K180 mealie meal, 500, 000 Jobs, Socialist Party drops 5-year rescue plan
THE Socialist Party and People’s Party have unveiled their joint 2026–2031 manifesto, pitching a five year people-first rescue plan built on jobs, cheaper food, and energy independence.
Party Secretary General Dr Cosmas Musumali, delivered the policy highlights to the media, framing the alliance’s bid as the only plan that puts the Zambian household first.
Speaking when he unveiled the party’s manifesto ahead of the August 13 general election, Dr Musumali said job creation is a priority for Socialist Party as they target over 500,000 new jobs by the year 2031.
“We will create 500,000 new jobs in the next five years and we will do this through three main sectors which is agriculture, mining, and housing,” he said.
Dr Musumali argued that agriculture will drive employment through irrigation schemes and local agro-processing.
He also said mining jobs will come from forcing value addition instead of exporting raw ore.
Dr Musumali added that housing will absorb youth labour through a mass low-cost construction drive.
“We will make sure that a 25kg bag of mealie meal will be at K180 and the government will be monitoring from day one the milling costs, the transport costs, and the retail margins,” he added
To cut kitchen costs further, the alliance promised to remove tax from cooking oil.
“We will remove the tax from cooking oil so that the price of cooking oil comes down,” he said.
Further, Dr Musumali said no school, no hospital will run without Solar energy.
“From day one, no school can run without emergency solar power and no hospital can run without emergency solar power. We will make sure that every school has emergency solar panels installed and every hospital has emergency solar panels installed,” Dr Musumali said.
Dr Musumali stated that the plan positions solar as the emergency bridge while longer-term generation capacity is built.
He insisted that the installations would start immediately once they are elected.
The Socialist Party leader said agriculture is framed as the jobs engine, with promises of free inputs, irrigation, and storage to achieve food self-sufficiency.
He stated that the partnership between Socialist president Fred M’membe and running mate Dolika Banda is the party’s bet to bridge conviction and credibility.
M’membe, backed by the People’s Pact alliance, was formally announced as the alliance’s flag bearer with five vice-presidents including Bob Sichinga and Peter Sinkamba.
The SP ticket had its nominations validated by ECZ on May 20, 2026 and a Constitutional Court petition challenging Banda’s Grade 12 equivalency was dismissed days later.
Dr Musumali reaffirmed the party’s commitment to dismantle barriers limiting women’s political participation, calling the 2026 elections a critical test of Zambia’s commitment to gender equality.
By Sanfrossa Mberi
Kalemba June 25, 2026