CHAWAMA BY-ELECTION OUTCOME PORTIPHER TEMBO WAS THE RIGHT FLAG BEARER FOR ME

The Chawama Constituency outcome raises many issues and should serve as a learning curve for the UPND government.

To begin with, there are many dynamics involved when dealing with places like Lusaka and the Copperbelt in our political history. Therefore, careful scrutiny in navigating these issues is fundamental.

There were many invisible hands that campaigned  for the FDD (including PF and the Multiple Alliance candidate).

After winning the 2021 general elections, has the UPND government built structures in places like Chawama where it lost? How much time has the party invested in building strong grassroots structures in this constituency?

Secondly, we have all noted that our Constituencies are often flooded by almost all government departments whenever the President visits, but the moment the President leaves, those people disappear.

Let me put it plainly: UPND performed extremely well when one considers the many underlying factors in such communities that some I cannot publicly talk about here. However, the party has not invested adequately in its structures to connect with the people. I have never seen anyone  talking about CDF in Chawama Constituency government sabotaged with impunity.If you look at the vote spread in Chawama Constituency, UPND actually had a better chance of scooping the seat without much difficulty. This was the same case in Petauke Central seat.

I have heard that Mr. Morgan Muunda has done a lot of community work, but there were technical issues that contributed to the final results. UPND initially adopted one candidate, and after some errors, that person was replaced, which is how Mr. Muunda came in. Politics is a perspective and perception. For a government in office with access to intelligence data, this was not a good public image. In the Chawama Constituency, many of us have long known Mr. Portipher Tembo. It is my belief that he was the right flag bearer for the UPND in such a crucial contest.

What does this mean for the UPND government and President Hakainde Hichilema? While it would be biased to use this single case to predict the outcome of the upcoming general elections at MP level in Lusaka, it is important and healthy that the party introspects and examines the reality on the ground and plans effectively.

Your Excellency, from my understanding of politics at different levels, the 2026 general elections will be different. They will be different in the sense that voters increasingly feel that everyone should be voted for based on what they have done for the people in their respective constituencies. This narrative should not be ignored, especially during adoption processes no matter how you love that particular candidate atleast listen to the voters as well.

If individuals and comedians  like Ichabaiche can walk away with over 400 votes in Chawama Constituency, that clearly shows a significant spectrum of what lies ahead. For those close to you, Mr. President, if they do not tell you this, then allow me to quote the strong narrative we are hearing from voters:

“We will vote for the President, but these others must prove why we should vote for them because they have been absentee, and the President has done his job.”

These are strong sentiments that should never be underestimated in modern politics especially here in Zambia where someone would prefer voting for a criminal than someone who brings sanity to the country. People have awakened in our political discourse. This is why, when PF advances mediocrity narratives, people increasingly dismiss them.

Mr. President, the 2026 election will be centred on the work one has done in a particular constituency. Be extra careful with candidate adoption processes across the country. Lusaka and the Copperbelt require serious groundwork. In some cases, you have bad representatives full of arrogance. Imagine a sitting MP telling voters, “You can keep your votes; they cannot even win UPND elections,” while at the same time you the  President is calling on everyone to vote for the government to ensure continued development. Such arrogance will result in mixed outcomes at MP going  down level in the coming general elections. The unfortunate thing is that these sentiments are coming from UPND strongholds like Southern province because some individuals believe that as long as the party gives them an adoption certificate then they will be safe and win at all cost.

With you, Mr. President, there are no issues so far, so good. But at lower levels, there will be casualties. I know many most returning aspirants have money to flash during adoption processes, but the reality on the ground will be very different. Pick your candidate’s wisely in 2026.

Sikaile C Sikaile
Sichifulo Constituency Aspiring MP

By Linda Banks

BREAKING: Doreen Sefuke Mwamba “Resigns” Chooses Grandchildren Over Gaslighting

#BanaBaabo-In what can only be described as a soft launch exit strategy, one of President Hakainde Hichilema’s closest Ministers, Doreen Sefuke Mwamba, has effectively thrown in the towel politely-publicly and with grandmotherly grace.

Speaking from “the ground” a place rumour has it ministers rarely visit without press crews, Mwamba has insinuated that she has repeatedly warned the President and fellow ministers that things are not well. Not the economy,not public sentiment, not the vibes, Just not well.

