October 2026

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs) are calling for stronger laws, improved verification systems and greater public access to information on the assets, liabilities, income and beneficial ownership interests of political candidates and public office holders in Zambia.

In a joint position paper titled Civil Society Position Paper on Candidate Asset and Beneficial Ownership Disclosure, the organisations argue that transparent disclosure is essential to preventing corruption, identifying conflicts of interest and strengthening public accountability in the management of national resources.

The paper follows a policy engagement held in Lusaka on 29 July 2026, which brought together the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA), the National Assembly, civil society organisations and other statutory bodies. The discussion focused on the need for citizens to have access to relevant information about candidates seeking public office, enabling them to make informed decisions at the ballot box.

Closing the disclosure gap

Although Zambia’s Constitution provides a foundation for asset and liability declarations by state and public officers, the position paper identifies significant gaps in the legislation and implementation needed to make these requirements effective.

One of the principal concerns is the absence of a clear legal framework requiring the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to publish candidates’ declarations of assets, liabilities and beneficial ownership interests sufficiently ahead of polling day. Without timely disclosure, citizens may be unable to scrutinise potential conflicts of interest before electing their representatives.

The paper therefore calls for subsidiary legislation under Article 52 of the Constitution, alongside appropriate amendments to electoral legislation, to ensure that candidate declarations are published during the campaign period. It also recommends extending annual asset declaration requirements to the sitting President.

Strengthening verification and public access to information

The position paper further highlights weaknesses in the systems for verifying declarations and making information available to the public.

Relevant information is held across several institutions, including PACRA, the ACC, the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), the Zambia Revenue Authority, the Lands and Deeds Registry, the Road Transport and Safety Agency, and the National Pension Scheme Authority. However, the paper identifies the lack of formal mechanisms for cross-checking declarations against these separate records as a major accountability challenge.

It also draws attention to difficulties experienced by civil society organisations seeking access to asset declarations. In 2026, the Alliance for Community Action’s request for declarations submitted by presidential candidates in the 2021 General Elections was declined by the ECZ, which cited records-retention rules and the personal-information exemption under the Access to Information Act, 2023.

The organisations argue that public accountability requires a clear framework governing the custody, verification, retention and disclosure of these records.

Addressing conflicts of interest in public resource management

The paper links weaknesses in asset disclosure to the broader challenge of managing public resources responsibly, including the implementation of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

It highlights audit findings and civil society observations concerning irregularities in the allocation of bursaries, empowerment grants and other CDF resources. These examples underscore the importance of identifying potential conflicts of interest involving elected representatives, public officials, contractors and members of committees responsible for approving public expenditure.

The position paper recommends mandatory declarations of interest for Ministers, Members of Parliament, councillors, CDF Committee members and council staff involved in approving tenders, contracts, grants and bursaries. It further calls for officials to recuse themselves where conflicts arise, for the Office of the Auditor General to test contractors and beneficiaries against relevant declarations and beneficial ownership records, and for councils to maintain databases of CDF grant recipients.

Key recommendations

To strengthen transparency and accountability, the joint position paper calls for:

• Mandatory candidate disclosure: Establishing a clear legal requirement for candidates to declare and publicly disclose their assets, liabilities and beneficial ownership interests before polling day.
• Regular declarations by public office holders: Enforcing annual declarations where required by law, alongside declarations upon assuming and leaving office.
• Improved verification: Establishing formal data-sharing arrangements between relevant institutions to verify declarations against existing registers and records.
• Public access to declarations: Creating a permanent, publicly accessible register and clarifying the legal basis for disclosure and records retention.
• Stronger conflict-of-interest safeguards: Requiring declarations of interest, recusal where necessary and systematic checks on public contracts, grants and bursaries.
• Institutional accountability: Strengthening oversight bodies through adequate funding, security of tenure and effective mechanisms for enforcing disclosure requirements.
• Accessible civic education: Sustaining multilingual public education on transparency and accountability reforms, including through media programming in Zambia’s seven officially recognised regional languages.

Building a culture of accountability

The position paper emphasises that effective asset and beneficial ownership disclosure should not be treated merely as an administrative requirement. It is an important safeguard for public integrity, helping citizens scrutinise those entrusted with public office and resources.

The organisations call on the Ministry of Justice, the National Assembly, the ECZ, PACRA, the ACC, the FIC and other relevant institutions to advance the proposed reforms and strengthen coordination in their implementation.

The paper is signed by Fr Daniel Mwamba Mutale, S.J., PhD, Executive Director of the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR), on behalf of the Alliance for Community Action, Chapter One Foundation, JCTR, LCK Freedom Foundation and Transparency International Zambia.

Through these recommendations, the organisations reaffirm the importance of transparency, integrity and accountability in strengthening democratic governance and ensuring that public resources serve the interests of the people of Zambia.

Read the full position paper: Civil Society Position Paper on Candidate Asset and Beneficial Ownership Disclosure