VOTERS URGED TO SAFEGUARD VOTING DOCUMENTS AS ZNWL DEPLOYS 270 ELECTION MONITORS

Political historian at the University of Zambia, Professor Bizeck Phiri, noted that voter education was critical in encouraging citizens to safeguard essential election documents such as the National Registration Card (NRC) and voters’ card ahead of Thursday’s general election.

Professor Phiri said the NRC remained the primary document that identified a person as a citizen of Zambia and should be carefully protected at all times.

Speaking on an interview with 5FM he explained that upon reaching the age of 18, a citizen uses the green NRC to register as a voter, making both the NRC and the voters’ card personal documents that cannot legally be used by another person.

Professor Phiri further warned members of the public against surrendering their election documents to anyone in exchange for money, describing the practice as illegal and one that should not be entertained.

He said with the country heading to the polls, voters must ensure that their NRCs and voters’ cards were safely kept and readily available for use on polling day.

Professor Phiri added that sustained voter education helped citizens understand the value of the documents and protected the integrity of the electoral process.

Meanwhile, the Zambia National Women’s Lobby (ZNWL) deployed 270 election monitors to selected parts of the country to observe the 2026 general elections from a gender and inclusivity perspective.

In an interview with 5FM News, organisation Acting Executive Director Golden Nachibinga said the organisation would focus on monitoring the participation of women as candidates and voters, as well as the overall inclusivity of the electoral process.

Mr. Nachibinga said the deployment of local observers would complement the work of international election observer missions, including those from the African Union, COMESA and the European Union.

He said the presence of both local and international observers was important in promoting the credibility of elections, as observers assess the electoral process against established international standards.

Mr Nachibinga said election observation also provides an opportunity to identify areas that require improvement and the development recommendations for future elections.

He however, stressed the need for fairness and impartiality in election observation, saying credible monitoring was key to generating recommendations that could help improve future elections.