He’s Not a Factor, We Are Just Patrolling — Copperbelt Police Chief Rejects Makebi Claims

Copperbelt Police Commissioner Yuyi Mwala has dismissed allegations by opposition leaders Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu that armed officers were deployed to force them out of the province ahead of President Hakainde Hichilema’s visit, insisting police were conducting routine security operations linked to the presidential programme.

Speaking in an interview on Sunday, Mwala said officers seen around Fatmos Lodge in Ndola, where the two Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance leaders were staying, were carrying out standard security duties and had not been sent to target, intimidate or remove any politician.

“I don’t even remember the last time I spoke to those two. I think I last spoke to those people some three years ago,” said Mwala, rejecting suggestions that he had personally directed any operation against the opposition figures.

The commissioner said he had neither ordered nor attempted to remove Mundubile and Zulu from the Copperbelt, adding that no police officer had the authority to prevent any Zambian citizen from being in any part of the country.

According to Mwala, the deployment formed part of routine security arrangements undertaken whenever the Head of State visits a province. He said police attention on the day was focused on maintaining a secure environment during the President’s engagements in Ndola.

“The presence of those individuals was not a factor in our operations,” he said, maintaining that routine police activity was being interpreted through a political lens.

His remarks followed a statement issued earlier by Zulu, who alleged that heavily armed officers surrounded and barricaded Fatmos Lodge before demanding that the two opposition leaders immediately leave the province.

In the statement, Zulu claimed the officers were acting under instructions from Mwala and informed them that their presence on the Copperbelt was unlawful while President Hichilema was expected in Ndola.

The police commissioner rejected that account, reiterating that officers were carrying out lawful security duties and that no operation had been mounted against the opposition leaders.

While declining to address each allegation individually, Mwala maintained that police deployments connected to presidential visits were standard practice and should not be construed as political actions.

Police and the opposition continue to give conflicting accounts of what occurred at Fatmos Lodge. While Mundubile and Zulu maintain they were the subject of a coordinated operation, police insist officers were simply carrying out routine security responsibilities associated with the President’s visit.

The disagreement came a day after Mundubile officially launched his presidential campaign at Kitwe Playing Fields, an event that attracted large crowds. On Sunday morning, Mundubile and Zulu attended a church service in Chipulukusu Township before proceeding to the Ndola lodge where the disputed incident allegedly occurred.

The incident has become another point of contention during the election campaign period, with continued calls for political parties and public institutions to ensure activities are conducted peacefully and within the law.