Update: Government tells CSOs to rethink 25 November anti-third term march, calls term-limit debate an "imaginary issue"

Update: Earlier coverage reported that civil society groups had notified police of a 25 November procession. New since then: the Government's response, and the groups' stated reasons. Chief Government Spokesperson Elvis Nkandu has asked the civil society organisations (CSOs) planning a march against any removal of presidential term limits to reconsider. Speaking in an interview on Thursday 5 November, he questioned why the groups want to protest over what he called an "imaginary issue." Mr Nkandu also said citizens have the right to hold and express opinions, and that "not even government can gag such an opinion." On Wednesday 4 November, a consortium of CSOs told the Zambia Police Service it intends to hold a peaceful procession and public assembly on 25 November 2026. The groups named in the joint statement include Chapter One Foundation, Transparency International Zambia, the Council of Churches in Zambia, the Zambia Council for Social Development, NGOCC, Caritas Zambia and ActionAid. The statement was signed by Josiah Kalala of Chapter One Foundation, Leah Mitaba of the Zambia Council for Social Development and Maurice Nyambe of Transparency International Zambia. ## What the groups say The statement says citizens held an assembly on 27 October 2026 and petitioned the National Assembly to abolish presidential term limits, among other proposals. The CSOs said they would use the same constitutional freedoms to take the opposite view. "We respect their right to do so, notwithstanding our disagreement with their position," they said. They tied the two-term limit to the struggle to restore multiparty democracy and to the opposition to attempts to extend presidential tenure in 2001 and 2021. They also noted that two technical committees in 2025, after public consultations, recommended keeping the limit of two terms of five years each. "If those voices mattered last year, they matter this year," the statement said. ## Background The Evangelical Fellowship of Zamb