Her message is crystal clear,”I’m done. When Parliament dissolves in May 2026, don’t look for me. I’ll be busy playing with my grandchildren.”

A revolutionary concept in Zambian politics retiring without first denying deflecting or blaming PF.

For context, Mwamba is no stranger to the limelight. She famously starred unwillingly in that now legendary audio saga involving “12 missed calls” and the immortal phrase “Nakile nga pushi” alongside the ever controversial Chabinga. A moment that launched a thousand WhatsApp forwards and reminded the nation that politics too has bloopers.

The  Minister of Community Development, Mwamba says she has run her race. Translation she has seen enough heard enough and would like to live long enough to enjoy her pension.

Within party circles, the whispers are louder than a campaign rally generator. Insiders suggest that Mwamba is not alone,many allegedly wanted to quit after the unceremonious firing of Gary Nkombo. But fear is a powerful glue, fear of reprisals, fear of exposure. Fear that the anti corruption net might suddenly remember their names.

So for now they stay, Smiling, Clapping and Chanting forward.

While one minister has chosen playgrounds over podiums, others continue praise singing mu chileya (uncoordinated).

Is this resignation an act of conscience exhaustion or political self preservation? Who knows. But one thing is certain, when Ministers start choosing grandchildren over Cabinet, then just know that the message on the ground is louder than any State House briefing.

Jokes  aside,when insiders start quietly exiting it’s rarely because everything is going exceptionally well.

I SYMPATHIZE WITH BROTHER HH

Sir, running the country is not the same as running a company. President Donald J. Trump learnt this the hard way. In his first term, he appointed billionaire CEOs of big corporations and he thought that since they were successful they would bring success to the USA. Not all the rich get riches honestly and through hard work. This cost Trump a second term. In his current term, Trump has appointed people who are loyal to him and his vision. Look at how he is delivering on the promises. Don’t mind his actions against illegal immigrants, withdrawal from WHO, closure of USAID, etc because all these are part of what he promised.

I have not been president of Zambia before, but it took me one month as MP to discover how rigged the government system was and 3 years later I resigned and it was exactly 3 weeks before MPs and ministers were due for midterm gratuities. I resigned in protest and solidarity with the suffering masses who objected to huge gratuities.

President Levy Mwanawasa Z”L was also so frustrated in government that he quit as Vice President. When he had a miraculous chance to become president in the last minute, against all odds, he wisely used power to work for nobody, but for Zambians. With Peter Magande Z”L as Finance Minister, our country introduced the windfall tax on minerals, among other measures and money was circulating in the household economies. The New Deal Administration was very swift in parting company with non-performing ministers.

President Hakainde Hichilema must know that there are some people who only focus on eating in government. Therefore, the best he can do is to meritoriously appoint to key government positions people who are loyal to his party with a clear understanding of the party manifesto. He needs men and women who would like UPND to perform to the praise of Zambians as the only sure way to succeed. When Zambia succeeds we all succeed. The real faces of the UPND are not anywhere near the corridors of power. The people who helped the UPND to win the elections are now street vendors.

The real PF, forget about the eater Chabinga, are very shrewd and experienced politicians and they still have huge resources they  looted from government. The UPND in government let a lot of looters free in the first two years and they got entrenched. Any court cases against them are now viewed as political persecution. Why? The UPND went to sleep when it mattered most. If I were President, I would have handled the PF looters differently (I am not referring to ordinary PF members). My actions against them would have been swift and on day one! UPP gathered a lot of evidence under the #BringBackOurMoney! anti corruption crusade.

A CEO of a company is satisfied when managers present reports of the targets that have been met like growth in market share. This is not necessarily the case with state management. As a young MP, I was very close to President FTJ Chiluba Z”L, who at the time was going through trial. I saw what he went through firsthand and sometimes I gave him money for food (ask Emmanuel Mwamba) – all his accounts were seized. I learned a lot from him, especially on what not to do as President. He said that the President must call people on the ground to verify intelligence reports on his table. He hinted that as President, he would call people from the wards to get the real issues on the ground.

Mr. President, don’t measure your success by how the international community praises you or by macro-economic indicators only. Measure your success by trickle down effects – household economies. Families are not balancing the budgets, the purchasing power of the kwacha has decreased, money is not circulating in Main Street, small businesses are struggling, unemployment is rising, the cost of food is rising, rentals are rising, taxes are high, etc.

