I found something interesting in IVerify - No, the ZLDC proposal does not sanction polygamy.

No, the ZLDC proposal does not sanction polygamy.

False

The Zambia Law Development Commission (ZLDC) merely proposed a repeal of Section 166 of the Penal Code that prohibits bigamy to avoid duplicity. The proposal to remove bigamy does not discriminate the practice in the Marriage Act.

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Verified Feb, 26 2022

Claim

On 19th February 2022, various online platforms reported that polygamy would soon be legal in Zambia. This followed a proposal by the Zambia Law Development Commission (ZLDC) to repeal Section 166 of the Penal Code that prohibits bigamy. The reports generated mixed reactions from online audiences, with majority of them claiming that the proposal if ratified by Parliament would lead to break up of marriages and families.

Rating Justification

The Fact Checking process has determined as false the claim by Eagle One Zambia that polygamy would be legal under President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration despite Zambia being a Christian nation. The Zambia Law Development Commission (ZLDC) which is an independent corporate body established by an Act of Parliament had merely proposed a repeal of Section 166 of the Penal Code that prohibits bigamy to avoid duplicity as this provision was already addressed by the Marriage Act, Chapter 50 of the laws of Zambia. This proposal was part of government’s legal reforms programme to streamline and harmonise existing laws, and is subject to ratification by Parliament. Therefore, the claim that polygamy is to be legal under the current government administration is false, as the ZLDC’s proposal to remove bigamy from the Penal Code does not decriminalize the practice in the Marriage Act.

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