By Bishop Musonda Trevor Selwyn Mwamba,President of the United National Independence Party (UNIP)
The escalating wave of political violence across the country is completely unacceptable and threatens to undermine the integrity of Zambia’s upcoming 2026 general elections. As the ruling party, the United Party for National Development (UPND) bears the primary responsibility of maintaining national stability, yet recent events show a deeply disturbing trend of lawlessness perpetrated by its youth networks and cadres. Zambia has long been a beacon of democratic transition in Africa, but the continuous deployment of intimidation, physical assault, and brute force risks eroding our hard-earned reputation.
Concrete Instances of Electoral Violence
• Attacks on Opposition Figures: In August 2026, parliamentary candidate Ibrahim Kabwe Mwambaand his campaign team were brutally attacked by suspected UPND cadres in the Mwembeshi East Constituency, resulting in severe physical injuries to his team members and destroyed vehicles.
• Targeting of Campaign Convoys: Presidential candidate Brian Mundubile’s motorcade was strategically targeted and stoned by ruling party cadres in the North-Western Province, demonstrating an organized attempt to restrict the movement of opposition groups.
• Disruption of Public Assemblies: The Civil Society Elections Integrity Forum Zambia (CSEIFZ) and the Leadership Movement have formally documented systemic cadres-led violence spanning Lusaka, Central, Eastern, and Copperbelt provinces. These actions are exacerbated by reports of the Zambia Police Service selectively standing by while opposition members are assaulted.
• Intimidation During Nominations: Pervasive clashes, such as those recorded in Chawama and Mazabuka, have seen candidate nomination processes degenerate into spectacles of intimidation, forcing citizens to fear for their basic personal safety.
A Direct Appeal to President Hakainde Hichilema
We call upon His Excellency, President Hakainde Hichilema, to step forward not merely as the leader of the UPND, but as the President of all Zambians.
• Publicly Condemn the Violence: The President must unequivocally, publicly, and specifically address the nation to denounce the criminal behavior of his party’s supporters.
• Put Cadres in Tow: It is time to structurally dismantle the toxic “cadreism” that the New Dawn administration promised to eradicate. The President must command his Youth National Chairperson and provincial structures to instantly halt all aggressive mobilization.
• Enforce Impartial Justice: Instruct the Inspector General of Police to arrest any individual committing acts of violence, regardless of their political affiliation or possession of a UPND card. True rule of law cannot tolerate selective enforcement.
An Exhortation of Peace
Politics should be a contest of ideas, not a warfare of pangas, stones, and bloodshed. As we approach the ballot box, we must reject the spirit of division and remember who we are as a nation. Let us ground our actions in the profound spirit of the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
True power does not lie in the ability to crush an opponent through violence, but in the strength to restrain anger and foster unity. Let us choose peace, preserve our republic, and ensure that this election reflects the very best of the Zambian spirit.
