Stop the Feigned Outrage, Lieutenant General Zyeele’s Election Directives Reflect Deep Rooted Civic Responsibility.
By Lengwe Cornelius Bwalya
A cloud of manufactured panic has suddenly enveloped certain sections of our civil society following the recent security assurances made by Zambia Army Commander and Chairman of the Central Joint Operations Committee (CJOC) Lieutenant General Geoffrey Choongo Zyeele. During his working visit to Eastern Province, Lt Gen Zyeele delivered a clear, unyielding message that the military will not tolerate violence, hate speech, or any form of electoral mischief before, during, and after the upcoming 13 August 2026 General Elections.
Predictably, the usual commentators have rushed to local media platforms, wringing their hands and claiming that the Army Commander’s words threaten democratic norms or represent an overreach into civilian life. Yet, at that point of his remark, he clearly identified himself as Chairman Central Joint Operations Committee. Let us be blunt, this outrage is entirely feigned.
To pretend that the Army Commander and Chairman CJOC addressing national security ahead of a major election is something new, dangerous, or unusual is to willfully ignore the entire post independence history of the Republic of Zambia.
Since 1964, open and direct communication between the state security apparatus and the citizenry has been a stabilizing hallmark of our democracy. Every single army commander and his counterparts from other security wings have since independence been afforded the constitutional latitude to assess the operational readiness of troops and coordinate joint operations to protect the state during high stakes electoral cycles. Ensuring that the nation of Zambia remains secure so that ordinary citizens can cast their ballots without fear of intimidation or physical violence is not political interference, it is the ultimate fulfillment of the military’s constitutional mandate.
Under Article 192 of the Constitution of Zambia, the defense forces are mandated to preserve national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Because Article 4 firmly establishes that sovereign power belongs directly to the people, protecting the peace during an election is fundamentally about defending the people’s right to safely exercise that sovereignty.
When lawless individuals threaten to disrupt this process with political violence or hate speech, they are threatening the stability of the republic itself. General Zyeele’s directives to the Defence and security wings as also Chairman CJOC to decisively maintain law and order are standard proactive operational procedures and measures. The provincial joint operations committees (PJOC) and district joint operations committees (DJOC) are doing exactly what they are trained to do, identifying flashpoints of violence and ensuring that those who intend to cause havoc face the full force of the law. The bodies are directly under CJOC.
Zambians are inherently peace loving people who simply want to cast their votes, return to their families safely and continue with their daily lives. The only individuals who should feel threatened by the Army Commander’s warnings are those planning to incite post election anarchy.
For the rest of the law abiding public, Lt Gen Zyeele’s firm stance provides necessary reassurance that Zambia’s cherished legacy of peace will be fiercely protected. Our army is the people’s army. Our Defence and Security Wings are people centric. All of us are aware of the violence we have experienced before, and we need protection. So, where or what’s the problem?
It is time to set aside the political theater and support our defense forces in their noble task of safeguarding the Republic of Zambia.
About the Author:
Lengwe Cornelius Bwalya is an international relations and security expert, a career diplomat and founder of Rhoma Foreign Relations Institute