The Electoral Commission of Zambia says the move was necessary to protect public safety after a video attributed to the NRPUP official showed him warning he was ready to kill to secure victory in Thursday’s election.
By The Zambian Economist Analyst
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has revoked the accreditation of Binwell Mpundu, presidential affairs chairperson of the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP), barring him from the National Results Centre with immediate effect, days before the Commission formally opened the Centre on 12 August.
In a press release dated 11 August 2026, the Commission said the revocation was made in the interest of public safety and security, citing Section 77(6) of the Electoral Process Act and Paragraph 11(1)(c) of the Electoral Code of Conduct.
The ECZ said the decision followed a video attributed to Mpundu that circulated on social media, in which he is alleged to have made threats indicating he was ready to kill during the election. The Commission described statements of this nature as a serious concern, warning that they carry the potential to incite violence, create public unrest and undermine the peaceful conduct of the electoral process.
Mpundu had been accredited to the National Results Centre after NRPUP’s Secretary General nominated him in a letter to the Commission dated 30 July 2026, as the party finalised its list of accredited stakeholders ahead of the vote.
Commission Cautions All Stakeholders
The ECZ used the statement to issue a broader caution to political parties, candidates and other accredited stakeholders ahead of Thursday’s polls, urging them to remain peaceful and follow the law. It specifically warned against statements, threats or conduct that could incite violence, cause public unrest or compromise public safety, and said it would not hesitate to take further action, within the law, against any accredited person whose conduct threatens the integrity or peaceful conduct of the election.
The statement was signed by Chief Electoral Officer Brown Kasaro on behalf of the Commission, and follows President Hichilema’s own warning of “full consequences” for perpetrators of political violence earlier in the campaign.
Background
Mpundu, a former independent Member of Parliament for Nkana, has served as NRPUP’s presidential affairs chairperson through party leader Brian Mundubile’s campaign. The video at the centre of the revocation was initially described by the party as AI generated, though Mpundu later said, in comments carried by Zambian media, that the recording was authentic and that his remarks were made in the context of self defence.
The revocation comes two days before Zambians vote in the 13 August general election, with ballot paper logistics and results centre preparations now in their final stages and the ECZ having already flagged the campaign period as marked by isolated incidents of political violence.
What It Means
The action is among the clearest signals yet that the ECZ is prepared to enforce the Electoral Code of Conduct against accredited stakeholders in the closing days of the campaign, including officials nominated by major parties. It also underlines the weight the Commission is placing on National Results Centre security as counting and results processes approach, with accreditation now conditioned as much on conduct as on formal nomination. The move follows a separate warning this week from the Independent Broadcasting Authority to broadcasters over speculative election results, part of a wider regulatory push for a peaceful and orderly vote.
Sources: Electoral Commission of Zambia; Zambian media reports.
© 2026 The Zambian Economist.
Civil society groups have also stepped up their own oversight; see how the ZIKO LATHU Consortium has deployed over 600 election monitors nationwide.
WARNING! All rights reserved. This material and all other digital content on this website may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed, in whole or in part, without the prior express permission of The Zambian Economist. Where permission is granted, the content must be clearly credited to “The Zambian Economist,” with “www.zambianeconomist.com” prominently displayed.
WhatsApp: +260775574228 | Email: info@zambianeconomist.com
© 2026 The Zambian Economist.
