Hon. Jack Mwiimbu’s Hollow Assurance of Peaceful 2026 Elections An Insult to Zambians

Hon. Jack Mwiimbu’s Hollow Assurance of Peaceful 2026 Elections An Insult to Zambians

By Thandiwe Ketis Ngoma

The recent assurance by Home Affairs Minister Hon. Jack Mwiimbu that Zambia will have peaceful elections in 2026 is not only misleading but an outright insult to the intelligence of Zambians. How can anyone promise a credible and peaceful election when the very institution responsible for overseeing the electoral process, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), is being run by known UPND sympathizers and cadres?

The integrity of any democratic election hinges on the neutrality and independence of the electoral body. However, under the UPND administration, the ECZ has been strategically packed with individuals whose loyalty is not to the Zambian people, but to the ruling party. The most glaring examples include ECZ Chairperson Madam Mwangala Zaloumis and Commissioner Macdonald Chipenzi both of whom have well-documented ties to the UPND. How can Zambians trust an electoral commission that is effectively an extension of the ruling party?

Madam Zaloumis, a known UPND ally, is expected to oversee an election that should be free, fair, and credible. This is the same individual who has consistently aligned with the ruling party’s agenda, raising serious questions about her ability to administer an impartial electoral process. Similarly, Chipenzi, another UPND loyalist, has a track record of openly supporting the ruling party’s political narratives. The presence of such individuals at the helm of the ECZ makes a mockery of Zambia’s democracy and undermines public confidence in the electoral process.

The assurance of peaceful elections is hollow when the playing field is already being tilted in favor of the ruling party. We have already witnessed the increasing abuse of state institutions to target opposition members, the restriction of political freedoms, and the selective application of the law to silence dissent. These are the telltale signs of an electoral process that is being rigged long before the first vote is cast.

If Madam Zaloumis and Macdonald Chipenzi had any aota of decency, the best they can do is resign. A lot of concerned stakeholders have stated their disapproval of them heading that institution by stating that they are full card-carrying members of the UPND party. Their continued stay in office further erodes public trust and calls into question the credibility of the upcoming elections.

For Hon. Mwiimbu to claim that the 2026 elections will be peaceful while ignoring the glaring partisanship within the ECZ is an insult to every Zambian who believes in true democracy. Peaceful elections are not determined by mere words but by a fair and just process. Without an independent ECZ, free political participation, and equal application of the law, Zambia is on a dangerous path toward a predetermined outcome that will only serve the interests of the ruling party.

If the UPND government is genuinely committed to peace and democracy, it must begin by depoliticizing the ECZ. Let independent professionals, not party loyalists, oversee Zambia’s elections. Until that happens, Hon. Mwiimbu’s promises of peace in 2026 are nothing but empty rhetoric designed to pacify Zambians while the UPND tightens its grip on power.

Zambians must demand true electoral reforms now before it is too late. The future of our democracy depends on it