MWILA SAYS OPPOSITION RISKS BEING OVERTAKEN AS POLITICAL CLIMATE SHIFTS
Aspiring Lusaka Mayor Simon Mulenga Mwila has warned that the opposition risks being overtaken by events if it fails to adapt to a changing political and economic environment, arguing that time is no longer on its side.
Mr. Mwila observed that while opposition parties continued to be consumed by internal divisions, President Hakainde Hichilema had “managed to change the tone of the national conversation,” pointing to improvements in power supply and a strengthening Kwacha as key developments.
He said, “Load shedding, once a daily source of anger and political mobilisation, has been largely stabilised,” adding that “the lights are back in many homes and businesses.”
He noted that these developments were significant because, in his view, “politics is not won on press statements alone, it is won on lived reality.”
Mr. Mwila explained that as electricity supply improved and economic indicators showed signs of stability, “excuses shrink and expectations rise,” placing new pressure on the opposition to respond with seriousness.
However, he criticised the continued political theatrics, citing events at the Cathedral following the summoning of Archbishop Alick Banda by the Drug Enforcement Commission.
Mr. Mwila said that although the public display by politicians appeared dignified, “many Zambians saw it for what it was: an opportunity to score political mileage disguised as solidarity.”
He added that “the smiles looked rehearsed and the hugs felt strategic.”
Mr. Mwila further argued that the public gestures masked deep divisions among opposition leaders, noting that “the egos remain intact, the mistrust remains unresolved, and the exaggerated belief in individual political muscle remains unchecked.”
He stressed that the public was aware of these contradictions, saying, “And the public knows it.”
Calling for genuine change, Mr. Mwila said he wished the unity displayed in public could be real, stating that opposition leaders needed to accept “a simple truth: there can only be one President at a time.”
He added that leadership required “patience, compromise, and sometimes the courage to support another rather than sabotage them.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Mwila warned that Zambians were “tired of unity that lasts only as long as the cameras are rolling,” and cautioned that if opposition leaders failed to turn “fake smiles into genuine unity,” they risked being overtaken by events.
He emphasised that “time does not wait,” adding that voters were closely watching developments on the political stage.
SE