UPND preparing for 2026 election violence – Andyford
By Favourite Kalando
THE United Party for National Development (UPND) is recruiting known criminals because it is preparing for violence in the August 13 general election, opposition People’s Alliance for Change (PAC) leader Andyford Banda has said.
In an interview with The Mast, Banda questioned the decision by the UPND to embrace Innocent Kalimanshi, who is known for violence, into the party near the August general election.
He said the UPND was preparing to cause violence as the country gets closer to the 2026 general election.
“It is worrying to see UPND embracing Kalimanshi because Zambians know that these are the same people who caused violence during the 2021 elections,” Banda said.
He urged Zambians to be on the lookout, warning the UPND that political violence was the reason the Patriotic Front (PF) was removed from power in 2021.
Banda wondered why those in government thought that people would accept them for bringing Kalimanshi within their ranks.
“We have never been UPND or PF. So we can tell you that the reason why we have never been part of these people is that they are the same people. They have just changed colours,” he said.
“Why is it that the UPND thinks that people will accept them bringing Kalimanshi within their ranks? That is a question they should be asking themselves. The people will not accept bringing those people into the ranks. What we need is now to completely change things in 2026 because the UPND has demonstrated that they are not different from the PF.”
And Banda says PAC is the only solution to addressing the challenges the country is grappling with.
“If you look at all these candidates and ask them what their plans are, I’m not trying to shoot down the opposition, just go to their pages and see what plans they have. We always have the solution for this country,” he said.
