Zambia Cancels Passports of Six Critics, Raising Human Rights Concerns
Author: Bashir Wako
September 15, 2026
HRRC calls on Zambian authorities to provide the affected individuals with the specific reasons for each passport cancellation and ensure that any restrictions are based on clear legal grounds and subject to the safeguards provided by law. National security should not be used as a blanket justification for restricting fundamental rights without clear reasons and due process.
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Zambia has cancelled the passports of six noteworthy government critics, including former ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba and academic Sishuwa Sishuwa, in a move that has completely restricted their ability to use the documents for international travel.
The cancellations were announced on September 11 through a government notice that also named former MPs Emmanuel Jay Banda and Binwell Mpundu, former State House special assistant Kaizer Zulu and blogger Lillian Mutambo.
Authorities said the passports were cancelled for “security reasons in the interest of national security” and ordered the six to surrender the documents to immigration authorities or Zambia police.
The notice did not give individual details of the security concerns behind the cancellations. Instead, it declared the six passports invalid for identification, travel and any official purpose, meaning the affected individuals can no longer use those documents to travel internationally.
The decision has brought attention to the legal grounds for cancelling passports in Zambia. Under the country's Passport Act No. 28 of 2016, a passport may be cancelled in specified circumstances, including where a person has lost Zambian citizenship, obtained the document through fraud or misrepresentation, or has been convicted of certain offences.
The law also sets out what should happen after a passport is cancelled. Authorities are required to notify the affected person and provide the reasons for the decision within 14 days, while anyone dissatisfied with the decision can appeal within 30 days.
The process gives the six individuals a legal route to challenge the cancellations, but the government notice does not set out the specific circumstances it relied on in making each decision.
The cancellations also affect freedom of movement, a right protected under Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The provision protects the right to leave any country, including one's own, although governments may restrict that right where the conditions set out under international law are met.
The passport cancellations come amid broader concerns over restrictions on political opposition and government critics in Zambia, with the United Nations reporting arrests and detention of opposition members and other critics around and after the country's elections.
The absence of specific reasons in the cancellation notice leaves the government’s stated national-security grounds unexplained and the passport holders blind from context to appeal, particularly because the notice does not identify the conduct or circumstances behind any of the six cancellations.
Glossary
Appeal - a legal proceeding by which a case is brought before a higher court for review of the decision of a lower court
Blanket justification - A broad or general rationale that applies to multiple situations or cases without considering individual circumstances.
Broader - Covering a wide range of subjects.
Fraud – Any activity that relies on deception in order to achieve a gain
Freedom of movement – A fundamental human right that ensures individuals have the ability to travel, reside, and work freely within and across borders without undue restrictions.
Fundamental rights – A class of rights that protect individual and group liberties, including basic civil rights, political participation, equal rights and privileges, social welfare rights, and rights to cultural and environmental protection.
Government notice - A formal announcement aimed at informing the public about legal or regulatory matters, ensuring transparency and compliance.
International travel – Leaving your home country to visit another country or nation.
Invalid - Describes something that is not legally binding or enforceable, such as a contract that fails to meet legal requirements
Legal grounds - Fundamental reason or point that a claim, argument, or legal action relies on for its validity.
Misrepresentation – A false or misleading statement, or a material omission that renders other statements misleading, made with the intent to deceive or induce reliance.
National security - Measures and strategies employed by a nation to protect its citizens, institutions, and interests from both internal and external threats.
Passport – A formal document issued by an authorized official of a country to one of its citizens that is usually necessary for exit from and reentry into the country, that allows the citizen to travel in a foreign country in accordance with visa requirements
Safeguards - Something that serves as a protection or defense or that ensures safety.
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