Police fired teargas directly at NRPUP presidential candidate Brian Mundubile’s convoy twice within a single afternoon in Lusaka on July 16, first during a sanctioned roadshow in Kalingalinga and later when a second convoy carrying the same ticket was stopped in Kabwata Constituency, with no explanation offered for either incident.
In the Kalingalinga confrontation, officers discharged teargas into a crowd of NRPUP supporters, forcing Mundubile and running mate Makebi Zulu out of their vehicles and onto the street. Footage that circulated afterward showed the pair walking through the township on foot before climbing onto a van to continue the roadshow rather than call it off. A young girl was reportedly injured in the leg during the confusion. Mundubile maintained the procession had been peaceful and was operating strictly within the campaign calendar approved by the Electoral Commission of Zambia.
Mundubile has since called on Inspector General of Police Graphel Musamba to explain the order to disperse the roadshow, and has questioned whether officers intended more serious harm, though government has disputed suggestions that a child was shot. A coalition of civil society voices, including chairperson Beauty Katebe, has since urged an independent investigation, warning that teargas deployment in densely populated residential areas puts women and children at disproportionate risk and undermines confidence in police neutrality ahead of the August 13 vote.
The incident has drawn broader scrutiny of policing standards during the campaign period, with commentary noting that President Hichilema campaigned freely in Northern Province on the same day, raising questions about consistency in how security agencies are treating rival campaigns as the election approaches.
Sources: Lusaka Times — Gassed twice in one day: police strike Mundubile’s convoy | Zambia Monitor — Calls for independent probe into Kalingalinga teargas incident heighten | News Diggers — Police wanted to kill us – Mundubile
