The Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has warned Christian Democratic Party (CDP) president, Danny Pule, to ensure his appearance on February 2, 2026, or risk the issuance of a bench warrant after he again failed to attend court on Friday.

Pule was scheduled to open his defence in a case in which he is charged with seditious practices, but he did not appear.

His defence team informed the court that the cleric-turned-politician was unwell and, therefore, unable to attend the session.

Presiding magistrate, Sylvia Munyinya-Okoh, adjourned the matter, cautioning that the court would not hesitate to issue a bench warrant should Pule fail to present himself at the next hearing.

Read More: Christian Democratic Party leader, Pule, challenges sedition laws, seeks halt to court prosecution

At the previous sitting on December 12, 2025, Pule indicated his intention to call more than 30 witnesses in his defence.

The charges stem from remarks he allegedly made during a United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) press briefing on May 8, 2024, in which he accused the government of favouring regions commonly known as the Zambezi region—Southern, North-Western, and Western provinces—in public appointments.

The State argued that the statements were capable of promoting hostility between different communities.

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