“Passports Nullified, Lives Frozen”: Government Cancels 6 Zambian Passports Over National Security
By Desire Tshuma
Harare – In a sweeping move that has left six Zambians stranded and their identities invalidated overnight, the Government of Zambia has cancelled and revoked their passports citing “security reasons in the interest of national security.”
The cancellation was gazetted on Friday, 11th September 2026, through Government Gazette Notice No. 1421 of 2026, signed by the Registrar General’s Office under the Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship.
According to the public warning published in Gazette No. 7984, the affected travel documents “are no longer valid for identification, travel or any official purpose.” The government warned that any use of the cancelled passports may constitute an offence.
The six individuals named in the schedule are: Emmanuel Mwamba, ZP040349; Emmanuel Jay Banda, D0013687; Binwell Mpundu, ZP120085; Peter Kaiser Zulu, ZN873798; Sishuwa Sishuwa, ZP072317; and Lillian Mutambo, ZN568794.
All six had their passports revoked for the same reason: security concerns in the interest of national security. No further details were provided in the gazette.
Government institutions, financial institutions, border control authorities, law enforcement agencies, and the general public have been instructed not to recognize or rely on the cancelled documents.
Anyone in possession of any of the listed passports has been ordered to surrender them immediately to the Department of National Registration Passport and Citizenship, Immigration or Zambia Police.
The notice, dated 7th September 2026, marks one of the most public passport cancellations in recent years and raises urgent questions about the fate of those affected, many of whom may be abroad or in the middle of travel, work, or family commitments.
For the six named, the revocation means more than a lost document. It means frozen bank accounts, grounded flights, and a sudden erasure of their primary proof of citizenship.
The Registrar General’s Office said the action was taken in the interest of national security, but did not elaborate on the nature of the threat or whether criminal charges will follow.
