Heavily Armed Police Raid BM8/MZ media command centre – Makebi

1 Views …looking for Parallel Voter Tabulation PVT equipment, says they fired live ammunition A video obtained by Zambian Eye appears to show armed men in plain clothes at the Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu campaign media command centre in Lusaka, with several gunshots heard during the incident. The footage, which was recorded at the […]

1 Views …looking for Parallel Voter Tabulation PVT equipment, says they fired live ammunition

A video obtained by Zambian Eye appears to show armed men in plain clothes at the Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu campaign media command centre in Lusaka, with several gunshots heard during the incident.

The footage, which was recorded at the Ibex Hill property on Twin Palm Road where the NRP-UP campaign had established its media command centre, shows men carrying firearms moving around the premises.

Gunshots can also be heard in the video as people at the premises react to the unfolding incident.

NRP-UP presidential running mate Makebi Zulu has identified the men as heavily armed plain-clothes police officers and alleged that they raided the property in search of Parallel Voter Tabulation (PVT) equipment.

Zulu further alleged that live ammunition was fired at members of the campaign team who were at the centre.

“Fellow Citizens, heavily armed plain clothes men claiming to be police officers earlier today broke into my Ibex Hill Twin Palm Road property where we had established the BM8/MZ media command centre looking for Parallel Voter Tabulation PVT equipments,” Zulu said.

“The goons who claim to be police officers fired live ammunition at defenseless members of our campaign team that were at the media centre the time the illegal raid was being conducted.”

Zambian Eye has viewed the video accompanying Zulu’s statement. The footage shows armed men at the premises and captures the sound of gunfire. However, the video alone does not independently establish the identities of the men, whether they were police officers, or the circumstances that led to the firing of the shots.

The alleged raid comes just hours before Zambia goes to the polls on Thursday, August 13, 2026.

The incident also comes against the backdrop of heightened security concerns surrounding election preparations and PVT.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security Permanent Secretary Dickson Matembo announced that the State had uncovered what it described as an alleged plot to interfere with Zambia’s electoral system.

Matembo said defence and security agencies had apprehended several suspects and were investigating alleged attempts to disrupt critical electoral systems.

The Government has not, in the information currently available to Zambian Eye, specifically linked the reported operation at the Mundubile media centre to the suspects announced by Matembo.

The Tonse Pamodzi Alliance has repeatedly maintained that its PVT preparations are aimed at protecting the vote and independently verifying results announced from polling stations.

Zulu questioned why the authorities would seek to stop the opposition from conducting PVT.

“Conducting PVT in any election is not illegal and so we wonder what exactly Mr Hakainde Hichilema wants to hide from the Zambian people with regards the results of tomorrow’s elections,” he said.

He described the alleged operation as “thuggery” and called on voters to reflect on the kind of country they want to live in.

“As you vote tomorrow ask yourselves, is this the Zambia you want for yourselves. Is this the kind of country you want to live in for another five years?” Zulu said.

He appealed for an end to what he described as brutality against political opponents.

“Stop the brutality,” he said.

The incident is likely to raise further questions about the security environment surrounding Thursday’s election, particularly the freedom of political parties to monitor the counting and transmission of results.

Zambian Eye will continue to follow developments surrounding the reported raid and seek the response of the Zambia Police Service and other relevant authorities.