Image: Moses Mwape/REUTERS
Zambia‘s government announced on Sunday that police had arrested 11 people, including six opposition figures, in a raid against “militia activity.” The arrests took place on Thursday night, according to a government statement.
“The individuals in issue were found in possession of high-grade military weapons, ammunition and other materials for use in armed insurrection,” it said.
Zambia’s main opposition party, the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Progress (NRPUP), said shots were fired in the raid, which took place at the home of its presidential candidate Brian Mundubile, as Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
The party said it “rejects with absolute disdain the spurious and entirely false claims made by the Zambian Government that the NRPUP, its leadership or its members have been involved in insurgency, militia activity or any related conduct whatsoever.”
Mundubile added that heavily armed personnel had raided his residence after the election in what he described as an attack on his life.
He also claimed on social media that he was interrogated by army officers over videos he had released, and that he suffered mistreatment while in custody — accusations denied by the authorities.
The government has responded that those claims were “unsubstantiated,” with outgoing Foreign Affairs Minister Mulambo Haimbe telling DW that “the individuals that have been apprehended have been charged, first of all, and will face trial.”
“So, it is not Mr. Mundubile’s place to make assertions on matters that will go through a court process,” Haimbe stressed, adding that any actions taken by authorities were to make sure that the “security of the nation is not compromised” during the election process.
Concerns raised during Zambia vote counting
The arrests come amid an intensely contested election: The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) suspended vote counting for around six hours on Friday following reports of violence perpetrated against polling staff and the alleged theft of ballot papers.
The count resumed after the commission announced that the “security threat” had eventually been contained, AFP reported.
Mundubile argued that this suspension created opportunities for interference and manipulation of results, while the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) rejected the claims, saying Mundubile was attempting to undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
Opposition figures have said, however, that the concerns extend beyond the pause in the vote count.
In a statement, Makebi Zulu, vice presidential candidate of the Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance, alleged a broader pattern of interference involving electoral officials, missing polling documents, security force involvement and intimidation of opposition actors.
“A climate of fear cannot produce a free and fair election,” Zulu warned.
Bishops demand accountability
Similar concerns have also been raised by Zambia’s Conference of Catholic Bishops, which called on the electoral commission to “account fully and publicly for the chain of custody of every affected ballot box and ballot paper.”
The group of bishops, which wields considerable influence in the country, further urged authorities to ensure that any military deployment remain limited, transparent and temporary.
They also expressed concern over reports of harassment and the alleged detention of opposition officials by armed officers, calling for full transparency over the whereabouts of anyone held by authorities.
“Any person held by state agencies must be promptly accounted for, granted access to legal counsel and family, and either charged according to law or released,” the bishops said.
EU observers: Election campaign held in ‘a constrained democratic space’
International observers from the European Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) also voiced their concerns about aspects of the electoral process, including mounting reports of intimidation and tensions surrounding the vote count.
SADC warned that the suspension of vote counting had generated “uncertainty and anxiety” among voters and political stakeholders.
The EU Election Observation Mission raised similar concerns, saying the campaign had been held in a “constrained democratic space,” also citing reports of intimidation of opposition candidates, disruptions to some rallies, late changes to electoral laws and an uneven playing field, which it said favored the ruling party.
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EU chief observer Michael McNamara also pointed to incumbency advantages and heavily pro-government state media coverage, arguing that key democratic freedoms had been restricted during the campaign.
Legacy of Edgar Lungu
This increasingly polarized political landscape in Zambia is shaped largely by the last transfer of power, which brought President Hakainde Hichilema to office in 2021 after his victory over former President Edgar Lungu.
Since then, supporters of the former ruling Patriotic Front (PF) have accused the government of targeting Lungu allies through arrests and investigations, while the government has argued it is pursuing accountability after years of alleged corruption and abuse of power under the PF administration.
Lungu died in South Africa last year, resulting in growing veneration among his followers and supporters.
Cabinet Secretary Patrick Kangwa meanwhile said those taken into custody during the raids also included Patrick Mwansa, the husband of Lungu’s daughter Tasila, who he said was being held at a police station in Lusaka.
Optimism while waiting for final results
The election results have stirred a mix of hope, anxiety and strong reactions among Zambians.
Gracious Kaoma, a political science student at the University of Zambia, said she was “very hopeful yet concerned” about the election “because the process has been unusually long and very challenging.”
She added that the violence surrounding the vote had been “painful to watch.” Kaoma nevertheless expressed hope that Zambia’s political leaders would “reconcile and put Zambia’s needs first.”
Haimbe echoed those sentiments, telling DW that Zambia is “a bastion of democracy on the African continent, and it is our intention as the UPND administration of President Hakainde Hichilema to grow from strength to strength in that regard.”
Meanwhile, Lusaka resident Lydia Zulu also expressed support for the incumbent leader, saying she was “happy that the elections have gone on peacefully and well. Because I have seen President Hakainde Hichilema is leading, I’m happy that he’s coming back.”
Final results are yet to be released, but according to the official tally, Hichilema appears to have widened his lead: Electoral commission figures from 70 of 226 constituencies show the incumbent ahead with 626,434 votes to challenger Mundubile’s 505,795 — a margin of more than 120,000 votes.
While the outcome remains undecided for now, Mundubile has repeated his allegation of widespread irregularities, claiming victory based on his party’s own vote count.
Electoral authorities, however, have rejected those claims, stressing that only the electoral commission can officially declare the election result.
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Additional reporting by Kathy Short in Lusaka.
Editors: Keith Walker and Sertan Sanderson
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