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 The 2016 amendments repealed and replaced the citizenship provisions, permitting dual citizenship for the first time, providing for a presumption of citizenship in favour of children of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The legislation providing more detail on acquisition and loss, the Zambia Citizenship Act 1975, was repealed and replaced following the adoption of the 2016 Constitution with a new Citizenship Act adopted in June 2016.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.
ANITA Siameja is a Kabwe resident and mother of two boys who has come to appreciate the true value of a birth certificate. In 2015 when the process of birth registration was decentralised and introduced in Kabwe, she eventually became…
Birth registration coverage for Zambians currently stands at only 11.2 per cent, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Ministry of Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Pamela Kabamba revealed this during a media workshop on civil registration in Chisamba yesterday where…
Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Dr. Ngosa Simbyakula S.C. encouraged Zambians in the U.S. to register with the Embassy so that in case of anything, the Mission would be able to account for each and every Zambian The…
GOVERNMENT through the Ministry of Home Affairs has announced the decentralisation program for the issuance of Birth and Death certificates in the country stating that decentralisation of this process will help government in planning based on the population Statistics. Speaking…
MINISTER of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo says Government will prioritise applications of Zambians who want to restore their lost Zambian citizenship but are in the diaspora. Mr Kampyongo said priority will be given to Zambians who renounced their citizenship in…
By NANCY SIAME, Lusaka GOVERNMENT has started implementing the dual citizenship clause for Zambians in the diaspora who lost their citizenship as a result of acquiring nationality of other countries. The citizenship board will now register within six months a…
By Ausborn Banda The Zambian Ministry of Home Affairs this week encouraged all interested Zambians living in the Diaspora and non-Zambians living in Zambia, to apply for dual citizenship, this follows amendments that it’s lawmakers made to the Constitution and…
Statutory Instrument No.50, Supplement to Republic of Zambia Government Gazette 30 June 2017. Establishes procedures for reacquisition of citizenship for those who lost it on acquiring another, based on constitutional and legislative reforms of 2016 permitting dual citizenship. Download :…
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…