The dispute between independent Mazabuka Central candidate Gary Nkombo and the Zambia Police Service has entered its courtroom phase, with both sides sticking to starkly different accounts of what happened when Nkombo went to file his nomination papers on May 20.
Nkombo says he and his wife were violently confronted by a mob linked to a State House official as he arrived to register his independent candidacy, and that he only defended himself. Police instead charged Nkombo with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, based on complaints filed by two individuals at Mazabuka police station the same day. Southern Province Commanding Officer Moono Namalongo has said the charges will be assessed on the evidence gathered during investigation, rejecting suggestions that the case is being handled through a political lens.
Nkombo has rejected that framing, pointing to viral video and images from the nomination-day incident that he says show him and his wife being attacked while police stood by. He has since listed a series of what he calls escalating actions against his campaign, including a subsequent arrest on June 1, the temporary withdrawal of his approved “candle” campaign symbol, and a police-enforced shutdown of his campaign launch at Ndeke Grounds on June 8 — an incident that triggered ECZ’s since-lifted suspension of campaigning in the constituency.
Governance commentators, including activist Brebner Changala, have publicly questioned why Nkombo faces prosecution when public sentiment and video evidence largely cast him as the injured party. Police maintain their position is guided strictly by evidence, not political considerations. Nkombo says he has engaged legal counsel and intends to contest the charges in court, with the matter now proceeding through the judicial process as campaigning continues in the constituency ahead of the August 13 vote.
Sources: Lusaka Times — Nkombo says he was attacked | Zambia Monitor — Police arrest former Mazabuka MP Nkombo | The Zambian Observer — Nkombo lists alleged state harassment
