Lusaka-based lawyer Dickson Jere has sparked debate after revealing that Parliament is expected to consider a Bill that may scrap the observance of Monday as a public holiday whenever a national holiday falls on a Sunday.
In a post titled “No More Monday Holidays”, Jere disclosed that the proposed law, known as the Public Holidays (Amendment) Bill, 2026, is expected to be presented to Parliament during the current sitting before the House is dissolved next month.
Bill Aims to End “Monday Substitution Holidays”
According to Jere, the Bill seeks to amend the Public Holidays Act by removing the tradition of declaring the following Monday a public holiday when the actual holiday falls on a Sunday.
Under Zambia’s current law, when a public holiday occurs on a Sunday, the next day (Monday) is automatically treated as a holiday.
However, Jere questioned the logic behind the practice, saying he never understood why Mondays were being declared holidays simply because a holiday landed on Sunday.
“I actually never understood the rationale of this law on Mondays,” Jere wrote.
Proposed Amendment Explained
Quoting the draft Bill, Jere shared that the purpose of the amendment is clearly stated as follows:
“The object of this Bill is to amend the Public Holidays Act so as to remove the observance of a Monday as public holiday on the day following a public holiday falling on a Sunday.”
If passed, this would mean that Zambians will no longer enjoy an extra day off on Monday when a public holiday falls on a Sunday.
Dickson Jere Plans Submission to Parliament
The Lusaka lawyer further revealed that he intends to make a written submission to the Parliamentary Committee handling the Bill, expressing support for the amendment while also suggesting additional reforms.
Jere said Zambia needs to reduce on unnecessary holidays and focus more on productivity.
“We need to work and work and reduce on unnecessary holidays,” he said.
Suggestion to Combine National Prayer Day and
Christian Nation Declaration
In his post, Jere also suggested that Zambia should consider combining the Day of National Prayer and Reconciliation with the Declaration of Zambia as a Christian Nation, arguing that the two commemorations are closely related.
He noted that such a suggestion had been made before and should be revisited.
Public Debate Expected
The proposed scrapping of Monday “substitution holidays” is expected to ignite national debate, especially among workers, students, and business owners.
While some Zambians may view the Bill as a step toward improving productivity and reducing lost working hours, others may see it as taking away a valuable rest day in an already demanding economic environment.
As Parliament prepares to deliberate on the Bill, many citizens will be watching closely to see whether lawmakers will approve a move that could permanently change how public holidays are observed in Zambia.
For now, the nation waits to see whether Monday holidays will soon become a thing of the past.