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Mundubile Says National Reconciliation Will Be NRPUP’s First 100-Day Priority

The Zambian Economist — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:24:21 +0000

Opposition presidential candidate Brian Mundubile has laid out his administration’s opening priorities on the eve of Zambia’s election, pointing to national reconciliation, cost of living relief and constitutional reform as the first items on his agenda.

By The Zambian Economist Analyst

Leading opposition leader Brian Mundubile says his administration will make national reconciliation its first priority during the first 100 days in office, followed by urgent measures to address the cost of living. The National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) presidential candidate made the commitment during a special interview on Hot FM ahead of Thursday’s polls.

Reconciliation before economic relief

Mr Mundubile told Hot FM that reconciliation would come first, with cost of living measures following soon after. The sequencing places social healing ahead of the economic relief that has dominated much of the campaign, including in the two-horse race between Mr Mundubile and President Hichilema that has framed the final stretch of the vote.

Constitutional amendments and cyber law reform

Mr Mundubile says his administration will begin a comprehensive constitutional amendment process and pursue legislative reforms, including changes to cyber laws, while ensuring Zambians are free to speak openly without fear. He says the NRPUP is not only seeking to change government but also the way government operates.

The pledge on open speech comes against the backdrop of a campaign in which media conduct has itself become a talking point. Government has separately accused Hot FM of running undisclosed NRPUP political adverts, a claim Hot FM and NRPUP have not responded to. Mr Mundubile chose the same station for Wednesday’s interview.

A dedicated youth entrepreneurship desk at State House

Mr Mundubile says his administration will further establish a dedicated desk at State House to address youth entrepreneurship and employment. The proposal follows a pattern in his campaign messaging of pairing political reform with direct economic interventions aimed at young Zambians, a theme he has also raised in international interviews on his opposition economic vision.

Makebi Zulu on the stakes of the vote

NRPUP running mate Makebi Zulu says the upcoming elections are about determining Zambia’s future and has called on law enforcement agencies to allow the will of the people to prevail. The appeal for restraint from security services echoes concerns raised elsewhere in the campaign’s closing days, including in the Independent Broadcasting Authority’s warning to broadcasters against speculative election results.

What it means for business, investors and policy

For businesses and investors, the 100-day sequencing signals that an NRPUP administration would spend its opening period on political and institutional questions, constitutional change, cyber law and reconciliation, before turning to cost of living policy specifics. That order may leave markets waiting longer than they would like for detail on tax, subsidy or currency measures, even as it echoes NRPUP’s broader argument that governance reform must precede economic delivery. As with earlier opposition messaging this campaign, the plan is still framed in broad terms rather than costed policy, a gap our coverage of Mr Mundubile’s international interviews has also noted.

The constitutional amendment pledge, if pursued, would also be a multi-year undertaking regardless of who wins on Thursday, meaning any changes to cyber law or free expression protections would likely unfold well beyond the first 100 days even where they are announced within it.

Zambians vote on 13 August, with results expected within days through the National Results Centre the Electoral Commission of Zambia launched in Mulungushi on 12 August.

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ECZ Revokes Binwell Mpundu’s Accreditation to National Results Centre Over Threat Video

The Zambian Economist — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:31:26 +0000

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

Binwell Mpundu, NRPUP presidential affairs chairperson, whose accreditation to the National Results Centre has been revoked by the ECZ.

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.

Civil society groups have also stepped up their own oversight; see how the ZIKO LATHU Consortium has deployed over 600 election monitors nationwide.

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Government Blames ‘Stage-Managed’ Violence on Cadres, Accuses Hot FM of Running Undisclosed NRPUP Adverts

The Zambian Economist — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:26:43 +0000

By Zambian Economist Analyst

Government says political violence circulating on social media in the run-up to the 13 August election is being deliberately staged by cadres to provoke police into using teargas, and has accused Hot FM’s breakfast show of operating as a de facto public relations outlet for the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP).

The claims came from Permanent Secretary for Information and Media Thabo Kawana, speaking alongside his Home Affairs and Internal Security counterpart, Dickson Matembo, at a joint press briefing at the Ministry of Information and Media on 6 August 2026.

Government alleges violence is being staged in three provinces

Kawana told journalists that recent scenes of political violence circulating on various media platforms are “orchestrated, planned, practiced, rehearsed, and systematically implemented by irresponsible cadres,” and alleged that some actors are attacking their own side to pin blame on the ruling party.

He said intelligence reports point to Western, North-Western and Southern Provinces as targets for further “stage-managed disruptions,” and urged young people not to be used as tools of violence. Kawana said the government’s position aligns with President Hakainde Hichilema’s stated opposition to violence, and warned that anyone found taking part, paid or otherwise, will face the law.

These are allegations from a single government source. The Zambian Economist has not independently verified the intelligence reports Kawana referenced, and no evidence was presented at the briefing beyond his statement.

NRC mobile registration officers to be paid for phase two

On a separate administrative matter, Kawana confirmed that government has begun disbursing payments to officers who worked on the second phase of the mobile National Registration Card (NRC) issuance exercise, and said outstanding amounts for that phase are being processed.

Government accuses Hot FM of running undisclosed political adverts for NRPUP

Kawana singled out Hot FM Radio, saying its breakfast show has turned into what he called a de-campaigning platform against President Hichilema, and alleged the station is “practically operating as a public relations unit” for Brian Mundubile’s NRPUP.

Kawana challenged NRPUP to produce proof of payment for political adverts and airtime he said are being run “under the guise of independent broadcasting,” and said government supports media freedom but expects professionalism and transparency from broadcasters.

These are allegations, not established fact. The Zambian Economist has not seen documentation of any advert payments, paid or unpaid, and could not immediately reach Hot FM or NRPUP for comment. This article will be updated if a response is received.

What this means for business and investors

Public disputes between government and named media houses during an election period tend to feed into the kind of political-risk assessments investors and ratings agencies watch closely, alongside actual security incidents. Businesses with operations or advertising spend tied to broadcast media should note that regulatory scrutiny of specific stations can move quickly once a government official names them publicly.

For businesses with operations in Western, North-Western and Southern Provinces, the government’s specific naming of these areas as targets for alleged disruption is worth factoring into short-term logistics and staff safety planning through the 13 August vote.

Related coverage

IG Musamba Orders Arrest of Political Violence Suspects, Reviews Mongu Police Operation
Hichilema vs Mundubile: Zambia’s Two-Horse Race, Seven Days Out
Ballot Papers Arrive in Livingstone Ahead of August Polls

Key takeaways

Government alleges political violence circulating on social media is being staged by cadres, with Western, North-Western and Southern Provinces flagged as targets.
Payments to phase-two mobile NRC registration officers have started, with outstanding amounts being processed.
Government has accused Hot FM of running undisclosed NRPUP political adverts and challenged the party to produce proof of payment; Hot FM and NRPUP have not yet responded.
The election is scheduled for 13 August 2026.