State House warns leaders: incitement to kill is not political rhetoric

State House has issued a stern warning to political leaders across the divide, saying threats of violence cannot be dismissed as ordinary campaign talk and that every leader carries moral responsibility to reject inflammatory language before the country votes tomorrow. Chief…

State House has issued a stern warning to political leaders across the divide, saying threats of violence cannot be dismissed as ordinary campaign talk and that every leader carries moral responsibility to reject inflammatory language before the country votes tomorrow. Chief communications specialist Clayson Hamasaka said the warning follows weeks of tension around a video in which Tonse Alliance presidential affairs chairperson Binwell Mpundu was alleged to have said he was ready to die or kill during the election.

Hamasaka said in a statement that no political disagreement is worth a single life, and that words spoken by leaders carry consequences that go beyond the individual who utters them.

“Zambia is bigger than any candidate, any party and any election. Let us protect our peace and, above all, protect human life,” he said.

The controversy over Mpundu’s remarks has shifted in tone over recent weeks. When the video first surfaced, it was initially suggested the footage had been generated using artificial intelligence, an explanation that circulated for several days before Mpundu himself acknowledged the recording was genuine. Hamasaka said this sequence of events was itself troubling, arguing that leaders should not use technology as cover for statements they are ultimately responsible for.

“Artificial intelligence did not put those words on the national stage. Leaders did. And artificial intelligence cannot take responsibility. Only leaders can do that,” Hamasaka said.

State House said the moral responsibility to reject inflammatory language rests with every political leader regardless of party affiliation, and that where statements amount to criminal incitement, the law provides for serious consequences. Hamasaka called on leaders across the political divide to lower the political temperature in the closing hours before voting.

“This is not the moment for political games or contradictory explanations. It is the moment for every political leader, without exception and regardless of party, to lower the temperature, reject inflammatory language unequivocally, and ensure that no citizen is placed in danger for the sake of political power,” he said.

Hamasaka expressed confidence that the election would pass peacefully, saying Zambians had largely rejected the culture of electoral violence, intimidation and hate speech that scarred previous contests. He said the peace built over recent years must now be protected through the final hours of voting.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia has already acted in the specific case connected to the video, revoking Mpundu’s accreditation to access the National Results Centre on security grounds. Chief electoral officer Brown Kasaro said the commission considers statements of that nature a serious concern, given their potential to incite violence and undermine the peaceful conduct of the process.

Inspector-General of Police Graphel Musamba echoed the call for restraint, directing officers to remain professional, neutral and impartial while enforcing the law during and after voting. He said police would act firmly against anyone found committing electoral offences or disturbing public order, regardless of political affiliation, and warned that unlawful assemblies, road blockages and attacks on individuals would attract immediate intervention.

Traditional leaders have also weighed in on the broader question of political conduct this campaign season. Chiefs Chisunka and Chimense of the Ushi people in Mansa District said the period had been largely peaceful compared with previous elections, which they recalled as marked by bloodshed and serious political violence.

“During the last regime, we saw a lot of bloodshed, people were hacked with pangas, people killing each other especially during campaigns,” Chisunka said, adding that the current administration’s term had seen a marked reduction in such incidents.

Hamasaka’s appeal was not limited to any single party or figure. He said the message applied equally to every leader, urging that calls for peace be matched by concrete restraint in language used at rallies, on social media and in interviews during the final stretch of campaigning.

The Independent Broadcasting Authority has separately reinforced the same message to media houses, warning broadcasters against airing unverified claims or speculative content that could inflame tensions as results begin to emerge. Director-general Webster Malido said stations must handle developing events, live interviews and sensitive stories with extra caution so as not to spread misinformation or fuel tension.

With polling opening early tomorrow morning, State House’s appeal represents one of the final formal interventions from government ahead of the vote, aimed at ensuring that whatever political differences exist among candidates and their supporters, no citizen is placed at risk in the process of choosing the country’s next leadership.