Zambia AG Seeks Dismissal of Challenge to Passport and NRC Cancellation

Zambia's Attorney General, Mulilo Kabesha, has asked the Lusaka High Court to throw out an application by Celestine Mukandila that challenges the government's decision to cancel his National Registration Card (NRC) and Zambian passport. Kabesha argues that Mukandila should have taken his complaint to the Minister of Home Affairs before going to court. The case concerns documents that are central to proving identity and citizenship.

Key facts

• 23 October 2026: the Attorney General's application was reported.
• Celestine Mukandila is seeking permission from the Lusaka High Court to start judicial review proceedings.
• He wants the court to quash Government Gazette Notice No. 1418 of 2026.
• Through that notice, the government purported to cancel and invalidate his NRC and Zambian passport.
• Mukandila has cited the Attorney General as the respondent.

What is the case about?

Mukandila has applied to the Lusaka High Court for leave to bring judicial review proceedings against the government's decision to cancel his NRC and Zambian passport. He is asking the court to quash Government Gazette Notice No. 1418 of 2026, the instrument through which the government purported to cancel and invalidate the two documents.

Why does the government say the case should not proceed?

Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha has asked the court to dismiss the application on the basis that Mukandila followed the wrong procedure. Kabesha's argument is that Mukandila should first have appealed the cancellation of his documents to the Minister of Home Affairs, and only then gone to court.

What is not yet clear?

The available report does not state why the government cancelled Mukandila's NRC and passport, when the cancellation took effect, or what Mukandila's response to the Attorney General's argument is. It also gives no date for a hearing or ruling on either the dismissal application or the request for permission to begin judicial review.

What this means for travellers

The case concerns the cancellation of identity and travel documents rather than a change to general entry rules. For anyone whose Zambian documents are cancelled, the Attorney General's position is that an appeal to the Minister of Home Affairs is the step that must come before a court challenge. Anyone in that situation should check the applicable procedure before assuming a court can be approached directly.

No further dates or decisions in the matter have been announced.