2026 presidential aspirant Brian Mundubile says he is not scared to be jailed because the country needs redemption that will come through leaders like those already convicted.
Mundubile says he is resolved to contest the 2026 general election under the PF ticket.
Responding to a question on Hot FM’s Hot Seat programme, Thursday, Mundubile said leaders must remove fear in order to lead Zambia.
“Not at all, this is about the Zambian people. As leaders, we have to remove fear; we should have no fear. If as leaders we embrace fear and begin to walk in reverse, who is going to serve the Zambian people? I know and I feel the pain of many families today.
I have in mind Nickson Chilangwa, I have in mind Ronald Kaoma Chitotela, I have in mind Kalumba Chifumbe, I have in mind Chishimba Kambwili, Joseph Malanji, Bowman Lusambo, Munir Zulu, Maureen Mabonga and many others. These are people who are serving jail sentences not because they did something wrong; they are serving their jail sentences today because they held a different political view. Because they did not agree with President Hakainde Hichilema, they did not agree with the UPND, so they found a clever way of putting them away,” Mundubile said.
“So, the fact that this country needs redemption, that redemption will come through leaders like ourselves. The Zambian people chose me as a Member of Parliament; I’ve been serving for the past nine years. I’ve been a leader at parliamentary level, at ministerial level, so they expect more from us. For Nickson Chilangwa, Chitotela, Malanji, Kambwili and now Nakacinda, their hope is in those of us that still have voices to speak. So I’m not scared at all. I’m going to step up and speak for those that can’t talk, speak for the vulnerable, speak for the weak, and indeed provide hope for the people of this country.”
He said he is firmly resolved to contest the 2026 presidential election.
“Yes, I am firmly resolved to contest the presidential election in 2026. What gives me the confidence, firstly, is you, the people, that have come forth, looking at the leadership that I’ve provided in areas where I have been given an opportunity to serve. And secondly, what gives me the confidence is I love Zambia; I love the Zambian people. I’ve looked at what the Zambian people are going through.
Clearly, the Zambian people need a leader who will look out for the poorest of the poor, consider the aspirations of the Zambian people, and be able to take this country forward. The discussion on the street for years immemorial has always been about the potential that Zambia has, potential in the agricultural sector, potential in the mining sector, potential in the tourism sector. It can’t be potential every day; that potential has got to be realised,” he said.
“The only gap that there is, is a leadership gap. So, with the right leadership, a leadership that I believe strongly I’ll be able to provide, we will be able to realise that potential which resides in this beautiful country called Zambia. What I’ve said here before is that we’re going for a convention, and when we go for that convention, the leader that will be elected is the one we’ll all support, including myself. I’m ready to be led.”
Meanwhile, Mundubile noted that although Zambia gained its political independence in 1964, the country still remains economically dependent on foreign investors.
“I may not have been there during independence, but of course, when you look back at what Zambia was like before independence, what our forefathers went through and how they fought their way to freedom, 60 years later you realise that we may not be truly independent as it were. Yes, politically we may be independent, but economically we are not yet independent because the country is still being controlled by foreign investors.
Even the potential that I spoke about, we have a mindset that only foreign investors can come and develop this country. It’s only foreign investors that would run these mines; it’s only foreign investors that would run these hotels. So, as we talk about independence, we should broaden the discussion. My position, therefore, is that yes, in 1964 we got our independence, but economically we are not independent,” said Mundubile.
“If you look at where we are today, some of the freedoms that we got after independence, we don’t even have them today. Look at how many Zambians are failing to talk today, Zambians that are going to call in to this programme and not identify themselves. They can’t speak; they can’t even identify themselves. They would rather say they are ‘AI’ or something else. So, in as much as we would like to celebrate this independence, a deep reflection will tell us that we are not really independent. The only difference is that before 1964 we were colonised by foreign powers, but today the country is being run by Zambians, and yet Zambians themselves, other citizens, cannot speak.”