By Burnett Munthali
Images of police teargasing innocent citizens during Brian Mundubile campaign roadshows in Kalinga and Munali in Lusaka on Thursday, 16 July, mark a troubling turn for the United Party for National Development (UPND) with just 28 days remaining to voting day. The scenes have drawn sharp criticism and raised questions about the ruling party’s commitment to democratic space ahead of the August 2026 elections.
As at 20:00hrs Thursday evening, there was no official communication from authorities explaining why the police, in full force, moved to stop peaceful campaigns for a party whose Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) calendar permits canvassing in Lusaka. The lack of clarity has fueled speculation and accusations of selective enforcement against opposition activity.
This development is appalling on several fronts, beginning with the timing of the police action. Officers chose to unleash force on the same day the European Union election observation mission was launched for the August 2026 elections, putting Zambia’s democratic credentials under immediate international scrutiny.
Secondly, if the police intended to interrupt the Mundubile campaigns due to national mourning for the late former Vice President Dr. Guy Scott, the justification appears inconsistent. President Hakainde Hichilema was in full campaign gear in Northern Province on the same day, suggesting different standards were applied to ruling party activities.
The central question now is why police would act in a manner that risks injuring the UPND’s record and public promise to uphold free and fair elections. There can be nothing free or fair when one candidate is permitted to campaign while force is used to disperse a peaceful procession by another.
Police must tell the Zambian people why they staged such a forceful intervention that casts the ruling party in a negative light before the voting public. The images and accounts circulating online have already shaped perceptions of the campaign environment less than a month to polling.
What is even more disturbing is that on the same evening, the nation received reports of violent attacks by suspected UPND cadres at the campaign centre for the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) parliamentary candidate in Kabwata. The expectation is that the Electoral Commission of Zambia should act decisively, but whether it will remains the key test of its independence.
Back to the police action, if no one inside government is telling them, the events of Thursday are doing more injury to the political fortunes of the UPND. Continuing on this trajectory so close to decision day risks alienating voters who value order, fairness, and respect for constitutional rights.
If no one cares to listen, the events in Lusaka this Thursday afternoon offer a clear warning. Political suicide looks exactly like the use of state force to shut down peaceful opposition campaigning weeks before an election.
