Lusaka — Brian Mundubile, the main challenger to President Hakainde Hichilema in the 2026 presidential election, has rejected the Electoral Commission of Zambia's declaration of Hichilema's victory following the vote held on August 13 (see Fides, 13 and 18/8/2026).
The candidate of the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) said yesterday, August 18, that his party had "documented irregularities relating to the security, transportation and handling of ballot papers, as well as alleged discrepancies between votes recorded at polling stations and figures subsequently announced."
Mundubile and his vice-presidential candidate, Makebi Zulu, have taken refuge at the headquarters of a United Nations agency in Lusaka, fearing arrest on allegations that they were involved in an alleged insurrection plot (see Fides, 18/8/2026).
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An analysis by The Africa Report has found that in several constituencies, significantly more votes were cast in the presidential election than in the parliamentary election, which took place at exactly the same time. In the most extreme cases, the discrepancy is substantial.
"This matters because such discrepancies are a well-known red flag for electoral manipulation. Our preliminary analysis suggests that hundreds of thousands of votes attributed to President Hakainde Hichilema require explanation," the Paris-based publication reported.
The election, preceded by weeks of tensions, was held peacefully on August 13. The following day, however, the Independent Electoral Commission temporarily suspended the vote count, citing the theft of already-marked ballot papers and acts of violence against its officials, without providing further details.
The suspension was initially expected to last up to 24 hours. It was lifted later the same day following protests by the opposition and civil society. Confidence in the electoral process had already been undermined, however, as the Catholic bishops themselves emphasized in a statement issued on August 15 (see Fides, 18/8/2026). In their statement, the bishops also raised the issue of people who had been arrested but whose whereabouts remained unknown.
Among them is former parliamentarian Mutotwe Kafwaya, whose fate Mundubile has asked the government to clarify. The Zambia Human Rights Commission has also appealed to police for information about the former lawmaker's whereabouts, after he was reportedly injured during an army and police raid on Mundubile's residence in Kabulonga on August 14.
