UPND defends post-election arrests, rejects UN rapporteur’s concerns
The United Party for National Development (UPND) has defended the Government’s handling of post-election arrests, insisting that political affiliation cannot shield anyone from accountability under Zambian law.
Lusaka, 4 August – UPND Legal and Constitutional Affairs chairperson Jack Mwiimbu said Zambia is a constitutional democracy with functioning law-enforcement agencies and an independent judiciary capable of handling criminal matters without political interference.
Mwiimbu was responding to concerns raised by United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association, Gina Romero, who expressed concern over what she described as a deteriorating democratic and human rights environment following the August 13, 2026 General Election.
Romero raised concerns about alleged intimidation and arbitrary arrests of opposition supporters, as well as what she described as “concocted charges of treason” against senior opposition alliance leaders.
However, Mwiimbu rejected the allegations, describing Romero’s assessment as inaccurate, one-sided and unsubstantiated.
He said the Government’s position was that arrests and subsequent legal proceedings undertaken after the election had been conducted in accordance with Zambian law and established principles of due process.
“The charges brought against individuals, including treason charges, are not ‘concocted’ as the Special Rapporteur suggests, but are based on evidence and have been filed through proper legal channels,” Mwiimbu said.
The UPND has taken particular exception to what it considers an apparent determination of the merits of ongoing criminal cases before the allegations have been tested in court.
Mwiimbu argued that questions surrounding the sufficiency and credibility of evidence against suspects should be determined by the courts rather than through public statements by political actors or international officials.
He said the judiciary should therefore be allowed to independently consider the treason allegations involving New Republican Party United Patriots (NRPUP) presidential candidate Brian Mundubile, his running mate Makebi Zulu and other accused persons.
According to Mwiimbu, the fact that individuals facing criminal charges are members or supporters of opposition political groups should not, in itself, place them beyond the reach of the law.
He maintained that the legal process must be allowed to run its course, with the courts ultimately determining whether the prosecution has established its case.
The UPND also rejected concerns surrounding the cancellation of RightsCon, arguing that the decision was based on administrative considerations rather than political motives.
Mwiimbu further cited the findings of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Electoral Observation Mission, which he said found that the political environment in most areas where its observers were deployed remained peaceful.
He said the SADC observers also reported that most stakeholders considered the electoral environment an improvement compared with the 2021 elections.
The UPND has consequently accused Romero of exceeding her mandate by making what it considers sweeping pronouncements on Zambia’s electoral process, ongoing criminal cases and wider political developments.
Mwiimbu said the party intends to formally petition the UN Special Procedures Coordinating Committee to review the Special Rapporteur’s intervention and concerns raised in her statement
The dispute places the UPND and the UN Special Rapporteur at odds over the balance between international human-rights scrutiny and Zambia’s domestic judicial processes, particularly in the aftermath of a contested political period.
The UPND maintains that criminal allegations should be determined through evidence and due process in Zambian courts, while the concerns raised by Romero centre on the broader human-rights and democratic environment surrounding the arrests and prosecutions.
-Nkanionline 2026 #NewsOnDemand