By Zambian Economist Analyst
President Hakainde Hichilema has issued a firm condemnation of political violence reported in parts of the country, calling the incidents “deeply concerning” as campaigning intensifies ahead of the August 13 general election.
In a statement, the President made clear that violence, intimidation, or lawlessness by any political party, candidate, or supporter will not be tolerated. He reaffirmed that every political party has the lawful right to campaign within the period allocated by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), and warned that anyone attempting to disrupt or prevent that process is breaking the law and must face the full consequences.
We therefore call upon all political parties and their supporters to conduct their campaigns peacefully, responsibly, and within the confines of the law. Let us protect the peace, unity, and democratic values that define our nation, the President said.
The appeal comes amid a string of reported campaign-period incidents across several provinces in recent weeks, and follows a pattern of similar warnings from the Head of State since the official start of the campaign period in May, including directives to security agencies to remain on high alert and pledges that the law will be applied firmly, fairly, and without favour regardless of political affiliation.
Two deaths in a single week
The tension has been building since late June, when campaign-related violence claimed two lives within days of each other. In Kaputa District, Northern Province, a clash between UPND and NRPUP supporters at a drinking place turned fatal, with the victim rushed to Kaputa District Hospital and pronounced dead on arrival. Police detained ten suspects and deployed reinforcements to stabilise the area.
In Mazabuka District, Southern Province, Stanley Sakala, 31, a driver for independent Magoye East parliamentary candidate Confucius Mweene, was found dead at a campaign camp in Chivuna Village. That case remains under police investigation.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia responded by indefinitely suspending the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity’s campaign activities in Kaputa Constituency, citing the party’s involvement in the violence there. ECZ Chief Electoral Officer Brown Kasaro said the Commission was awaiting a conclusive police report on the Mazabuka case before deciding on further action, invoking powers granted under the Electoral Process (Amendment) Act No. 12 of 2026.
Opposition pushes back on the President’s framing
Not everyone has accepted the President’s account at face value. Tonse Alliance presidential candidate Brian Mundubile challenged Hichilema directly in a widely shared statement in late July, alleging that his own party’s members on the Copperbelt had been attacked and campaign vehicles vandalised, and arguing that Zambians “should now begin to see the UPND beyond the rhetoric.”
The exchange illustrates the difficulty of policing campaign-period violence in a tightly contested race: each side has, at various points, accused the other of instigating incidents, even as all parties nominally agree that violence has no place in the campaign.
With just over a week until Zambians go to the polls, the statement underscores a broader national conversation, echoed by church leaders, civil society, and election observers, about safeguarding a peaceful and credible electoral process.
In related election-logistics news, ballot papers have arrived in Livingstone District for the Central and Maramba constituencies ahead of the August 13 vote.
For a full side-by-side of both campaigns, see our analysis comparing Hichilema’s record with Mundubile’s Tonse Alliance platform.
Related: IG Musamba Orders Arrest of Political Violence Suspects, Reviews Mongu Police Operation.
Related: The Myth of the Rally Crowd: What Zambia’s Political Gatherings Actually Measure.
Related: ECZ Revokes Binwell Mpundu’s Accreditation to National Results Centre Over Threat Video.
That call for calm is echoed by civil society groups, with the ZIKO LATHU Consortium deploying over 600 election monitors nationwide to help keep the process peaceful.
Related: Hichilema Warns of Arrests Over Alleged Election Disruption Plot
