Zambia Constitutional Court orders Auditor General to vacate office

The Constitutional Court of Zambia has ordered acting Auditor General Ron Mwambwa to immediately vacate his office, ruling that his continued occupation of the position is unconstitutional.

A five-member bench, led by President Professor Margaret Munalula, determined that Mwambwa was ineligible for the role because he had exceeded the constitutional retirement age of 60. The court found that the appointment process initiated by President Hakainde Hichilema was never completed, as it lacked recommendation from the State Audit Commission and ratification by Parliament.

The ruling follows a petition by the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ), which challenged Mwambwa’s tenure since September 2023. While the court ordered Mwambwa to cease all functions of the Auditor General, it declined to order the repayment of salaries and emoluments, noting that the petitioner failed to provide sufficient evidence to substantiate claims regarding those payments.