Plan to Bump Me Off the Ballot in Gear – Mundubile

Plan to Bump Me Off the Ballot in Gear – Mundubile

…speaking on ‘Africa Thinks’ with Peter Clottey

LUSAKA, April 12, 2026 – Opposition leader Brian Mundubile has accused the Zambian government of orchestrating a plan to bar him from contesting the upcoming elections, warning that democracy in the country has “collapsed”.

Speaking in an interview with Peter Clottey on ‘Africa Thinks’, Mundubile said state institutions have been weaponized against the opposition, with restrictive laws and arbitrary arrests choking political space.

“The plan to bump me off the ballot is in full gear,” he declared. “But I am confident the people of Zambia will not allow it.”

Democracy “Dead in Zambia”

Mundubile lamented that no opposition rallies have been permitted since 2021, with police dispersing gatherings and even church services. “Today, attending mass or prayer meetings constitutes a crime. Recently, in the Copperbelt, we were surrounded by a battalion of police while we prayed,” he said.

He argued that the judiciary, legislature, and police have been turned into tools of repression. “Courts have been established just for the opposition. The democratic space has completely collapsed. Members of the public are afraid to speak due to steep cyber laws. Democracy is dead in Zambia today.

Personal Restrictions and Allegations
Mundubile recounted being stopped from flying two weeks ago by unidentified individuals. “Thirty minutes before travel, I was blocked. By the time I reached police five hours later, the charges had already changed,” he said, adding that President Hichilema himself once faced treason charges but was never denied a passport.

He accused the government of selectively prosecuting opposition figures while ignoring corruption scandals in health, agriculture, and finance. “A South African businessman wrote to President Hichilema that a health minister asked for a car and cash. She still has a job. A deputy minister in Western Province drew K2 million cash without authority, nothing happened. We had a gold scandal at KKIA airport, everything has gone silent,” Mundubile charged.

Electoral Concerns

The opposition leader questioned the independence of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), citing a leaked tape of a commissioner allegedly saying Hichilema would not lose the polls. “An electoral commission must not just be independent; it must be seen to be independent. We have no confidence in the ECZ’s ability to conduct free and fair polls,” he said.

He warned that restrictions on travel and rallies undermine the credibility of the electoral process. “Polls are not an event; they are a process. If we cannot travel abroad or hold public rallies, it means the polls cannot be free and fair. We appeal to the international community to note these violations before the elections.”

Despite the obstacles, Mundubile insisted he poses a real challenge to Hichilema. “I can beat HH. I have a track record. I am a lawyer and accountant, competent to lead. I was elected on January 28 as leader of the Tonse Alliance, heading 32 organizations,” he said.

He pledged to restore meritocracy in the civil service, reduce poverty through mining revenues, and safeguard Zambia’s democratic stability. “Investors love a nation with peace and stability. We must avoid the tragedies of Tanzania and the DRC. There can be peace in diversity. We must continue transferring power peacefully ad infinitum,” Mundubile concluded.

His passport and mobile phones remain confiscated by state police, he cannot travel out of the country neither can he hold public rallies in Zambia like all opposition since 2021.
Zambia heads to the polls with a heavy cloud of apparent repression hanging over its head.

Source: Africa Thinks.