"It Is Criminal" – Gary Nkombo Says Development Must Not Depend on Voting for the Ruling Party

Independent parliamentary candidate Gary Nkombo has condemned political messages suggesting that communities risk losing development if they vote against the ruling party, describing such statements as illegal and criminal.

Speaking through a facebook video published on Monday, the former Local Government and Rural Development Minister said Zambia's laws require national resources to be distributed fairly to every constituency and ward, regardless of which political party their elected representatives belong to.

"It is by law that national resources must be shared equitably in all constituencies and all wards of the country, regardless of what ticket you go to Parliament on," Nkombo said.

He warned politicians against telling voters that development depends on electing candidates from the ruling party.

"It is illegal for anyone to actually say that if you don't vote for your preferred candidate, your people are going to be denied development. It is a criminal thing. It should never, ever, be pronounced," he said.

Drawing on his experience as Minister of Local Government, Nkombo said he never witnessed constituencies receiving preferential treatment because of their political affiliation.

He said from the time the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) stood at K1.6 million to its current allocation of K40.6 million, every constituency received the same allocation under the law.

"There was no single advantage that Mazabuka took over Petauke Central, Kanchibiya or Kabwe. We all got exactly the same resources," he said.

Nkombo argued that democracy can only thrive when citizens are free to elect leaders of their choice without fear that their communities will be punished through the withholding of public resources.

He said the effectiveness of a Member of Parliament should instead be judged by their ability to advocate for development and represent the interests of their constituents.

The former minister, who is contesting the forthcoming parliamentary election as an independent candidate, said he remains committed to serving the people of Mazabuka despite no longer running on the UPND ticket.

"If the people give me the favour of being their representative, I shall listen to them, I shall speak for them, and I will indeed stand for them," he said.

During the same address, Nkombo also defended his vote on Constitution Amendment Bill No. 7, insisting that he voted in favour of the Bill in line with the UPND parliamentary caucus position. He further rejected allegations that he harboured presidential ambitions, saying his focus is solely on representing the people of Mazabuka in Parliament.

The parliamentary by-election campaign in Mazabuka has seen candidates from different political parties exchange accusations as they seek to win over voters ahead of polling day.