Zambia 2026 Elections: Intimidation, persecution and illegal arrests against political opposition

The present pre-election atmosphere is worrying many Zambians as it is marked, as evidenced by the objective information available, by an organised and systematic agenda of retaliation, by the governmental spheres, against the political and civic platforms of the opposition in a manifest and clear intention of the president, Hakainde Hichilema, of perpetuating himself in power.

This panorama is aggravated by the persecutions, intimidation and arrests that, practically on a daily basis, are carried out against key figures of the citizenry committed to the future of the country.

Thus, political leaders and militants, former diplomats, communicators and social activists are preferential and recurrent victims of this campaign that tactically seeks to silence, censor and remove from both the political game and the structural leadership of the country those who can hinder Hichilema’s reelection.

The acting president has been operating this machinery for at least five months and this environment that is at odds with transparent and democratic norms even managed to get the challenger to the presidency, Brian Muntayalwa Mundubile, candidate of the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP),  suspended his physical presence at a rally, which was to be held in the Southern Province, last Sunday, August 9, after receiving, at the last minute, a security alert informing him of the possible attempt on his life, according to Zambian media reports.

Mundubile, through a press conference, also denounced the arrests made against his supporters and demanded that the electoral process be transparent and free of interference or undue abuse, while calling for “voting rules to be simple, consistent and understandable for all Zambians”. There are rumours that the elections planned for August 13 will not be free and fair, with some claiming authorities linked to the government could interfere with the outcome. 

Along with the concerns about the pre-election irregularities, there is also a growing concern among Zambian citizens about the fate of businessman Harry Valden Findlay, who was arrested earlier this month, specifically on August 4, by the security forces answering to President Hichilema.

Reliable sources also indicate that the murder of the well-known businessman, Stelios Shula Sardanis, who was a public supporter of the political forces of the opposition, and who was murdered in the early hours of August 9, must be related to the climate that prevails, at the moment, in Zambia where the ruling party, United Party for National Development (UPND), would be in an awkward situation in terms of the final capture of Zambian voters.

It is in this context that Zambians are participating in a process where a new presidential term and a new National Assembly will be elected.

* Diego Pappalardo is a geopolitical analyst specialising in strategic foresight. Journalist and editor. Published columnist in media outlets and platforms across multiple countries. Strategic advisor and operations coordinator for political, media, and cultural organisations. Cultural promoter.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL.