AN INJUSTICE UNDER UNIFORM: WHY THE ZAMBIA ARMY MUST ANSWER FOR THE 2026 ELECTION VIOLENCE
The primary duty of the Zambia Army is to defend the Republic, protect its sovereign borders, and uphold the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia as established.
The Zambia Army is trained to respect and uphold the legal frameworks of our sovereign nation and international law. The Constitution of Zambia is the supreme law of the Republic of Zambia, and all written laws, customary laws, and practices must align with its provisions to be valid.
Under Article 2 of the Zambian Constitution, every person including citizens, residents, and state entities have a fundamental right and a solemn duty to defend the Constitution and resist any attempt to overthrow or illegally abrogate it.
Yet, the harrowing events of the August 13, 2026, general elections suggest a deeply disturbing shift in that mandate.
Under the command of Lieutenant General Geoffrey Choongo Zyeele, elite units of our Army, the people’s own Army, were not acting as neutral guardians of peace; instead, they appeared as active instruments of intimidation, casting a dark, heavy shadow over Zambia’s democratic process.
For decades, Zambia has proudly stood as a beacon of peaceful transitions and democratic resilience in Africa. That reputation was severely compromised during this election cycle.
Commandos entering civilian polling spaces, threatening electoral staff, and interfering with opposition representatives at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre represent an unacceptable overreach.
A democracy cannot function when voters and election officials look at their own Army, not with a sense of security, but with fear.
Most tragic and damning of all are the events in Kabulonga that led to the death of former Minister Mutotwe Kafwaya. The deployment of elite commandos into civilian neighbourhoods, resulting in the loss of a prominent political figure, marks a dangerous threshold crossed.
While government publicists scramble to frame these deployments as routine measures to “maintain order,” the reality on the ground felt like a coordinated suppression of dissent.
When the military behaves like a political militia, the fundamental trust between the state and its citizens fractures. Lt. Gen Zyeele, Brigadier General Moses Shapwaya, and Major Lyempe Kapumpa understand that the uniform does not grant immunity from accountability. Your overzealous conduct will cost the nation.
The heavy handedness, the reports of physical abuse, and the lethal escalation under his command require more than defensive press releases from the Zambia Army Public Relations. They demand a transparent, fully independent judicial inquiry.
If Zambia is to preserve its democratic integrity and its standing as a respected contributor to United Nations peacekeeping and military observer missions, it cannot sweep these actions under the rug.
Lt. Gen Zyeele, Brig Gen Shapwaya, and Major Kapumpa must be held strictly accountable for this electoral overreach.
We must firmly re-establish a foundational truth. In a free Republic, the military serves the people, not the political ambitions of those in power.
We commend the family of the late Honourable Mutotwe Kafwaya for their remarkable strength, dignity, and commitment to peace during a profoundly difficult time.
Amidst deep grief and tension, conducting the final farewell in a civilized and orderly manner is a testament to the family’s values and respect for his memory. MHSRIEP.
2026 is not a year on which Zambians shall look back with undiluted pleasure. It has turned out to be an annus horribilis – a horrible year. We suspect that we are not the only ones seeing it in this way.
We wonder how future generations will judge the events of this tumultuous year.
But no section of the community has all the virtues, and neither does any have all the vices. I am quite sure that most people try to do their jobs as best they can, even if the result is not always entirely successful. He who has never failed to reach perfection has a right to be the harshest critic.
There can be no doubt, of course, that criticism is good for people and institutions that are part of public life. No institution should expect to be free from the scrutiny of those who give it their loyalty and support, not to mention those who don’t.
This sort of questioning can also act, and it should do so as an effective engine for change.
In the light of all this, I still urge you all not to lose hope.
In difficult and uncertain times like these, it is very easy to lose hope and give up. But hope should never be lost because it is an essential political and moral force tied to resistance, a just cause, and collective survival against overwhelming odds.
The best will always be to have a just cause to defend and the hope to continue forward. Perseverance is not wishful thinking but is a duty derived from fighting for social justice and sovereignty.
Hope is a stubborn refusal to submit to injustice, unfairness, inhumanity, humiliation, repression, and loss of dignity. Hope is not an abstract dream, but a daily practice of solidarity and education.
Fred M’membe
