Suspected United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres smashed seven vehicles belonging to the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) campaign team in Kitwe yesterday, allegedly in full view of armed police officers. The vehicles were parked at…

Suspected United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres smashed seven vehicles belonging to the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) campaign team in Kitwe yesterday, allegedly in full view of armed police officers.

The vehicles were parked at Sherbourne Hotel and nearby premises where NRPUP presidential candidate Brian Mundubile and his running mate Makebi Zulu were lodging ahead of a scheduled campaign stop on the Copperbelt.

Tonse Alliance presidential affairs chairperson Binwell Mpundu confronted officers at the scene, accusing them of failing to protect property and lives. He said the Kitwe Officer Commanding, identified only as Mkandawire, instead suggested that NRPUP may have damaged its own vehicles, a claim Mpundu described as dismissive.
“Zambians and NRPUP officials are on their own and need to protect themselves,” Mpundu said, before adding that they needed protection “from UPND thugs.”
Mundubile questioned whether the alleged attack reflected the peace President Hakainde Hichilema has repeatedly promised the nation during the campaign period.

“My dear brother, Hakainde Hichilema, is this the peace you have been preaching about?” Mundubile asked.
President Hichilema has made peaceful campaigning a recurring theme at his rallies in recent weeks. Mundubile, however, said his members on the Copperbelt had endured repeated harassment, including assaults and now the destruction of campaign property, warning that the country risked drifting towards a culture of political violence.

The Kitwe incident followed a separate standoff on Thursday in Ndola’s Twapia Township, where masked and heavily armed police officers attempted to block Mundubile’s convoy from reaching a rally venue. Local residents intervened, chanting for change until officers withdrew and allowed the convoy to proceed.
Copperbelt Province Police Commanding Officer Mwala Yuyi later addressed a related complaint from NRPUP over police conduct in Ndola, saying officers had only stopped an unauthorised procession while the party’s sanctioned rally proceeded without interruption. Fourteen supporters were arrested for unlawful assembly in connection with the procession.

Police had not confirmed the Kitwe vehicle-smashing incident or indicated whether any arrests had been made by the time of publication. The ruling UPND had also not responded to allegations that its supporters were responsible for the damage.

Zambians go to the polls on 13 August, with the conduct of political campaigns increasingly becoming a point of contention between the governing party and the opposition alliance as the election race enters its final stretch.