The dynamics on the ground have changed. Bye elections are not measures of strength. In 2006, PF appeared insignificant, but results spoke for themselves and the UPND was displaced as the biggest opposition party then.

Saviour Chishimba
President
UPP

CHAWAMA LOSS BEGINNING OF UPND’S END – NJOBVU

PRESIDENT of the Democratic Union, Ackim Antony Njobvu says the loss in the Chawama parliamentary by-election is the beginning of UPND’s end, saying the ruling party should wisely use the remaining months preparing its exit from government.

Bright Nundwe of the Forum for Democracy and Development has won the Chawama parliamentary by-election, securing 8,085 votes. His closest competitor, Morgan Muunda of the United Party for National Development (UPND), received 6,542 votes.

Other candidates who participated in the election include Davison K. Mulenga of Citizens First (CF) with 1,534 votes, George Mwenya (Independent) with 466 votes, and Elijah Siatwaambo (Independent) with 428 votes.

Commenting on the election outcome, Njobvu says the UPND should look at the Chawama loss as a warning.

The opposition leader says the biggest opposition President Hakainde Hichilema’s government faces in the 2026 election are Zambians as a people.

This is contrary to UPND’s consistent claims that there is no opposition worthy challenging the party and HH in this year’s general elections.

“As the Democratic Union, we extend our congratulations to the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD), Mr Bright Nundwe and Tonse Alliance for emerging victorious in the Chawama Constituency parliamentary by-election after a tightly contested race and comfortable defeat against evil actions and inhumane treatment of Hon. Tasila Lungu,” he said.

Njobvu also thanked the people of Chawama and the Zambia Police for maintaining peace during the period of election.

He however condemned the attack on Chrispin Chiinda, a Nundwe sympathizer and Munali parliamentary hopeful.

“Ba UPND, imisowa has started. The great opposition the people of Zambia have spoken. Like I have said before, use the remaining months to exit as Zambians usher in a Democratic Union government,” he added.

The Chawama by-election was triggered by the prolonged absence of former MP Tasila Lungu, who had been mourning the death of her father, former President Edgar Lungu.

Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti declared the seat vacant, citing Article 72(2)(c) of the Constitution of Zambia, after Lungu failed to attend parliamentary sessions for over six months.

The Constitutional Court rejected an attempt to block the by-election, paving the way for the poll to take place on January 15, 2026.

Nine candidates contested the seat, with Bright Nundwe of the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) emerging victorious.

Muvi TV

OPPOSITION PARTIES WANT PF STRUCTURES – NYIRENDA

LUNDAZI PF MP Brenda Nyirenda says it’s every opposition’s wish to take over PF structures.

Meanwhile, Chama North PF MP Yotam Mtayachalo says he is confident that a solution to the party wrangles will soon be found.

On Monday, Citizens First president Harry Kalaba invited PF members to join his party, stressing that he would reach out to them in good faith and focus on removing President Hakainde Hichilema.

Commenting on this in an interview, Wednesday, Nyirenda said it was normal for Kalaba to ask members of the PF to join his party because they assume that the PF issues might not be resolved.

“It’s everyone’s wish, everyone in opposition [wants] to have the PF structures moved to them, that is why he is openly asking. Maybe they feel that maybe our issues are not being resolved, it’s very normal with what he is doing, just like the UPND is picking every Jim and Jack including those they called thugs. You saw the defection of Innocent Kalimanshi. So, politics is about numbers. What Harry [Kalaba] is saying is okay. And its normal for every opposition, if the ruling party can get to desperate levels where they are picking what they used to consider as violent, what would let opposition parties not to request for that? So, it’s normal in a democratic space where presidents are always asking for others to join them, it’s very normal. Just like there are members who are joining the UPND, there should be some members who are going to join him as well, it depends on how he crafts the message,” said Nyirenda.

“It’s very normal because in Zambia we don’t have those who are democrats and those who are liberals. So, its movement every time there is an election, you see escapades of people moving because we don’t have permanent seats to say okay, I’m a democrat or maybe a liberal. So, it’s normal in Zambia”.

Meanwhile, Mtayachalo noted that despite the Tonse Alliance doing away with the Given Lubinda camp, the Edgar Lungu Movement remained an opportunity that PF members could take advantage of.

