The Bankruptcy Question That Ended Chanda’s Presidential Bid

By Makanday Reporter

Last year in August, MakanDay published an investigation revealing that Zambian opposition leader Charles Chanda had been declared bankrupt following repeated allegations linking him to questionable land transactions conducted through Brook Cherith Estate Agents, a company he controlled that was later forced into liquidation.

The report detailed how businessman and United Prosperous and Peaceful Zambia (UPPZ) leader Charles Chanda was officially declared bankrupt in a judgment delivered on July 24, 2025, by High Court Judge Malata Ononuju — a development that threatened both his business interests and political ambitions.

MakanDay had earlier detailed allegations of questionable land dealings linked to Chanda and Brook Cherith Estate Agents, with multiple clients claiming they paid for plots that were either never transferred to them or remained tied up in incomplete purchase processes years later.

Months later, MakanDay’s continued reporting and follow-up inquiries contributed to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) disqualifying Chanda from contesting the 2026 general elections after determining that he was bankrupt.

The development followed sustained investigations by MakanDay into Chanda’s legal status and eligibility to stand for public office.

In a press query dated January 8, 2026, addressed to the ECZ Chief Electoral Officer, MakanDay sought clarification on whether a person declared bankrupt by the High Court could legally contest presidential elections under Zambian law.

The inquiry was based on a High Court bankruptcy order issued on July 24, 2025, in the matter of Nathan Sinkala and 119 others versus Charles Chanda.

According to court documents reviewed by MakanDay, the bankruptcy proceedings arose from a creditors’ petition filed under the Bankruptcy Act after Chanda allegedly failed to settle a judgment debt amounting to K3,837,637 stemming from a 2020 High Court ruling involving allegations of breach of contract and fraud.

Court records further showed that Chanda was served with a bankruptcy notice on April 5, 2022, but failed to comply. The court also noted that substituted service was later effected in March 2025 and that Chanda did not respond to the bankruptcy proceedings.

In its letter to the ECZ, MakanDay asked whether Zambian electoral law permitted a bankrupt individual to contest presidential elections, whether bankruptcy status was verified during the nomination process, and what action the Commission would take if such a candidate were eventually elected.

However, during a follow-up interview on April 23, 2026, ECZ Corporate Affairs Manager Patricia Luhanga said the matter was outside the Commission’s jurisdiction at that stage because nominations had not yet commenced.

“You were asking us a question that is outside our jurisdiction. We are not the ones who declare candidates bankrupt,” Luhanga said.

She explained that the ECZ only becomes involved once candidates file nomination papers, at which point concerns relating to eligibility and qualifications can formally be raised.

“It only becomes relevant during nominations,” she said, adding that the Commission could not act before the process had officially commenced. Although Luhanga promised to retrieve the file and provide a formal response, no further communication was received by MakanDay.

Following Chanda’s continued political activities — including reports that he had paid the K100,000 nomination fee to the ECZ — MakanDay wrote to the Judiciary on May 14, 2026, seeking clarification on whether the bankruptcy order remained in force and whether a bankrupt individual could legally contest public office.

The letter further questioned whether Chanda was legally permitted to continue operating businesses and conducting substantial financial transactions despite the bankruptcy declaration.

By the time of publication, MakanDay had not received a response from the Judiciary.

The matter eventually came to a head when on Monday 18 May Chanda appeared before the ECZ to file his nomination papers and was informed that he had been disqualified on grounds that he was bankrupt.

Following the disqualification, Chanda took to Facebook to dispute the bankruptcy status.

“I am not bankrupt as we challenged the matter and it’s still in court. It is well. I leave the matter in God’s hands,” he wrote.

The development now places fresh attention on how bankruptcy laws intersect with Zambia’s electoral process and raises broader questions about candidate eligibility, legal disclosure, and institutional verification ahead of the 2026 general elections.