ZIALE window unfair, law graduates moan
By Thandizo Banda
SOME prospective candidates for the 2026 Legal Practitioners Qualifying Examination (LPQE) have complained about the application window the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE) has given them.
Speaking in an interview with The Mast, Natasha Nachalwe, who graduated in September 2026, said previously the practice was that ZIALE would keep the application window open until the last week of October or the first week of November to accommodate students graduating in that particular year.
Nachalwe said the change to close the application window at the end of August would disadvantage students set to graduate between September and October 2026.
“The closure means September and October 2026 graduates will be unable to enroll until 2027,” Nachalwe said.
Another affected candidate Dalitso Banda appealed to ZIALE to consider reopening the application window to allow those graduating in September and October to enroll for the programme.
“We plead with ZIALE to consider reopening or extending the window to accommodate the affected 2026 graduates,” Banda said.
A guardian to one of the affected graduates, who also sought anonymity, said the development had caused anxiety among families who already made financial and logistical preparations for the 2026 intake.
“As sponsors, we plan and sacrifice a lot to support our children through law school. To have them sit idle for a whole year because of an abrupt change in the calendar is demoralising and costly. We only appeal to ZIALE to exercise discretion and consider the plight of these 2026 graduates by extending the window,” the guardian said.
ZIALE has not commented on the matter since October, 2, 2026.