“I think he has got a right to do that but the PF members also have the right to analyse such calls. I feel the aspirations of us members of the Patriotic Front, yes, I know that we have this confusion in the PF but I’m confident that a solution is going to be found very soon. If the leadership of the party continue to use the same trajectory, expelling members, suspending members, then definitely the members will think twice and decide the way forward. Because any organisation for it to grow, it needs a membership and now when the leadership is very intolerant, a leadership which every time is firing people, expelling people from the party. One wonders how such a leadership can be entrusted with national leadership, because as a national leader, you have to exercise a lot of tolerance and accommodate divergent views. But if you can’t accommodate divergent views in the opposition, then I don’t think such kind of leadership can be supported. So, for us we are not worried with what is happening, a solution will be found,” said Mtayachalo.

“We are in the Tonse Alliance on the Edgar Lungu Movement, we are going to the general conference and elect the alliance torch bearer. So, those who want to expel members from PF, if they are right, they will remain with no members. We are not worried with what is happening in PF because we have a plan B and Plan B is Tonse Alliance. We don’t own membership of the Patriotic Front; members are free to analyse these political groupings and join the party of their choice but at the moment, we have an opportunity. There is a wind of opportunity in the Tonse Alliance. Yes, the Tonse Alliance have done away with the Lubinda camp, but we have the Edgar Lungu Movement which PF members can take advantage [of] and jump on board”.

News Diggers

By Kellys Kaunda

THE MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS OF THE CHAWAMA BYELECTION OUTCOME

In Zambia, one thing is clear: no matter how fractious the relations might be between the ruling party and the opposition, the voter has the final say.

It does not matter who heads and administers the Electoral Commission of Zambia, the voter holds the final word.

Money and names (popularity of candidate and the political status of the participating parties) may be important in elections but the master still remains the voter.

Sponsoring parties and candidates will campaign in all sorts of ways: hold rallies, driving around while blasting music, flaunt party regalia, feed members of the campaign teams, and much more.

But still it is the voter that passes the final verdict.

Lesson? Get to know the voter. In this case, who was their previous MP? How did he or she perform?

What was their relationship with him or her?

What are likely to be the factors or issues upon which the election might be decided?

The quality and degree of engagement one has with ordinary residents of a given area will matter in ascertaining their correct political mood.

In the past four years, I have interacted more intimately with residents of densely populated areas such as Kalingalinga, Mtendere and Chawama.

I have concluded that decision-makers are far removed from the field of battle to know the most appropriate strategies to deploy; candidates to field; the level of resources to apply, and the message to share.

What they do instead is more of a gamble and guesswork than intelligent calculations.

WE ARE HAPPY WITH THE PEACE THAT PREVAILED IN CHAWAMA, BUT VOTER TURN OUT WAS LOW – AVAP

THE Anti-Voter Apathy Project Executive Director, Richwell Mulwani, has expressed concern over the low voter turnout recorded in the Chawama Parliamentary by-election.

Mr. Mulwani said the poor turnout highlights the urgent need to intensify mass voter education and deliberately address issues contributing to voter apathy as the country heads toward the general elections.

Speaking in an interview with RCV News in Lusaka today, Mr. Mulwani described the turnout as “not impressive,” noting that there is a need for stakeholders to reflect on how best citizens can be encouraged to actively participate in the electoral process.

“It was also observed with concern that young people did not turn out to vote in the numbers expected, despite being a key demographic in shaping the country’s democratic future,” said Mr. Mulwani.

About 18,000 voters casting their ballots out of more than 92,000 registered voters, a trend consistent with recent by-elections across the country.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mulwani has commended all political parties that participated in the Chawama by-election, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) for conducting what he described as a credible electoral process, and other stakeholders who played a role in ensuring the smooth conduct of the polls.

RCV

BREAKING: MUSEVENI STORMS AHEAD AS BOBI WINE CRIES FOUL 

President Yoweri Museveni has surged into a commanding lead with 76.25% of the vote (3.9 million ballots), while opposition star Bobi Wine trails on 19.85% (1.3 million votes), according to figures released Friday morning by Uganda’s Electoral Commission.

With results in from 45% of polling stations, the early tally points to another dominant showing for the long-serving leader but the vote is already mired in controversy.

The announcement comes amid explosive allegations of widespread rigging, as well as claims of harassment, intimidation and crackdowns on the opposition, blamed on the ruling party. Bobi Wine’s camp has accused authorities of silencing dissent as tensions rise across the country.

