MUNDUBILE CONDEMNS BRUTAL ASSAULT ON FORMER MINISTER GARY NKOMBO IN MAZABUKA.
By Tonse Alliance Reporter 20 May 2026
Hon. Brian Mundubile, leader of the National Reconciliation Party and Unity or NRPU, has strongly condemned the violent assault on former Local Government Minister and Mazabuka Member of Parliament, Hon. Gary Nkombo, who was attacked today in Mazabuka as he attempted to file nomination papers to stand as an independent candidate in the forthcoming 13 August presidential and general elections.
Nkombo, 58, a veteran parliamentarian credited with keeping the UPND alive during its years in opposition, was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Chileshe Nkombo, when the shocking incident occurred.
Appalling viral videos online show that Nkombo was kicked, his suit ripped, and his wife was caught in the violence receiving some blows too as she tried to stand between her husband and a defiant assailant.
The assault unfolded in full view of police officers, who stood by without intervening, totally sad in our view.
“We call upon President Hichilema to instruct the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Graphel Musamba, to arrest the assailants whose faces are splashed all over social media screens as they brutalized Hon. Nkombo,” said Mundubile.
He added: “It is shameful that such barbaric behaviour still exists in the UPND, which claimed cadre violence ended in 2021.
Mundubile, himself a presidential candidate in the August polls, described Nkombo as a personal friend and colleague. “I urge Hon. Nkombo and his wife to visit the hospital and get checked by doctors. We condemn this in the strongest terms, and the fact that the police stood by and watched the assault on a former minister is appalling,” he said.
Nkombo’s political career spans decades. He rose to prominence as one of the most charismatic figures in the UPND, serving as Minister of Local Government after the party’s 2021 victory. His recent fallout with President Hichilema and decision to contest as an independent has been viewed as a significant political shift in Mazabuka, a sugar producing town long considered a UPND stronghold.
The attack raises serious concerns about Zambia’s democratic space ahead of the elections. With less than three months to the polls, observers warn that violence against prominent figures like Nkombo signals a dangerous precedent for ordinary citizens.
For many, the Mazabuka incident is not just about one man’s beating — it is a test of whether Zambia can uphold its reputation as a peaceful democracy where elections are contested through ideas, not fists.