Living together in Zambia

The Constitution provides the framework for equality, non-discrimination, expression, association, assembly, movement and participation in public affairs. Local authorities apply council by-laws covering matters such as waste, noise, sanitation, public health and nuisance management. Their notices, permits, complaint channels and fees vary by city, municipality or district, so the responsible council should be checked for the specific area. Neighbourhood participation often works through a ward, a zone, community organisations, traditional leadership or a neighbourhood committee. A Ward Development Committee, commonly called a WDC, helps prepare annual ward plans, coordinate dialogue, monitor projects, maintain a ward database and submit quarterly reports. WDC meetings take place at least once each quarter. WDC elections are held within two months after a general election; members serve for two and a half years and may serve up to two terms. Membership is voluntary and unpaid. A project levy or fee applies only where a council resolution has authorised the WDC to collect it. Community proposals for the Constituency Development Fund can be submitted through local meetings and other notices such as posters, public-address announcements, council websites or social media. Constituency Development Fund committees include community, councillor, Chief, civil-society, religious, youth, women and disability representation. The local authority and its guidelines determine the applicable calendar and submission process. Zambia has substantial linguistic and ethnic diversity. The 2022 Census recorded Bemba as the home language of 34.0% of the population, Tonga 12.8%, Nyanja 11.4% and Chewa 6.7%; Bemba accounted for 46.7% of urban and 23.8% of rural home-language use. English accounted for 1.9% nationally. Communication in a local language or accessible format may therefore be necessary, and English cannot be assumed to be sufficient in every setting. The Human Rights Commission of Zambia, known as HRC-Z, can receive complaints through 8181, its website, email or a provincial office. It may investigate, provide civic education, negotiate, mediate or conciliate and pursue redress. Conflicts may be addressed through Chiefs, traditional leaders, faith groups, community dialogue, HRC-Z or Local Courts. Local Courts administer African customary law only when it remains consistent with natural justice, morality and written law. There is no single national neighbourhood mediation office. Violence, threats and immediate safety risks require police, court or protection services rather than relying only on informal settlement. The Anti-Gender-Based Violence Act covers physical, sexual, psychological, social and economic abuse, as well as harassment, stalking and coercive control in public or private settings. Its domestic-relationship protection can apply to co-tenants or people in a shared residence. A complaint can be made to the police, and a protection order can be sought from a subordinate court. Social workers, health or legal practitioners, nurses, religious or traditional leaders, teachers, employers and other informed institutions have duties to explain rights and available support. MCDSS can provide case management, emergency shelter, food, clothing, psychosocial support and family reintegration. Ordinary tenancy, allocation and landlord questions remain housing matters rather than general coexistence matters. Digital coexistence involves protection against unwanted contact, harassment and cybercrime, as well as data-protection rights. ZICTA, the Zambia Police Service and the Data Protection Commission handle different aspects. A person can block or leave a platform, preserve messages and other evidence, contact the platform or internet provider, and submit a cyber complaint to ZICTA. A privacy complaint should first go to the organisation concerned and can then be taken to the Data Protection Commission. Data-protection rights include access, correction, erasure, restriction, portability and objection. Personal data includes names, identification numbers, locations and online identifiers; ethnic, religious, health and political data receive particular protection. The Data Protection Commission lists service hours as Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00, and contact number +260750799801. Child online-safety concerns can be reported to a trusted adult or the Zambia Police Service on 991.