A viral social media post falsely claimed that ECZ Commissioner McDonald Chipenzi was training 500 UPND supporters to serve as Returning Officers to rig Zambia’s 13 August 2026 General Election. iVerify Zambia found no evidence to support the allegations, and the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has categorically dismissed the claims as false, malicious, and misleading.
Claim
On 6 July 2026, the Facebook page The Candidates, along with several other social media accounts, published a post alleging that Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Commissioner McDonald Chipenzi was training 500 United Party for National Development (UPND) supporters in Makeni to be deployed as Returning Officers to rig Zambia’s 13 August 2026 General Election.
The post further claimed that:
• the ECZ was facilitating the alleged training;
• pre-marked ballot papers were being printed in Tanzania; and
• Gatbro International was financing the alleged election-rigging operation.
iVerify Zambia has deliberately not included a link to the original social media post to avoid further amplifying false information, in line with its editorial practice of limiting the spread of misinformation and disinformation.
Verdict
False
What We Found
iVerify Zambia found no credible evidence to support the claim that ECZ Commissioner McDonald Chipenzi is training UPND supporters to serve as Returning Officers in order to manipulate the outcome of the 2026 General Election.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), through Chief Electoral Officer Brown Kasaro, officially rejected the allegations, describing them as false, malicious, and misleading.
Evidence
According to the ECZ:
• The Commission is not conducting any training of 500 individuals in Makeni as alleged. Instead, it is conducting scheduled District Election Trainers (DET) training at provincial centres as part of preparations for the 13 August 2026 General Election.
• ECZ stated that all official training activities are publicly communicated through its official channels and are intended to prepare electoral personnel to administer elections professionally and transparently.
• The allegation that pre-marked ballot papers are being printed in Tanzania is also false. ECZ confirmed that ballot papers for the 2026 General Election are being printed by Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The printing process is being observed by representatives of political parties, civil society organisations, law enforcement agencies, and the media as part of the Commission’s transparency measures.
• ECZ also rejected claims that Gatbro International is financing election-rigging activities, stating that the Commission’s operations are funded through the State Treasury.
The Commission further urged members of the public and political stakeholders to verify election-related information before sharing it, warning that false claims can undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
ECZ Statement: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1450465983787585&set=pcb.1450466073787576
Rating Justification
This claim is rated False because:
• No documentary or verifiable evidence was presented to support the allegations.
• The Electoral Commission of Zambia issued an official statement directly refuting each element of the claim.
• The available evidence contradicts the assertions regarding the alleged training, ballot paper printing, and financing of election-rigging activities.
Conclusion
The claim that ECZ Commissioner McDonald Chipenzi is training 500 UPND supporters in Makeni to rig the August 2026 General Election is false.
Available evidence shows that the Commission is conducting its scheduled election training programme for District Election Trainers, while ballot papers are being printed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, under an observation process involving political parties, civil society organisations, law enforcement agencies, and the media.
No credible evidence supports the allegations contained in the social media posts. Citizens are encouraged to verify election-related information using official ECZ communications and other credible sources before sharing it.
