Zambia court bars rival faction from taking over New Congress Party leadership

The Lusaka High Court has blocked a rival faction from assuming leadership of the New Congress Party(NCP), granting an interim injunction in favour of party president, Peter Chanda. In a ruling delivered by High Court Judge Geoffrey Mulenga, the court restrained Daniel Nyati and four others from acting as office bearers of the party or presenting themselves as NCP leaders until the matter is fully determined. The order also bars the group from enforcing resolutions they claim to have adopted during a meeting held on January 30, 2026.

According to court documents, the defendants include Amos Nyirenda, Josephine Chulu, Jonathan Phiri, and Mr Nyati. Mr Chanda challenged their actions, arguing that the group acted unlawfully when they attempted to remove him as party president and lodge changes at the Registrar of Societies. He maintained that the party constitution did not allow officials to remove a sitting president elected by a general conference, stating that such a move could only be done through a vote of no confidence by the general membership.

The court has set March 30, 2026 for an inter partes hearing. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR