By Francis Chipalo
Hope Affirmation Network Zambia (HANZ) has commended government for enacting the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Act No. 4 of 2026, which makes all sexual offences — including rape, defilement, and incest — non-bailable.
The organisation has described the move as a victory for the girl child, saying that for far too long, Zambian girls suffered while their abusers walked free.
“We are elated that after years of advocacy by survivors, NGOs, chiefs, and the Church, Government listened,” HANZ Executive Director Nakiwe Simpungwe said in a statement to the media.
Simpungwe noted that the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill was debated following judicial calls for reform in January 2026. It was later passed by Parliament and assented into law as Act No. 4 of 2026.
Now in full force, any person arrested for rape, defilement, or incest will be remanded in custody until trial.
Addressing the girl child, Simpungwe said: “To every young girl, the law now stands between you and your abuser. He cannot bail out and wait for you by the school gate. He cannot send uncles to your home to negotiate. He will wait in cells while you heal, while you testify, while you return to class.”
Meanwhile, Simpungwe said a nation that cannot protect its girls cannot prosper, adding that President Hakainde Hichilema, the Minister of Justice, and Members of Parliament had made a brave decision.
“You chose girls over politics. You chose justice over convenience. History will remember that in 2026, Zambia declared: ‘The bodies of our children are not for sale, and their abusers are not for bail,’” she said.
HANZ has since pledged to monitor police stations to ensure no sexual offence suspect is granted bond, and to support survivors in seeking justice.
“We also urge government to ensure that courts are well and truly funded. Non-bailable must not mean justice delayed. Government should also build fast-track GBV courts to ensure a speedy process,”Simpungwe said.
