The claim that lawyers representing detained Tonse Pamodzi Alliance leaders Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu were denied access to their clients at Mukobeko Maximum Correctional Facility is not supported by the available evidence. The Zambia Correctional Service says the lawyers were required to comply with routine documentation and security procedures and left the facility before the screening process was completed. Evidence that other visitors were permitted to access detained NRPUP members during the same period further contradicts the allegation that access to the detainees was unlawfully blocked.
Claim
A Facebook post published on 7 September 2026 by Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) President Kasonde Mwenda alleges that lawyers representing detained Tonse Pamodzi Alliance leaders Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu were denied access to their clients at Mukobeko Maximum Correctional Facility.
According to Mwenda, State Counsel Sakwiba Sikota and State Counsel Chifumu Kingdom Banda were turned away from the correctional facility on two occasions and prevented from meeting the detainees. Mwenda described the alleged denial of access as unlawful and an affront to the constitutional right of detained persons to legal representation.
He further questioned why the situation was allegedly different from the period when President Hakainde Hichilema was in opposition, arguing that Hichilema was able to meet his lawyers while in detention.
Verdict: False
Rating Justification
A press statement issued by the Zambia Correctional Service (ZCS) on 9 September 2026 disputes the allegation that lawyers representing Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu were denied access to their clients.
According to ZCS, the Service does not deny legal practitioners access to inmates. However, all visitors, including lawyers, are required to comply with established administrative and security procedures before being granted access to correctional facilities. The Service explained that some of the lawyers who presented themselves at the facility did not have the required documentation and were therefore asked to return with the necessary documents.
ZCS further stated that when the lawyers returned, they were asked to wait briefly while routine security screening of other visitors was being completed. According to the Service, the lawyers left the facility before the screening process was concluded. The Service maintained that visitors who met the applicable requirements were permitted to proceed with their visits.
ZCS’s account is consistent with a video statement by former Patriotic Front Secretary General and National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) member Davies Mwila, who said that he had managed to visit the detained NRPUP leaders and other members.
The statements by ZCS and Mwila do not support the allegation that the Zambia Correctional Service deliberately or unlawfully blocked lawyers from accessing their clients.
Instead, the available evidence indicates that access to the correctional facility was subject to established documentation and security procedures, and that visitors who complied with those requirements were allowed to proceed.
Conclusion
The claim that lawyers representing Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu were denied access to their clients at Mukobeko Maximum Correctional Facility is false.
The Zambia Correctional Service states that the lawyers were not denied access to their clients. Rather, according to the Service, they did not initially have the required documentation and subsequently left the facility before the routine security screening process was completed.
The account is further supported by video evidence showing that Davies Mwila was able to visit detained NRPUP leaders and members during the same period.
Based on the available evidence, there is no substantiation for the allegation that the Zambia Correctional Service unlawfully prevented lawyers from accessing their clients.
Evidence
- Zambia Correctional Service press statement https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19ScGnPbDB/
- Video statement by former Patriotic Front Secretary General, Mr Davies Mwila https://www.facebook.com/reel/2121898288415203/ , also on https://www.facebook.com/reel/1718903456068910.
Help Stop the Spread of Misinformation
Before sharing election-related or public affairs information, verify whether it comes from credible and official sources. If you encounter suspicious claims, images or videos, submit them to iVerify Zambia for verification.
Email: factcheck@panos.org.zm
WhatsApp: +260 762 974 750
Together, we can reduce the spread of misinformation and disinformation, promote access to accurate and verified information, and help protect the integrity of public discourse.
