UPND has weakened Judiciary – Katele
By Adrian Mwanza
FORMER finance minister Dr Katele Kalumba says the United Party for National Development (UPND) government has destroyed the Zambian Judiciary.
Commenting on the decision by Patriotic Front (PF) member Emmanuel Mwamba to write to the Africa Bar Association accusing the Zambian Judiciary of colluding with the Executive, Dr Kalumba said it was the right thing to do.
He said the Judiciary was undermining judicial independence, democratic governance and the rule of law by colluding with the Executive.
“I support the move to report the Judiciary because there are a lot of injustices going on in the country, which need to be rectified,” Dr Kalumba said.
He said the Judiciary on its own was not bad, but that external and political pressure from the Executive had compromised its independence.
In a letter addressed to AfBA President High Chief Ibrahim Eddy Mark dated January 30, 2026, Mwamba named Chief Justice Mumba Malila as the principal focus of his complaint.
He said Justice Malila’s constitutional role as head of the Judiciary was compromised.
Mwamba contends that Malila had failed to safeguard the separation of powers, arguing that the Judiciary had not remained coequal and independent from the executive as required under the Constitution.
Dr Kalumba said there was a need to highlight the various injustices being committed by the Judiciary.
He said the issue was of serious national importance and needed to be dealt with the urgency it deserved.
Dr Kalumba said he supported the move because he was once a victim, as he was incarcerated at Kamwala remand prison where he served for seven months.
“My call is for the President not to interfere in the Judiciary because he himself was a victim after he served almost three months in prison. As things stand, the Judiciary is compromised and is being used as an appendage of the UPND to deal with political opponents,” Dr Kalumba said.
