HEA Announces 2026 Prosecutions in Landmark Legal Shift
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has declared that 2026 will mark a decisive turning point in higher education regulation, as the Authority prepares to begin prosecuting persons that contravene the provisions of the Higher Education Act, 2013, read together with the Higher Education (Amendment) Act, 2021.
This quiet yet historic line in the sand was drawn by HEA Legal Counsel and Board Secretary, Mr. Tebuho Muliokela, Esq., during his presentation on Legal Reforms in Higher Education at the Summer School Media Training Workshop held at Sarovah Hotel in Lusaka last week.
For the first time since the Authority’s establishment, offenders in the higher education sector, including shareholders and its directors, will face the full force of the Law.
“HEA will begin to prosecute offenders,” Mr. Muliokela stated. “HEA has never prosecuted offenders before, but that changes in 2026. In strengthening its enforcement mechanisms, the Authority is considering the option prosecuting any person that is a perpetual abrogator of the Law.”
More than a legal development, this announcement signals a fundamental shift in regulatory culture, from guidance without consequence to standards actively defended.
It affirms that student protection, institutional integrity and public trust are non-negotiable, and positions enforcement as a central pillar of the Transformative Agenda for higher education articulated by the Director-General, Professor Kazhila C. Chinsembu, in his maiden address. This is an agenda the Authority is now steadily translating into action.
This landmark step is expected to reshape accountability across the sector and ignite national conversation on compliance, quality and the future of higher education governance in Zambia.
The two-day Summer School Media Training Workshop was held on 10th and 11th February, 2025, and sought to enhance accurate, informed and contextual reporting on higher education regulation, quality assurance and policy implementation in Zambia.
#HigherEducationZambia #HEAZambia
————————————————————
📍 Stay informed. Stay connected. Stay empowered.
Take the National Graduate Survey! https://hea.org.zm/nationalgraduatesurvey/
#NGS2025 #NationalGraduateSurvey
📚 Read all HEA News here: https://hea.org.zm/hea-news/
📲 Join the HEA WhatsApp Channel here:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VasVJip7oQhXnhbaOB2I
📲 Follow the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube (@HEAZambia) and join the conversation using #HEAZambia #HigherEducationZambia.
🌐 Visit www.hea.org.zm for all higher education updates in Zambia.
📌 Higher Education Authority (HEA) │ 2nd Floor, Engineering House │ Stand No. 2374, Kelvin Siwale Road │ P.O. Box 50795, Ridgeway, Lusaka │ +260 211 227 084 │ info@hea.org.zm │ www.hea.org.zm
