FREE XAVIER CHUNGU NOW, MABUMBA ROYAL ESTABLISHMENT DEMANDS
…As calls mount for release of detained Presidential candidate…
*MANSA, 8 JUNE 2026* — The Mabumba Royal Establishment of the Ushi people has fired its strongest protest yet at government, demanding the immediate release of Liberal Democrats Party Presidential Candidate Xavier Franklin Chungu from what it calls “prolonged and unlawful detention”.
In a statement issued today, the Royal Establishment said Mr Chungu, one of its subjects, has been held for almost two weeks since his arrest on 28 May 2026, just two months before the 13 August General Elections.
The establishment accused the State of defying the courts. After police failed to present Mr Chungu before a magistrate for a week, the High Court granted him bail on 4 June 2026. Instead of complying with the order, the State allegedly ignored the judgement and kept him in detention. The following day, Zambia Police re-arrested him on essentially the same facts, raising fresh questions about the legality of the move.
The Royal Establishment said the new charges attract police bonds and bail, making Mr Chungu’s continued incarceration “totally unacceptable and a clear abuse of the criminal justice system”. It stressed that its demand was not a declaration of innocence or guilt, but a call for suspects to be treated in line with constitutionally guaranteed rights.
It has warned that holding an arrested person beyond the 48-hour rule violates personal liberty, the presumption of innocence, equal protection of the law, and the right to a speedy trial.
The Royal Establishment further called on authorities to immediately halt what it described as continued violations of human rights against citizens, including its subjects from Luapula Province.
The statement marks a rare but forceful intervention by a traditional authority into a high-profile political detention at a time when the nation is heading to the polls.
Ends…