By Given Mutinta
THEY WANT BRIAN MUNDUBILE DISQUALIFIED OR JAILED
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) investigation into Brian Mundubile, specifically regarding road construction contracts valued over K1.5 billion awarded between 2014 and 2020, has raised numerous concerns.
While the pursuit of accountability for potential wrongdoing is laudable, the timing of such actions, particularly when they coincide with Mundubile’s escalating political ambitions, invariably raises suspicions of political motivation.
The core argument against the current investigation on Mundubile is not necessarily the substance of the allegations but the chronology of their activation.
If substantial evidence existed indicating impropriety in the awarding of major contracts to Mundubile’s companies during the specified period, the ACC, mandated to act independently, should have initiated enquiries much earlier.
The lapse in action until Mundubile’s political profile and popularity began to significantly swell suggests a political ploy at play.
Would Mundubile be investigated if he were not running for president, if his presidential ambitions were not growing enough to pose a threat to the current government, or if the elections were four years away?
The political suppression strategy the United Party for National Development (UPND)-led government is employing is weaponisation of the law, aiming to neutralise political opponents by subjecting them to legal duress, potentially leading to disqualification or significant reputational damage that deters voters or a jail term.
The assertion in Zambian streets that the investigation is designed to ensure Mundubile is found guilty and thus not on the presidential ballot speaks volumes and is justified in light of the UPND’s political machinations – imingalato – to destabilise the opposition so that there is no strong challenger to them in the 2026 elections. As a result, the integrity of democratic competition no longer exists.
A healthy democracy, which we expected under President Hichilema, requires a level playing field where contenders are judged by their policies and their standing with the electorate, not by selectively timed legal challenges. Such actions erode public trust in the judiciary and investigative bodies, fostering a climate where citizens believe that legal processes are instruments of partisan retribution rather than impartial justice.
The insistence by certain state officials, such as the Government Spokesperson – Cornelius Mweetwa – that Mundubile be investigated further supports the narrative that institutional action is being spurred by political directive rather than purely objective evidence discovery.
President Hichilema assumed office on a strong platform emphasising a departure from past governance practices, specifically promising adherence to the rule of law, transparency, and the eradication of political interference in prosecutorial and investigative bodies. The initiation of politically timed investigations on people who seem to be a threat to his hold on power directly contradicts this mandate. For a government championing good governance, the optics of appearing to use state machinery to sideline a political rival are deeply damaging.
What is happening to Mundubile, and others suggests a relapse into the very practices President Hichilema’s administration pledged to eliminate. This hypocrisy is profoundly disappointing to those who hoped for a political environment characterised by mature democratic competition, where policy debates superseded attempts at political disqualification through legal means.
Such tactics are antithetical to robust democratic health, creating a chilling effect on political participation and free expression among opposition figures under the leadership of a president who promised political sanity while in opposition.
While no individual should be immune from scrutiny regarding public contracting or financial dealings, the effectiveness and legitimacy of anticorruption efforts are severely compromised when the timing suggests partisan motivation.
The investigation into Brian Mundubile, regardless of its factual merits, carries the heavy implication of being politically timed to impede his growing political influence towards 2026 elections. This use of institutional power for political ends undermines the principles of good governance and fair political contestation, casting a shadow over President Hichilema’s commitment to democratic norms and rule of law. True commitment to these ideals demands that investigations proceed based on evidential timelines, not political convenience.