PROTECT ZAMBIA’s DEMOCRACY, SITUMBEKO URGES SADC

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PROTECT ZAMBIA’s DEMOCRACY, SITUMBEKO URGES SADC

Pumulo Situmbeko, leader of the New Era Democratic (NED) party has written to SADC requesting the organization to take action on Zambia as President Hakainde Hichilema is engaged in schemes to steal the largest political party in Zambia, the Patriotic Front, is violating human rights, has abandoned the Rule of Law and his plans to steal the 2026 elections are intense and far advanced.

Pumulo has urged SADC to take action.

HIS EXCELLENCY ELIAS M. MAGOSI
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
SADC HOUSE
CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
PRIVATE BAG 0095
GABORONE
BOTSWANA

RE: DEMOCRACY, FREE & FAIR ELECTIONS OF 2026 THREATENED IN THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA

Your Excellency,

I write to you as the Founder of the New Era Democratic Party (NED), a legally registered opposition political party in the Republic of Zambia. I would like to my express grave concern over the deteriorating political environment and its implications for democratic governance and the upcoming 2026 General Elections. This letter also serves to validate and reaffirm the concerns raised by the Patriotic Front (PF) in their recent correspondence to your office

This correspondence is additionally addressed to:
• His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa, Chairperson of SADC
• His Excellency Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika, Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation

1. BACKGROUND

Several reputable international bodies, including the United Nations Human Rights Council and the United States Human Rights Country Report, have documented serious and escalating governance concerns in Zambia, characterized by:

• Shrinking democratic and civic space
• Political intolerance and use of state institutions to persecute critics
• Suppression of freedoms of assembly, association, expression, and the media
• Decline in the rule of law and judicial independence

Zambia is scheduled to hold Presidential, Parliamentary, Mayoral, Council Chairperson, and Local Government Elections in August 2026. Under the current circumstances, these elections are at serious risk of failing to meet the standards of free, fair, credible, and democratic processes unless urgent corrective measures are implemented.

2. KEY CONCERNS

The New Era Democratic Party wishes to highlight the following issues:

1. Registrar of Societies Interference in NED Affairs

• Unlawful removal of the founding President from official party records, despite NED being newly established in October 2023
• Replacement with Ms. Exildah Mwenya in July 2024
• Pattern consistent with interference previously reported against PF and DP parties

2. Weaponization of Law Enforcement

Systematic targeting of opposition leaders, journalists, and civil society through arbitrary arrests, prolonged detentions without due process, and broad state intimidation.

3. Dictatorship Legislation

• The Cyber Security and Crimes Act (March 2025)—passed secretly—is widely viewed as a tool for suppressing dissent and monitoring government critics
• The controversial Bill No. 7, reportedly adapted from Uganda, proposes provisions that consolidate ruling party power, including:
– Addition of 100 Members of Parliament
– Extension of the Presidential term to 7 years
– Other structural changes expected to be passed before 2026

4. Politicization of Public Service

Removal of qualified professionals and appointment of individuals based on partisan and regional interests.

5. Compromised Independence of the ECZ

Partisan-aligned appointments to the Electoral Commission of Zambia have severely eroded public confidence.

6. Interference in Opposition Parties

Alleged creation and support of parallel leadership structures to destabilize legitimate opposition organizations.

7. Violent Attacks on Opposition Offices

Notably the raid on the former ruling party Secretariat at Lumumba/Panganani Road in Lusaka—reportedly involving state security agencies and ruling party cadres—with no arrests or accountability.

8. Manipulated Constitutional Reform Process

A process rejected by LAZ, civil society organizations, and Church bodies, widely seen as engineered to influence the 2026 election outcome

9. Detention of Opposition Leaders

Including Hon. Raphael Nakacinda, sentenced to 18 months for a speech offence, and many others denied bail pending appeal.

10. Suppression of Political Gatherings

Ongoing bans and disruptions of opposition gatherings under the pretext of “security concerns,” enforced through the Public Order Act despite government commitments to repeal it.

These actions violate the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, which uphold democracy, human rights, multiparty competition, transparency, and the rule of law.

3. REQUEST FOR SADC INTERVENTION

In the interest of preserving regional stability, democratic order, and peace, the New Era Democratic Party respectfully urges SADC to:

• Dispatch an Early Intervention and Fact-Finding Mission to assess Zambia’s readiness for credible 2026 elections
• Engage the Government of Zambia through preventive diplomacy, urging compliance with regional democratic norms
• Facilitate an inclusive national dialogue involving government, opposition parties, and civil society to restore public confidence in electoral processes

We remain fully prepared to provide verifiable documentation and additional evidence to support all matters raised in this letter.

4. CONCLUSION

Your Excellency,
Zambia has long been a beacon of peace and stability in the SADC region. However, unless immediate steps are taken to reverse the current trajectory, the nation faces escalating risks to electoral integrity, democratic governance, and social cohesion.

We therefore respectfully call on SADC to act in accordance with its mandate under:
• The SADC Treaty (1992)
• The Protocol on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation
• The SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections

to uphold democratic order and prevent further deterioration ahead of the 2026 General Elections.

Yours faithfully,
Signed
Pumulo Situmbeko
CERTIFIED HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATE – USIDHR
Founder, New Era Democratic Party (NED)

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