A viral social media post claims that President Hakainde Hichilema ordered the burning of Buseko Market in Matero to punish people who did not vote for him. iVerify Zambia found the claim to be false. While the fire at Buseko Market is confirmed, the Zambia Police Service says preliminary investigations suggest it may have been caused by an unattended charcoal brazier, and there is no evidence linking the incident to the President, the Government, or political retaliation.
CLAIM
A post published by the Zambia Freedom Facebook page on 31 August 2026 claims that President Hakainde Hichilema has begun punishing people who did not vote for him, alleging that he ordered or caused the burning of Buseko Market in Matero, Lusaka, as retaliation against non-voters.
VERDICT: FALSE
VERIFICATION
iVerify Zambia reviewed the claim and found it to be false and unsupported by available evidence. While the fire at Buseko Market is confirmed, there is no evidence that it was ordered or caused by President Hakainde Hichilema or that it was intended as punishment for people who did not vote for him.
According to a Zambia Police Service press release dated 31 August 2026, a fire broke out at Buseko Market along Lumumba Road in Matero, Lusaka, on the night of 30 August 2026. Police said preliminary investigations indicated that the fire started in a shop on the eastern side of the market, in an area where wooden poles and planks were sold.Police said an unattended charcoal brazier was among the possible factors that may have contributed to the outbreak. However, investigations were still ongoing to establish the exact cause of the fire. The fire destroyed property belonging to several traders. Police said the full extent of the damage had not yet been established at the time of the statement. Firefighters from the Lusaka City Council, Zambia National Service, Zambia Air Force and TAZAMA responded to the incident and helped extinguish the fire.
Police also reported that two people, aged 18 and 17, were apprehended on suspicion of theft after allegedly being found removing Bonanza gaming machines from an affected shop. Three machines were recovered. The police statement did not identify the two suspects as being responsible for starting the fire. Importantly, the Zambia Police statement does not allege or report any involvement by President Hakainde Hichilema, the Government, or any political actors in the fire. It also contains no indication that the incident was linked to the political preferences or voting behaviour of traders or residents in the area.
iVerify Zambia found no credible evidence supporting the allegation that President Hakainde Hichilema ordered or caused the fire as punishment for people who did not vote for him.
CONCLUSION
The claim is FALSE. The fire at Buseko Market is a confirmed incident, but there is no credible evidence that President Hakainde Hichilema ordered or caused the fire, or that it was intended to punish people who did not vote for him. Zambia Police said preliminary investigations pointed to a possible accidental source, including an unattended charcoal brazier, but investigations into the exact cause remain ongoing. The viral post therefore takes a genuine incident and attaches an unsupported political motive to it.
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Before sharing election-related or public affairs information, verify that it comes from credible and official sources. If you encounter suspicious claims, images or videos, submit them to iVerify Zambia for verification.
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