Makebi Zulu’s pledge to resurrect Edgar Lungu era rejected
… citizens cite fears of economic ruin and a return to political thuggery
By DAVID KANDUZA
A FIERCE political firestorm has ignited across Zambia following controversial statements made by the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) vice-presidential candidate, Makebi Zulu.
Addressing a campaign crowd during a tour of the Copperbelt, Mr Zulu explicitly promised voters that an NRPUP victory in the August 13 general elections would return them to the lifestyle they experienced under the former Patriotic Front (PF) administration of Edgar Lungu.
The announcement had triggered widespread pushback from ordinary citizens, civil society groups, and political analysts.
Many view the statement as an open admission that the opposition plans to revive an era heavily associated with staggering national debt, economic distress, and violent cadreism.
Chrisantos Sawa posted on a Facebook page saying: “People used to be beaten during President Edgah Lungu’s era. The Cadres had powers over stations who would like that to come back.”
The uproar began during joint campaign rallies held in Chililabombwe and Chingola, where Mr Zulu spoke alongside NRPUP presidential candidate Brian Mundubile.
Vowing to reverse the policies of the ruling UPND, Mr Zulu boldly declared that under their government, citizens would “go back to living like they did under former president Edgar Lungu”.
Noel Angel commented: “The funniest part is that some people probably leave a Mundubile rally more confused than when they arrived. By the time he’s done speaking, they are like ‘Wait… did that speech convince us or confuse us?’ Maybe let’s go and think about this again before we vote so far he has lost almost 45 per cent of supporters after his rally.”
Mr Zulu, who previously assumed leadership of a major PF faction before aligning with Mundubile, intended the message as an appeal to voters hit hard by current high living costs.
“When HH says they are the same people ‘ningwena’ they get upset but ‘futi’ they are saying that they will rule like lungu,” Henry Mutati wrote.
However, the strategy appears to have backfired severely. Instead of offering a forward-looking economic manifesto, critics argue that the alliance is merely repackaging the discredited policies of the previous regime.
Moses Sakaundu in his posting noted that: “These were trained by lungu so even when we say things were bad going to the worst they didn’t see that, for them going back to those systems is okay.”
Reaction to Zulu’s speech from ordinary Zambians on social platforms and local call-in radio stations has been overwhelmingly hostile:
Fears of Political Violence: Many citizens quickly recalled the notorious PF “cadreism,” where party thugs dominated markets and bus stations, extorting traders and assaulting political opponents.
Critics highlighted that the Lungu administration plunged Zambia into a historic default on its sovereign debt, triggering massive inflation and a collapse of the local currency.
Micheal Chandaila wrote: “They don’t have any plans to govern this country what they want is to come and eat our reserve continue with cadresim attacking those they hate they have regrouped for the purpose just look at the whole team nicely none can say this is wrong they behave like philistines in the Bible.”
Some voters expressed deep disappointment that the opposition’s primary message relies on nostalgia for a rejected past rather than tangible solutions for the future.
“We have not forgotten what happened before 2021,” noted Muza Mwansa, a local market trader in Kitwe.
“To hear a leader openly say they want to take us back to those times is terrifying. We want progress, not a u-turn to chaos,” Mr Mwansa said.