatamba said changes include raising NAPSA’s income replacement rate and allowing access to 20% of benefits before retirement. The reforms seek predictable payouts, harmonized schemes and wider coverage. Trade unions wanted greater equity across sectors, while draft pension bills are being finalized to close gaps.