GIANT KILLER OR JUST ANOTHER ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: THE CASE OF SOCIALIST PARTY
By GEORGE CHOMBA
In the aftermath of the Local Government by-elections held last Friday, 20th January, the politically charged may be forced to discuss the Socialist Party’s victory in two-folds: is the Socialist Party a giant killer in the making or simply an ‘elephant in the room’.
Those are two questions that come to mind when a ‘new kid on the block’ upsets old guards.
Just think of it. The UPND has been in existence for 25 years while Patriotic Front has a life-history of 22 years and it ruled Zambia for ten years before its defeat in 2021.
For those in the dark about the journey of this story, well, they are welcome to the ‘google map’ of politicking after an election.
The Socialist Party has beaten the UPND and the PF respectively to win one of the four ward by-elections which were on offer by the Electoral Commission of Zambia after the seats fell vacant either through resignations or death.
Kapanda ward in Lukashya Constituency, Kasama District was one of the four seats and Mr Ronald Mulenga won it for the Socialist Party.
The Kapanda victory is an addition to the five others won in the 12th August, 2021 general elections.
According to Electoral Commission of Zambia records, Mr Mulenga joins other Socialist Party councillors in the names of Bright Mukupa for Mwiche ward, Shiwang’andu constituency; Mumba Zulu for Katipa ward, Nyimba constituency; Kelvin Mwenda for Killeen ward, Mufumbwe constituency, Mike Musenge for Chifwenge ward, Chilubi constituency and Eddy Mwandu for Lukusashi ward, Muchinga constituency, Serenje district.
This means that out of 1,858 local government seats in Zambia, the Socialist Party has ‘bragging rights’ for six wards.
When a political party is being gifted seats in governance structures, especially at grass root level away from the general election, it raises the question whether political fortunes are changing.
The results of the four by-elections were announced on Saturday but probably because of the activities of the weekend, you know Chilanga Mulilo, the English Premier League and simply the ability to cool the throats, the breaking news overshadowed the performance of Dr Fred M’membe’s political party, formed in 2018.
But for the Socialist Party, the win by Mr Mulenga is a political statement which the ruling UPND and its predecessor can’t easily brush away and ignore.
The UPND and the PF should be scratching their heads whether in the Socialist Party, the giant killer is born.
However, if the Socialist Party victory in Kapanda is just an elephant in the room, then the incumbent and its predecessor, have nothing to worry about.
The outcome of the January 20 by-elections are a talk over a drink and soon the topic will be discussion of the past.
But the differences in the result margin should turn heads. Mr Mulenga scooped the Kapanda ward by obtaining 890 votes while the ruling UPND candidate Moses Kapambwe got 578 votes.
The former ruling party, Patriotic Front, came out third with 335 votes.
Herein ‘sleeps’ the question for the ruling UPND on what has gone wrong for the Socialist Party, to emerge winners amidst major Government projects?
When the UPND came into power in August 2021, its first national budget of 2022 was anchored on ‘honey and butter’.
The UPND extended the free education system to carter for Grade ones to 12s from the initial Grade One to Nine.
The Constituency Development Funds (CDF) which was only 1.6 million Kwacha received a boost to 25.7 million Kwacha, for community projects and school bursaries.
In fact, in the year of the by-election which is this year, and this January, the CDF is now 28.3 million kwacha.
Last year, President Hichilema’s administration employed 30,000 teachers and a further 11,200 government workers in the health sector and these have been posted to all provinces, districts and constituencies.
All these Government programmes and others, certainly must have had a feel good effect in the electorate in the four by-elections including Kapanda ward to make the ruling party look good for a victory dance.
But it appears the Socialist Party had a better message which could have drowned the UPND ‘praise singers’.
The result should also haunt the former ruling party, the Patriotic Front, which appears to have changed the slogan from ‘Amaka’ to ‘Alebwelelapo’.
The PF can’t hold the bragging right of being popular when a five year old political party can beat them in their ‘bedroom’ of Lukashya Constituency.
For the uninitiated, the Kapanda ward is in Lukashya Constituency where the Member of Parliament is George Chisanga who is Patriotic Front.
If Mr Chisanga can’t win a ward by-election in his own constituency, then he must be worried about his status and that of PF in 2026.
Some may argue that these were just local government elections, but think of it that the Socialist Party touched the hearts of the grassroots, away from the general election?
Indeed, what becomes of the PF assuming the Socialist Party is transforming into a giant killer?
Our mentors in this profession normally argue that one can’t fact check the future but a term of office is never everlasting and the question of whether the Socialist Party is becoming a giant killer or just an ‘elephant in the room” will soon be answered.
OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT RESULTS
NYATANDA WARD IN CHAVUMA DISTRICT
Kayombo Nyakasumbi (UPND) 413 votes
Newstead Chitale (PF) Five votes.
KASHIKISHI WARD IN NSAMA DISTRICT
Frederick Mulumbi (UPND) 246 votes
Aston Chansa (PF) 223 votes.
ITALA WARD IN LUNGA DISTRICT
Bornface Chalwe (PF) 483.
Caphas Mumba (UPND) 450 votes.