ECZ suspends Mazabuka Central campaigns over violence

LUSAKA — The Electoral Commission of Zambia has suspended all campaigns in Mazabuka Central Constituency on security grounds — a freeze that represents its sharpest election intervention yet.

The suspension matters because it is the first time in this campaign that the commission has frozen electioneering in an entire constituency, a step that bears directly on how candidates reach voters and on whether the poll in Mazabuka Central proceeds on a level footing ahead of the 13 August general election. Chief Electoral Officer Brown Kasaro said the commission backs police action to restore order and condemned violence recorded in the Kabwe and Chawama campaigns.

The commission set out the decision through its Chief Electoral Officer, who heads the secretariat of the Electoral Commission of Zambia, the constitutional body that runs Zambian elections. The commission framed the suspension as a security measure rather than a sanction against any single candidate, and tied it to clashes that have disrupted campaigning in more than one part of the country.

Mazabuka Central, a Southern Province seat, has already drawn national attention this cycle. Kwacha News reported the assault charge that followed the nominations there, and the campaign-suspension order now layers an electoral-management response on top of the criminal one. This story is part of our continuing politics coverage.

What the commission ordered

The order stops every form of campaigning in Mazabuka Central — rallies, door-to-door canvassing, motorcades and public meetings — until the commission lifts the suspension. Kasaro said the freeze holds for all parties and candidates equally, and that the commission will review the security position before allowing campaigning to resume.

The commission also condemned violence in the Kabwe and Chawama campaigns and said it supports police action to halt disorder. The wording places the commission alongside the Zambia Police Service in treating campaign violence as a threat to the credibility of the August poll, not as ordinary political rough-and-tumble.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia has suspended all political campaigns in Mazabuka Central Constituency until further notice, citing an unstable security situation, and condemns the violence recorded in Kabwe and Chawama.

— Brown Kasaro, Chief Electoral Officer, <a href="https://www.elections.org.zm/">Electoral Commission of Zambia statement</a>

Background

Zambia votes on 13 August 2026 in a general election that picks the president, the National Assembly and local councils on the same day. The Electoral Commission of Zambia manages the entire process, from candidate nominations through the count, and holds the power to regulate campaigning under the Electoral Process Act.

Campaign-period offences and violence have featured repeatedly in this cycle. Kwacha News reported that the commission and police are running checks on candidate eligibility, including a probe into forged academic certificates, and the commission has separately moved to tighten the rules around ballot symbols and independents, as set out when it confirmed the change to election symbols for independent candidates.

Southern Province, where Mazabuka Central sits, is one of the more closely watched regions of the campaign. A suspension of all activity in a single constituency is a blunt instrument, and the commission will face pressure to lift it quickly so that candidates there are not disadvantaged relative to seats where campaigning continues.

What to watch

The first thing to watch is how long the suspension lasts. The commission has tied the freeze to the security position, so the next signal is a review statement confirming either that campaigning may resume in Mazabuka Central or that the order stands. A long suspension narrows the window in which candidates there can reach voters before 13 August.

The second is whether the commission extends the same treatment to Kabwe or Chawama, where violence has also been recorded. So far the commission has condemned the disorder in those campaigns without freezing them, and any move to suspend activity in a second or third constituency would mark an escalation in how the commission polices the campaign.

The third is enforcement. A campaign suspension is only as strong as the police response behind it, and the commission has explicitly backed police action. Watch for arrests, charges and any court challenge from candidates who argue that a blanket freeze in their constituency is disproportionate. The decision point that matters next is the commission's review of the Mazabuka Central security situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

These are the questions Zambian readers have been asking since the suspension was announced. Short answers follow, drawn from the Electoral Commission of Zambia statement and from Kwacha News election coverage.

What is the ECZ suspension in Mazabuka Central?

In short, the suspension is an order that halts all political campaigning in Mazabuka Central Constituency until further notice. According to the commission, the measure responds to an unstable security situation, and the data shows it applies to every party and candidate in that seat equally rather than targeting one campaign.

Why is the commission suspending campaigns in Mazabuka Central?

The answer is security. Evidence cited by Chief Electoral Officer Brown Kasaro shows the commission judged the situation in Mazabuka Central unstable, and the statement condemns violence in the Kabwe and Chawama campaigns. In other words, the commission acted to prevent further disorder ahead of the 13 August poll.

Which part of the election does the suspension affect?

Simply put, only the constituency campaign. Research into the commission's order shows it freezes campaigning in one seat, not the national vote. The general election remains scheduled for 13 August 2026, and the commission has said it will review the Mazabuka Central position before allowing campaigning to resume there. The decision does not move the polling date.

Who is bound by the campaign suspension?

The key is that the freeze binds everyone. According to the commission, it applies to all parties and candidates in Mazabuka Central equally, and the commission backs police action to restore order. Candidates who breach the suspension risk police intervention and possible charges, and the order holds until it is formally lifted.

What are the next steps for Mazabuka Central voters?

The answer is to watch the commission's review statement. Data from the commission shows the suspension is tied to the security situation, so the next signal is whether the order is lifted or extended. Voters should also watch whether the commission applies similar measures in Kabwe or Chawama, where violence has also been recorded.

Sources

Electoral Commission of Zambia: official statement and election information, attributed to Chief Electoral Officer Brown Kasaro. Kwacha News coverage: the Mazabuka Central assault charge after nominations, the probe into forged candidate certificates, and the change to ballot symbols for independent candidates.