Chapter One Foundation says Zambia's slide in the rule of law index shows authoritarian practices are "becoming entrenched"

Chapter One Foundation says the 2026 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index shows that weaknesses in Zambia's democratic safeguards are no longer isolated cases, and it has called on Government, Parliament and the Judiciary to respond with measurable reforms. In a press statement issued on Thursday 22 October, Executive Director Josiah Kalala said "authoritarian practices are no longer merely an emerging threat but are becoming entrenched." According to the foundation, Zambia is among the countries that have recorded a sustained five-year decline in at least one of three safeguards against authoritarian rule, which the index measures as constraints on government powers, open government and fundamental rights. It cites these Zambian rankings: fundamental rights, 121st in the world and 25th among 34 sub-Saharan African countries; open government, 111th; absence of corruption, 109th; and regulatory enforcement, 119th. It also says judicial constraints on government power have become less effective. Mr Kalala linked the findings to falling freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association and civic participation, which he described as the ways citizens keep watch on public authority and demand accountability. He warned that if such practices become normal, the institutions that protect people's rights will be weakened. "We call upon Government, Parliament, the Judiciary and other relevant institutions" to study the index and take measurable reform steps, he said, so that Zambia can "build institutions strong enough to restrain the abuse of power." He also stressed that judicial independence and constitutional checks and balances are needed to prevent arbitrary use of power. The World Justice Project is an international non-profit that publishes the index each year. It scores countries on matters such as limits on government power, corruption, fundamental rights and the working of the courts, using household and expert surveys. The 2026 edition covers 143 countri