Claims circulating on Facebook that Vice President Mutale Nalumango secretly met UPND officials in Chinsali and instructed them to recruit relatives of civil servants as polling agents are false. iVerify Zambia found no evidence to support the allegations. A review of the Vice President’s official Facebook page also found no mention of any meeting with UPND officials in Chinsali, and the claims were further denied by the State House Chief Communication Strategist.
CLAIM:
On July 7, 2026, Lillian Mutambo, through her Facebook account “Lily Mutamz,” claimed that Vice President Mutale Nalumango travelled to Chinsali for a secret meeting with UPND officials. The post further alleged that the Vice President instructed party officials to identify relatives working in the civil service so they could be recruited as polling agents.
In line with iVerify Zambia’s editorial practice, we have deliberately not included a link to the original social media post to avoid further amplifying misinformation.
VERDICT: False
RATING JUSTIFICATION:
iVerify Zambia carried out a fact-check and found the claim to be false. There is no credible evidence that Vice President Mutale Nalumango held a secret meeting with UPND officials in Chinsali or instructed party officials to recruit civil servants or their relatives as polling agents. The allegation originated from a social media post that did not provide any evidence to support its claims. The claim was also not supported by official communication channels, credible media reports, or independent sources. The alleged meeting and instructions were also denied by the State House Chief Communication Specialist.
Fact-Checking Process
In fact checking this article, iVerify Zambia followed its standard fact-checking process, including:
- Identifying the claim: iVerify Zambia identified a Facebook post alleging that Vice President Mutale Nalumango held a secret political meeting in Chinsali and issued instructions regarding the recruitment of polling agents.
- Reviewing available evidence: iVerify Zambia reviewed the content of the Facebook post and found that it provided no supporting evidence, documentation, or verifiable sources to substantiate the allegations. The post relied solely on unverified assertions.
- Checking official sources: iVerify Zambia reviewed the official Facebook page of Vice President Mutale Nalumango for information on her official engagements during the period in question. The review found no post, statement, or record indicating that she held a meeting with UPND officials in Chinsali or issued instructions concerning the recruitment of polling agents.
- Seeking comment from relevant authorities: iVerify Zambia contacted the State House Chief Communication Strategist, Whitney Mulobela, who dismissed the allegations as false. He confirmed that the Vice President did not hold any secret meeting with UPND officials in Chinsali and did not instruct party officials to recruit civil servants or their relatives as polling agents.
- Cross-checking with credible sources: iVerify Zambia found no credible media reports, official statements, or publicly available records confirming the alleged meeting or instructions.
Conclusion
The claim that Vice President Mutale Nalumango secretly met UPND officials in Chinsali and instructed them to recruit relatives of civil servants as polling agents is false. The allegation is unsupported by evidence, is not reflected on the Vice President’s official communication channels, has been denied by the State House Chief Communication Strategist, and is not corroborated by any credible or verifiable source.
Have information to share or a claim you would like us to verify? Send evidence or submit a fact-check request to the iVerify Zambia tipline via WhatsApp: +260 762 974 750 or email: factcheck@panos.org.zm.
