Mutharika urges tolerance ahead of Zambia vote

Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika, who chairs the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, has called for calm and tolerance ahead of Zambia’s general elections scheduled for 13 August.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Mutharika said the vote — the only general election taking place in the SADC region this year — has drawn a significant deployment of observers under the SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM), reflecting the bloc’s commitment to supporting credible polls.

He said SEOM plays a central role in strengthening democratic governance by assessing whether elections meet SADC’s principles on regular, free, fair and transparent processes.

“These elections support stable political and economic transitions,” Mutharika said, adding that the guidelines also underline the need for full and inclusive citizen participation across member states.

Mutharika urged Zambians to vote peacefully.

“I encourage all eligible voters in Zambia to seize this opportunity to directly influence their country’s leadership by voting peacefully on August 13,” he said.