SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) to the Republic of Zambia`s 13 August 2026 General Election

SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) to the Republic of Zambia`s 13 August 2026 General Election 

Gaborone, Botswana, 23 July 2026: The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will deploy the SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) to observe the General Election of the Republic of Zambia scheduled for 13 August 2026, in line with Article 8.1 of the Revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021). The Mission forms part of SADC's continued commitment to promoting democratic governance, credible electoral processes, consolidating peace, security and political stability across the region. 

Beginning with the arrival of the SADC Secretariat Support Team in Zambia on 27 July 2026, the SEOM’s Long-Term-Observation (LTO) will close on 24 August 2026. The SADC Secretariat will arrive ahead of the SEOM to establish the Mission Headquarters in Lusaka and coordinate the technical, administrative and logistical arrangements necessary for the successful implementation of the Mission. The Secretariat will also facilitate the Pre-Deployment Refresher Training for election observers and support the overall coordination of the observation mission. 

The refresher training for SADC observers will be over the a four-day period from 1-4 August 2026. Following the graduation of the observers by the Head of Mission on 5 August 2026, the official launch of the SEOM is scheduled for 6 August 2026, after which observers will be deployed across all the ten (10) Provinces of Zambia to undertake pre-election, election-day and immediate post-election observation activities. 

During the observation period, the Head of Mission, supported by the Organ Troika and the SADC Electoral Advisory Council (SEAC), will engage a wide range of key electoral stakeholders at Mission’s Headquarters, including relevant government institutions, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), political parties, civil society organisations, academia, diplomatic community etc.  These engagements are intended to provide a comprehensive assessment of the electoral environment in accordance with the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections. 

On Election Day, 13 August 2026, the SEOM will observe the election throughout the Republic of Zambia, focusing on opening of polling stations, polling day, closing of polling stations, vote counting and other aspects of the electoral process. Following the completion of field observations, the Mission will prepare and present its Preliminary Statement on 15 August 2026, outlining its initial assessment on the conduct of the elections. The public, electoral stakeholders and members of the media are invited to attend this critical event. Thereafter, the Mission will continue its work through longer-term observation activities and the preparation of its comprehensive Final Report. 

SADC remains committed to supporting Member States in strengthening democratic institutions and electoral processes through impartial and professional election observation. The deployment of the SEOM reflects the Community's enduring commitment to fostering peace, democracy, political stability and good governance as essential pillars of regional integration and sustainable development.

The SADC Secretariat will continue to provide updates on the activities of the SADC Electoral Observation Mission throughout its deployment in the Republic of Zambia.

The key activities for the SEOM programme of schedule comprises the following; 

For enquiries:  Ms. Barbara Lopi, Head of Communication and Public Relations, email blopi@sadc.int, Ms. Anethe Mtambanengwe, Email: amtambanengwe@sadc.int and Mr. Magabolle Mafiri, Email: mmafiri@sadc.int or email prinfo@sadc.int