The Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ) detected 10 forged grade twelve certificates during the qualification verification process for aspiring candidates ahead of the 2026 General Elections.
Speaking during a media briefing, ECZ Executive Director Dr. Michael Chilala expressed concern that some aspiring leaders continue presenting false qualifications despite the council having systems capable of identifying fake documents.
The verification exercise was conducted to confirm whether aspiring candidates meet the constitutional academic qualification requirements ahead of the 2026 General Elections.
According to Articles 70(1)(d), 100(1)(e), 153(4)(c), and 154(2)(d) of the Constitution of Zambia, individuals seeking election as President, Member of Parliament, Mayor, or Councillor must have “obtained, as a minimum academic qualification, a Grade Twelve certificate or its equivalent.”
Dr. Chilala said the development is disappointing, although the number represents a significant reduction from the hundreds of forged documents detected during the 2016 exercise.
He warnes that ECZ has records dating back to the 1960s and systems designed to detect fraudulent submissions.
Dr. Chilala added that the cases have since been reported to law enforcement agencies for further investigations and action.
Meanwhile, the council issued 10,731 qualification confirmation letters following the completion of the verification exercise, with 10,020 processed through the online system and 711 through physical submissions.
By Niza Vomo
