Chawama’s Quiet Campaign: Normal Politics on Display

🇿🇲 VIEWPOINT | Chawama’s Quiet Campaign: Normal Politics on Display

For a constituency long associated with high-stakes political competition, Chawama is offering a picture that has been rare in Zambia’s by-election history. Campaigns ahead of the January 15, 2026 poll have unfolded with restraint, tolerance, and an absence of the violence that once defined such contests

The calm has drawn attention from governance watchdogs, including the Advocates for National Development and Democracy (ANDD), who say the atmosphere reflects a maturing political culture.

“The calm we are witnessing in Chawama shows that elections can be conducted without violence, intimidation or hostility, even where political competition is intense,” ANDD executive director Samuel Banda said.

This assessment matters because by-elections in Zambia have historically carried reputational baggage. Under previous administrations, particularly during the Patriotic Front era, campaigns were often marred by clashes, intimidation, and visible cadre activity. Chawama itself has not been immune to that past.

What is unfolding now stands in contrast.

ANDD observed that supporters from rival political parties have, so far, exercised restraint, with rallies and door-to-door campaigns proceeding without reported incidents of physical confrontation.

“The political maturity being demonstrated by leaders and residents in Chawama is encouraging,” Banda said, adding that tolerance had prevailed “above insults and fights.”

This relative calm has inevitably revived debate about the broader political environment under the current regime. While criticism persists over the application of the Public Order Act in other parts of the country, election periods have consistently seen expanded political space.

Campaigns proceed, rallies are held, and the police presence has remained visible but non-intrusive.

ANDD urged that balance to be maintained.
“We are appealing to political parties and their campaign teams to sustain this spirit of peace as the by-election continues,” Banda said.

The organisation also directed its call to institutions tasked with safeguarding electoral credibility.

“We encourage the Electoral Commission of Zambia to remain firm, fair and professional in managing this by-election so that a level playing field is guaranteed for all contestants,” he said.

On policing, ANDD stressed neutrality.
“The Zambia Police Service must continue providing security in a professional and impartial manner, without favouring any political grouping,” Banda said.

Chawama goes to the polls following the declaration of a vacancy by Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti on November 28, 2025, under Article 72(2)(c) of the Constitution. The seat fell vacant after former MP Tasila Lungu stayed away from the constituency for an extended period, leaving residents without parliamentary representation.

The context is important. By-elections often expose the true temperature of national politics. They test whether tolerance is situational or structural. They also reveal whether peace is enforced by circumstance or sustained by intent.

So far, Chawama is offering a different script. It is not a declaration of perfection. Complaints around policing, political access, and uneven power dynamics have not disappeared nationally.

But the absence of violence in this contest shows that peaceful competition is possible, even in densely populated and politically charged urban constituencies. For a country preparing for a general election cycle, that lesson is important.

Chawama is not just voting for a Member of Parliament. It is quietly answering a larger question about whether Zambia can compete politically without tearing itself apart.

So far, the answer is yes.

The People’s Briefef | Ollus R. Ndomu