LUSAKA, Zambia: Police say they have recovered a laptop belonging to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) that was allegedly stolen after the 13 August 2026 election in Mandevu Constituency.
By The Zambian Economist Analyst
Key takeaways
- Police say an ECZ laptop allegedly stolen after the Mandevu vote has been recovered from an abandoned Honda Fit.
- Deputy Inspector General of Police for Operations Fred Hamaamba said information from the public helped officers trace the vehicle.
- A suspect reportedly escaped when police confronted the vehicle.
- Police say registration number 7945 was registered to a truck, not the Honda Fit on which it was displayed.
Zambia Police say the ECZ laptop was among several items recovered after officers traced a Honda Fit allegedly being used by suspects linked to the theft of election materials in Mandevu.
Public information led police to the vehicle
Hamaamba said officers launched investigations after election materials were stolen following the 13 August vote. He described the election as generally peaceful, while noting that police recorded a small number of incidents, including the Mandevu theft.
Information supplied by members of the public led officers to a vehicle allegedly being used by the suspects. Police confronted the Honda Fit, but a suspect escaped and left it behind, according to Hamaamba.
Officers searched the abandoned vehicle and recovered several items, including the ECZ laptop.
Registration number allegedly belonged to a truck
Police say the Honda Fit displayed registration number 7945. Their checks reportedly showed that the number was registered to a truck.
The alleged mismatch gives investigators another line of inquiry: who owned or used the Honda Fit, how the displayed number was obtained, and whether the vehicle can be linked to other people involved in the theft.
Why the recovery matters
The recovery closes one part of the theft inquiry, but the abandoned vehicle and allegedly false registration number leave a wider chain for investigators to establish.
For the public, the case also tests how quickly election-related property can be traced and secured after a reported theft. The information available does not establish who stole the laptop or how it was used after it disappeared.
Questions the investigation must answer
- Who owned or controlled the Honda Fit?
- Who supplied registration number 7945 for use on the vehicle?
- What other election materials were recovered from the vehicle?
- Has the laptop been examined to establish whether its data or settings were altered?
Hamaamba said investigations were continuing. Police had not announced the arrest of the suspect who escaped in the information available at the time of publication.
This report is based on remarks attributed to Deputy Inspector General of Police for Operations Fred Hamaamba. Allegations concerning the vehicle and registration number remain subject to the continuing police investigation.
Related coverage and resources
- Read more Leadership and Governance coverage
- Explore our 2026 election economics reporting
- Find organisations in the Zambia Business Directory
- View upcoming business and economic events
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