President Hakainde Hichilema closed public consultations on proposed constitutional amendments, receiving 11,860 submissions, just 0.06% of the population. Civil society, church groups, and opposition parties criticized the process as rushed, inaccessible, and legally questionable. The government is reviewing the Technical Committee’s report, but critics warn that the amendment process risks excluding significant public voices and may not fully reflect citizen input.

Zambia’s Electoral Commission registered 1,453,463 new voters in a 30-day mass registration drive. Copperbelt led with 231,883 new registrations, and Lusaka recorded 200,367. The figure falls short of the 3.5 million target, with a three-day extension still being compiled. The ECZ will now prepare the Provisional Voter Register for inspection in February 2026 and final certification by April 30, ahead of the 2026 General Election.

Zambia’s parliament declared Tasila Lungu’s Chawama constituency seat vacant after her prolonged absence following her father’s death. She requested virtual attendance while in South Africa handling funeral matters, but the request was rejected. Elections for the seat will be held within 90 days. The decision sparked debate over balancing compassionate leave with constituents’ right to representation.

Zambia ranked 103rd of 143 countries in the 2025 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, dropping 1% from last year. The decline reflects shrinking civic space, reduced freedoms of expression and assembly, and weaker government checks. Courts remain relatively independent, but the slide highlights growing authoritarian trends and challenges to public oversight and fundamental rights. Within Sub-Saharan Africa, Zambia ranks 14th.

Zambia became the first African nation to join the HealthAI Global Regulatory Network, partnering with countries including the UK, Singapore, and India to strengthen AI oversight in healthcare. The agreement aims to build regulatory capacity, share best practices, and monitor AI applications, emphasizing patient safety, responsible AI adoption, and positioning Zambia as a leader in African health innovation.

Zambia’s government suspended constitutional reform talks with the Oasis Forum after a State House meeting ended in deadlock. Officials said the Forum entered discussions with fixed positions, preventing meaningful dialogue. The civil society coalition maintained it needed clarity on the reform process before deeper engagement. The suspension highlights ongoing tensions in Zambia’s constitutional review, though both sides left the door open for future talks under a revised framework.