ECZ Bars Binwell Mpundu as Tonse Ndola Mayoral Candidate Jailed

🇿🇲 ELECTION BRIEF | ECZ Bars Mpundu as Tonse Ndola Mayoral Candidate Jailed Zambia’s final campaign stretch produced two significant developments on Tuesday, with the Electoral Commission of Zambia revoking Binwell Mpundu’s accreditation to the National Results Centre while a Tonse Alliance mayoral candidate was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour. ECZ said […]

🇿🇲 ELECTION BRIEF | ECZ Bars Mpundu as Tonse Ndola Mayoral Candidate Jailed

Zambia’s final campaign stretch produced two significant developments on Tuesday, with the Electoral Commission of Zambia revoking Binwell Mpundu’s accreditation to the National Results Centre while a Tonse Alliance mayoral candidate was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour.

ECZ said Mpundu’s accreditation was withdrawn with immediate effect following the controversial video in which he said he was “ready to die” and “ready to kill” over the election. The Commission said it acted under Section 77(6) of the Electoral Process Act and Paragraph 11(1)(c) of the Electoral Code of Conduct, citing public safety and security. Mpundu had been nominated by the NRPUP to represent the party at the National Results Centre.

The decision follows an extraordinary sequence of explanations around the video. Mpundu initially said through a Facebook post that his account had been compromised and the footage was generated using artificial intelligence. Brian Mundubile subsequently repeated the AI explanation publicly.

Mpundu later reversed course, acknowledged the video was authentic and said his remarks referred to self-defence. Police have already opened investigations into the matter.

ECZ has now moved beyond the political argument over what Mpundu intended. “The Commission considers statements of this nature a serious concern as they have the potential to incite violence, create public unrest and undermine the peaceful conduct of the electoral process,” Chief Electoral Officer Brown Kasaro said. ECZ warned it would take action against any accredited person whose conduct threatens the “integrity, security or peaceful conduct” of the election.

Meanwhile in Ndola, Tonse Alliance mayoral candidate Jones Kalyati was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment with hard labour after being convicted of threatening violence. According to Mwebantu’s court report, Magistrate Brian Simachela found Kalyati guilty of threatening to shoot Alexander Mwamba during an incident on January 24. The court heard evidence Kalyati pointed a gun at Mwamba.

Kalyati’s lawyer sought leniency, telling the court he was a first offender, remorseful and seeking election as mayor. Simachela rejected the plea, telling him: “You are supposed to conduct yourself as a mayor and not like you are from the street.” He imposed the 12-month custodial sentence effective Tuesday.

The two developments arrive with polling day now less than 48 hours away. They also place renewed attention on political conduct, enforcement of the Electoral Code of Conduct and the responsibility of parties to control their representatives as Zambia enters the most sensitive phase of the electoral process.

For Tonse, Tuesday has therefore brought pressure on two different fronts. One of its senior presidential campaign figures has lost access to the National Results Centre, while one of its local-government candidates has received a custodial sentence.

With campaigns closing tomorrow and voting beginning on Thursday, every intervention by ECZ, the police and the courts will now carry heightened political significance.

The People’s Brief | Goran Handya