National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity presidential candidate Brian Mundubile has called for peaceful campaigning during and after the 13 August general election, following an incident that saw several vehicles belonging to the opposition damaged at a rally in Kitwe over the weekend.

Speaking during a campaign rally at Chamboli Stadium, Mr Mundubile told supporters that his party remained committed to peaceful campaigns throughout the electoral process. He said there was a need to stick to issue-based politics, arguing that this approach had shaped the country’s political culture since the return to multipartyism roughly 35 years ago.

Mr Mundubile, who addressed the meeting alongside his running mate Makebi Zulu, accused the ruling United Party for National Development of instigating violence that he said resulted in damage to several NRPUP vehicles over the weekend. He told the audience that his party remained committed to transforming the mining industry by doubling the involvement of local people in the mining value chain, a message intended to resonate with Copperbelt voters attending the rally.

However, the United Party for National Development’s Copperbelt youth wing firmly denied any involvement in the fracas, maintaining that the incident did not reflect the character of their campaign. UPND Copperbelt Youth chairperson Wallen Hinyama rejected the allegations directly, pointing to the party’s record during other campaign stops in the province.

“Involving us in their issues is not good, since NRPUP launched the first rally in the province no crashes had been recorded,” Mr Hinyama said, insisting that the ruling party was committed to peaceful campaigns and had a record of delivery to defend rather than a need to resort to disruption.

The exchange between the two camps illustrates the heightened sensitivity surrounding campaign conduct on the Copperbelt, a province where political rivalry has historically carried the potential to spill into confrontation during election periods. Both parties appear keen to avoid being cast as the instigators of unrest, aware that accusations of violence can carry significant reputational cost with an electorate that has repeatedly signalled a preference for stability over disruption.

Mr Mundubile used the platform at Chamboli Stadium to reiterate his broader campaign message centred on transforming the mining sector, telling residents that his administration would seek to double the participation of local communities within the mining value chain, a policy area that has featured prominently in his campaign appeals to Copperbelt voters throughout the election period.

The NRPUP leader’s call for peaceful campaigning comes as Zambia’s general election enters its final stretch, with candidates across the political spectrum increasingly focused on consolidating support in key battleground provinces. The Copperbelt, given its economic significance and dense population, remains one of the most closely contested regions of the country, making any suggestion of unrest there a matter of particular concern to both major camps.

Neither party has provided independent verification of what precisely triggered the vehicle damage reported over the weekend, and no formal police statement regarding the incident had been issued at the time of the rally. The dispute nonetheless underscores the broader tensions running beneath the surface of what has, overall, been characterised by both government and independent observers as a relatively peaceful campaign period compared with previous election cycles.

Mr Mundubile’s appeal for calm, delivered even as he levelled accusations against his political rivals, reflects a broader pattern within Zambia’s 2026 campaign in which candidates from multiple parties have sought to position themselves as champions of peaceful democratic competition while simultaneously contesting claims of responsibility for isolated incidents of unrest.

Both the NRPUP and the UPND will be seeking to reassure voters, particularly on the Copperbelt, that their respective parties remain committed to a peaceful electoral process, even as accusations and counter-accusations over specific incidents continue to surface periodically on the campaign trail.

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