11/03/2026
Bakamba late
It's ironical to hear some opposition leaders warn voters against considering PF candidates in the August 2026 elections.
A couple of weeks ago, SP president Fred M'membe asked the people of Zambia to ask the PF what they (PF) did with power when they had it. He also reminded Zambians that PF got huge contracts from govt and ate alone (not withstanding that he himself benefited from contracts under the PF). A few days ago PEP president Sean Tembo charged that the PF was a bad governant and warned Zambians against voting them back. Then there was KBF denouncing his former PF colleagues. And so on and so far.
What has changed?
These are the same people who, not so long ago, were elbowing each other just to get close to the PF. When former president Edgar Lungu called on the opposition to rally behind him, they were falling over each other to get to him. In fact, Tembo came to a near punch with his CFP counterpart Harry Kalaba over access to and control of ECL.
They spent the last 4 years, going into 5, gaslighting the voters (as Americans would say) that they (voters) made a mistake to remove the PF. They repeatedly claimed that the voters were misled by Hakainde Hichilema's lies into removing the PF. Basically, implying that there was nothing wrong with the PF. In fact, one of them, John Sangwa, claimed that the people missed the PF govt.
They were doing all this to endear themselves to the PF base. They were hoping that ECL would anoint them for the 2006 elections. But was ECL that naive to facilitate some of them to become president considering some things that happened in the past?
Now that it appears that PF aligned aspirants have more traction than they do, they are reminding the people how bad these PF leaders were in govt.
But if the PF was to choose one of them to lead it into the August elections, they would again turn around and start praising the PF. Clearly, these are just insincere individuals who can do or say anything as long as it furthers and feathers their political aspirations. Integrity is key to leadership.
But this has been a lost opportunity for these non PF opposition. They lost an opportunity to present themselves to the Zambian people as credible alternatives with a clear cut from the PF while offering effective checks and balances to the UPND. To build an effective political movement takes time, handwork and patience. Politics, like anything else, is not a sprint but a marathon. But these ones do not have such time and patience. They want to see themselves in Statehouse yesterday. Hence the constant changing of positions we see in them.
Sadly for them, in as far as the 2026 elections are concerned, they are late. From the appearance of things, the most probable out come of these elections is President Hichilema winning comfortably. A PF aligned candidate is likely to be a distant second, followed by another PF aligned candidate.
In short, the same PF they have been propping up for 4 years, and now hastily trying to pull down, will perform better than them. Ichikupempula echikulya. Bakamba late!