VIOLENCE AGAINST MUNDUBILE & MAKEBI IN SOUTHERN PROVINCE –
Should It BeTaken Seriously?
There are reports reaching that NRP-UP presidential candidate Brian Mundubile and his running mate Makebi Zulu are considering canceling their scheduled campaigns in Southern province because they have received intelligence reports that the ruling party has organized thugs to attack them while they canvass the province for votes.
The reports were first made by two online pages from Western Province two weeks ago and repeated last week. The pages had forewarned the two candidates and their supporters that the ruling party had organized people to attack them during their campaigns in the province, and true to their word, they were attacked, not by common people but by the Zambian Police who threw teargas at them and disrupted their rally in Mongu. Some prominent members of their entourage were arrested and remain incarcerated till date on flimsy charges that are bailable, yet they have not been allowed bond.
So, should the two political opponents of the ruling party take these reports seriously and not campaign in Southern province?
Firstly, Mundubile, Makebi and their supporters were attacked in North Western province, yes a pro UPND region but not one where the current president hails from. Their artists were beaten by unknown supporters of the ruling party. If they would be attacked in North Western province, far away from the domain of UPND then they could be attacked in southern province.
Secondly, though the province has generally been peaceful and politically tolerant in the past, recently, some towns in the province have experienced pockets of intra-party violence. Some supporters of candidates running on the UPND ticket have clashed with supporters of members who have opted to run on Independent tickets, Mazabuka, Choma and Gwembe being some of them. So if there can be violence amongst people from the same tribe, party, who support the same presidential candidate, surely there is chance that outsiders who be dealt even worse
So, if I am Brian Mundubile, Makebi Zulu and their supporters, I would take the reports seriously and not canvass the province to avoid attacks that would endanger their lives less than six days to polling day.
However, as a citizen who hails from southern province and a proponent of democracy and of political tolerance, such an act will put a stench on the province and the tribes therein. The tribal tag will loom even more, politicians and citizens from the region will be targets should another party take over power now or in future. Such targets will not end with politics but will spiral to civil service positions. It will create a perpetual divide that may never be restored.
As such, if any attacks really have been planned let the police assure the candidates of protection to avert such. And if the attacks have been sanctioned by the UPND, let them look at the bigger and the future repercussions of such an undertaking and desist from doing it.
These are just sheer elections that will pass in a few days to come. We the citizens remain and have to co-exist without a tribal or regional divide.
Whatever the NRP-UP decide to do, I pray it does not leave a political stain that southerners will not be able to erase in future.
We are one people! Let peace prevail!
Mbanga, Irvine Ilukui.
Fayetteville, Arkansas.
United States of America. (2026).