Kawana: Nobody Has Won or Lost Until ECZ Declares Election Results
LUSAKA — Ministry of Information and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana has condemned what he describes as a coordinated campaign to spread election-related disinformation, warning that false claims could create fear and confusion as the country awaits the official results.
Mr Kawana said Government had noted with concern the circulation of what he termed “serious and completely false claims” by opposition-aligned social media pages and accounts.
According to Mr Kawana, the alleged campaign is aimed at creating uncertainty over the outcome of the election while the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) continues with the counting, verification and announcement of results.
He said the scale of the misinformation had even prompted the United Nations (UN) to clarify claims circulating online using UN emblems and falsely suggesting that UN observers had congratulated a particular candidate.
Mr Kawana said the UN had publicly clarified that it did not have election observers in Zambia, describing the circulating claims as false and misleading.
“Let us be clear, nobody has won or lost this election until Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) declares the results,” Mr Kawana said.
The Permanent Secretary urged Zambians to remain calm and patient while relying on official information from the ECZ and credible news organisations.
He further warned citizens against sharing unverified information originating from anonymous social media pages, saying such claims should be treated with caution until independently confirmed.
Mr Kawana also called on media organisations to exercise greater responsibility by verifying election-related information before publishing or broadcasting it.
He said Zambia’s peace and stability should not be undermined by the spread of false information, particularly during the sensitive period surrounding the election results.
The Permanent Secretary urged political parties and their supporters to honour the peace pledge and allow the electoral process to continue without interference.
He said all stakeholders should give the ECZ space to complete the counting, verification and announcement of the election results.
The warning comes as public interest in the election outcome remains high, with information spreading rapidly across social media platforms.
Authorities have repeatedly urged citizens to distinguish between confirmed results and claims circulating online, with the ECZ remaining the legally mandated institution responsible for declaring the final election results.
