Silence, Sympathy, and Strategy: UPND Accused of Costly Complacency as Opposition Seizes Lungu Narrative

Silence, Sympathy, and Strategy: UPND Accused of Costly Complacency as Opposition Seizes Lungu Narrative

While some of us have consistently warned against any hint of complacency within the UPND ahead of the August elections—and a few voices within the party have echoed that caution—the reality on the ground tells a very different story. Complacency is not just present; it is pervasive. You can feel it, you can see it, and unmistakably, you can sense the growing belief within the party that victory is already secured.

Nothing illustrates this more clearly than the unfolding controversy surrounding the alleged “missing” of the former president’s body in South Africa. It has now been three, going on four days, and the silence from both the party and the government spokesperson—who also doubles as the party’s voice—is deafening. Yes, the Attorney General issued a statement clarifying that the body was not stolen but lawfully retrieved following the lapse of the Lungu family’s court appeal. But in today’s hyper-charged social media environment, that is nowhere near enough.

The opposition has seized the narrative and is running with it—relentlessly. They are flooding the information space with claims, distortions, and outright lies, amplified even by the family spokesperson, who is also a political opponent. And yet, there has been virtually no counter from the ruling side. No aggressive rebuttal. No visible effort to reclaim the narrative. It is, effectively, a surrender of the public discourse.

If this is not complacency, then what is?

This is an election year. Narratives matter. Perceptions matter. And this particular issue carries the dangerous potential to generate a powerful sympathy vote tied to the death of a former president. The opposition understands this perfectly—and is exploiting it.

Their message is simple and emotionally charged: that the government is heartless, that it “stole” the former president’s body without the knowledge or presence of the family. Whether true or not is almost irrelevant at this stage—because that is the story gaining traction. And in the absence of a strong rebuttal, silence is being interpreted as guilt.

Predictably, the opposition is not highlighting their own missteps—such as the reckless failure to file appeal documents on time, which caused the case to lapse. Instead, they are crafting a narrative that portrays the government as having always intended to seize control of the body, allegedly bullying its way into the mortuary to get what it wanted.

This is a political battle, not a procedural one. Treating it as a routine administrative matter—left only to technocrats like the Secretary to the Cabinet or Permanent Secretaries—is a strategic miscalculation. These are not political actors, yet the issue itself has become deeply politicized.

Meanwhile, the opposition is fully engaged—weaponizing the situation through propaganda and emotional appeal. And you cannot afford to sit back while that happens.

There should have been an immediate, forceful response—a press conference led by political leadership, clearly addressing the facts and dismantling the lies. From there, party structures and supporters on the ground and online would have amplified that message, pushing back decisively.

At this point, the death of the former president is no longer just a national matter—it is a political flashpoint. And failing to confront it head-on is not neutrality; it is vulnerability.

The government spokesperson and the UPND Media Director should have already stepped forward. The window to control the narrative is closing fast.

Complacency at a moment like this is not just risky—it is potentially costly.
Mark Simuuwe UPND UPND Zambia Ministry of Information and Media – Zambia Thabo Kawana State House – Zambia Hakainde Hichilema Hon. Elvis Nkandu, MP