The Criminal Justice System in Zambia

This report examines the policing and anti-corruption landscape in Zambia, focusing on the Zambia Police Service, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), and the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC). It identifies systemic weaknesses in investigative capacity, human resource shortages, and a lack of effective accountability mechanisms, while noting the positive but under-utilised impact of reforms like the Victim Support Unit.

• The Zambia Police Service suffers from a significant personnel shortage, with 13,000 officers in place against an ideal complement of 27,000. This capacity is further strained by a 16 per cent HIV/AIDS prevalence rate, which leads to death and illness among staff.
• Investigative and forensic capabilities are severely limited, contributing to low prosecution rates. The Police Forensic Laboratory remains under construction, forcing forensic samples to be sent abroad or to the university teaching hospital.
• While multiple oversight bodies exist—including the Public Police Complaints Authority (PPCA), the Police Professional Standards Unit, and the Commission for Investigators—they are described as weak and non-systematic. The Police Professional Standards Unit has handled only three cases since its inception, and the PPCA has dismissed 13 officers for abuse of authority out of 825 complaints.
• Public perception of the police is generally poor, with a 2003 UNODOC survey showing over 50 per cent of Zambians are dissatisfied with police performance and 69.3 per cent specifically dissatisfied with how crimes are handled. Issues cited include corruption, slow response times, and the use of unnecessary violence.
• The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) faces significant challenges, including low conviction rates for corruption (6 per cent in 2005, 5 per cent in 2006, and 7 per cent in 2007) and a lack of human resources in rural districts. It is estimated that approximately K348.244 billion in public money is misappropriated, stolen, or mismanaged annually.
• The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) is viewed as having a reasonable commitment to combating drug trafficking through education and sniffer dog projects, but is criticised for long delays in concluding cases and a lack of rehabilitation facilities for drug users.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2009). The Criminal Justice System in Zambia. https://issafrica.org/topics/crime-and-criminal-justice/01-apr-2009-monograph-no-159-the-criminal-justice-system-in-zambia.-enhancing-the-delivery-of-security-in-africa-african-human-security-initiative/chapter-3-policing

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. The Criminal Justice System in Zambia. 2009. https://issafrica.org/topics/crime-and-criminal-justice/01-apr-2009-monograph-no-159-the-criminal-justice-system-in-zambia.-enhancing-the-delivery-of-security-in-africa-african-human-security-initiative/chapter-3-policing.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=The Criminal Justice System in Zambia |date=April 2009 |url=https://issafrica.org/topics/crime-and-criminal-justice/01-apr-2009-monograph-no-159-the-criminal-justice-system-in-zambia.-enhancing-the-delivery-of-security-in-africa-african-human-security-initiative/chapter-3-policing |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2009criminal, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{The Criminal Justice System in Zambia}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = apr, url = {https://issafrica.org/topics/crime-and-criminal-justice/01-apr-2009-monograph-no-159-the-criminal-justice-system-in-zambia.-enhancing-the-delivery-of-security-in-africa-african-human-security-initiative/chapter-3-policing}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }