Citizenship in Zambia is governed by the 1991 Constitution, as amended in 2016. The 2016 amendments repealed and replaced the citizenship provisions, permitting dual citizenship for the first time, providing for a presumption of citizenship in favour of children of unknown parents, and expanding rights to apply for citizenship for those born and resident in Zambia. Gender equality had already been implemented by amendments adopted in 1973.
The legislation providing more detail on acquisition and loss, the Zambia Citizenship Act 1975, was repealed and replaced following the adoption of the 2016 Constitution with a new Citizenship Act adopted in June 2016.
In its most recent concluding observations on Zambia, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child noted that while birth registration in Zambia has improved in recent years, it is unacceptably low.
The issue of citizenship has been raised in national elections. Questioning the citizenship of opponents is a tool which some Zambian politicians have used to try to discredit their opponents, some of which have resulted in arrests. Several cases have been heard by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, including the case concerning the citizenship of former president Kenneth Kaunda.
KALUNGA MUSONDA, Kabwe THE inadequate health facilities in communities have for the past decades subjected expectant mothers to giving birth either in homes or on their way to the nearest health centres.nAdded to that, because of traditional beliefs, some expectant…
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has advised Zambians living in the diaspora to benefit from the new constitutional provision that allows them to have duo nationalities. President Lungu gave the advice when he met Zambians living in America during the “Meet the…
Zambia provides a distinctive case of national identity management. Even from before independence in 1964 the identity card has played a prominent role and by 2010 the National Registration Card (NRC) covered more than 83% of the population of 16…
By CHUSA SICHONE – THE Ministry of Home Affairs has started receiving applications from people seeking dual citizenship as provided for in the amended Zambian Constitution. Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Chileshe Mulenga said most of the people who had shown…
He has never been Capped at International level for Senegal and that he is married to a lady from Guinea Bissau. Guinea Bissau Immigration Law states that persons are eligible for citizenship through registration and that foreign person whose grandparents…
Repeals and replaces the Zambia Citizenship Act 1975, in light of the new Zambian Constitution of 2016. Download file: Zambia Citizenship Act 2016
Government has revealed that it will not take in applications for dual citizenship until the Immigrations and Citizenship Act are amended. Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Dr Chileshe Mulenga told Journalists that those applying for dual citizenship will have to wait…
The inclusion of dual nationality in the amended Constitution has cheered critical stakeholders in the economy. The stakeholders are saying the inclusion of this particular provision would bring a lot of economic benefits. Zambia Institute of Transparency and Accountability (ZITA)…
CRC/C/ZMB/CO/2-4 Concluding observations on the combined second to fourth periodic reports of Zambia Birth registration 31. The Committee notes the measures that the State party put in place to promote free birth registration in the country. However, it remains concerned…
It is often the duty of any government to put in place specific measures or laws to ensure that citizens are accurately recognised. Governments are also supposed to cater for foreign nationals in order to incorporate them in a particular…