As counting continues, Uganda braces for a volatile political showdown, with supporters on edge and the legitimacy of the election under intense scrutiny.

 ANALYSIS | Chawama By-Election: What the Numbers Say About Unity, Grief Politics, and a Changing Battlefield

The Chawama parliamentary by-election outcome offers a rare, data-rich snapshot of Zambia’s opposition politics at a moment of transition. The result was narrow but decisive. Forum for Democracy and Development candidate Bright Nundwe polled 8,085 votes, edging United Party for National Development’s Morgan Muunda who secured 6,542 votes. Beyond the headline, the numbers tell a deeper political story.

First, the arithmetic is impossible to ignore. When opposition votes are aggregated across parties aligned or sympathetic to the Tonse axis and the former Patriotic Front base, the combined tally significantly outpaces UPND. Citizens First alone secured 1,534 votes, while smaller parties and independents added several hundred more. In raw electoral terms, fragmentation nearly cost the opposition a larger margin. Unity did not just help. It proved decisive.

Second, Chawama remains structurally and emotionally shaped by its history as a Patriotic Front stronghold. This is not simply a matter of party colours. It is about memory, identity, and loyalty. Edgar Chagwa Lungu lived here. He built his political base here. His death and the unresolved burial have turned Chawama into a symbolic constituency. Campaign messaging from PF-aligned actors and Tonse Alliance surrogates leaned heavily into this grief narrative, framing the by-election as a referendum on respect, dignity, and legacy rather than policy delivery.

This messaging worked.

The Tonse Alliance and PF-backed campaign succeeded in converting emotional continuity into electoral mobilisation. In a low-turnout by-election, emotional intensity matters. The rains on Friday early morning hours may have emptied the streets, but the result had already been sealed hours earlier by voters who were motivated less by future promises and more by unfinished mourning.

Third, UPND’s performance should not be misread as a collapse. On the contrary, 6,542 votes in Chawama represents a substantial advance for a party that historically struggled in PF urban bastions. The ruling party ran a disciplined campaign, enjoyed visible defections, and maintained organisational superiority. It closed the gap in a constituency once considered unreachable. That is not a loss without lessons.

UPND is slowly converting state performance, social protection messaging, and incumbency into urban traction. But Chawama shows the limit of technocratic governance when confronted with identity-driven politics. Development statistics struggled against grief symbolism. Social cash transfer figures struggled against memory.

Fourth, the by-election reinforces a broader opposition lesson ahead of 2026. Disunity is expensive. Had Citizens First and smaller parties coordinated formally with FDD, the victory margin would have been wider and the narrative clearer. Instead, the opposition won despite itself. The result strengthens the argument that a united opposition front is not just strategic but necessary.

Finally, Chawama confirms that PF’s electoral relevance has shifted from organisational strength to symbolic capital. The party machinery is weakened. Legal authority is fragmented. But the Lungu name, story, and unresolved burial remain potent political assets. As long as that chapter remains open, PF-aligned messaging will continue to resonate in constituencies like Chawama.

Summarily, Chawama was not just a by-election. It was a stress test. Unity passed. Fragmentation failed. Grief mobilised. And UPND learned that closing the gap is not the same as crossing the line.

The 2026 race will reward those who understand all four truths.

© The People’s Brief | Editors

Kafula Gregory Mofu writes::::

Chawama Has Given Life to Given

Chawama did not just vote in a by-election. It made a political revival for the PF Presidential Campaig. What unfolded in the township was not simply about replacing a Member of Parliament but about memory, loyalty and the unresolved struggles within opposition politics.

For many, the election became a moment to honour the legacy of the late Edgar Chagwa Lungu, Zambia’s sixth Republican President and a son of Chawama. Until recently, the constituency was represented by his daughter. Her seat was nullified after her prolonged absence from Parliament, as she mourned her father in South Africa while a court battle raged over where he should be laid to rest. By the time Chawama went to the polls, emotions were already high.

At the same time, the Patriotic Front (PF), the party Edgar Lungu once led, entered the by-election deeply divided. Two factions continue to battle for control: one led by former Kabwata Member of Parliament Hon. Given Lubinda and the other by Mafinga MP Hon. Robert Chabinga. Until recently, Lubinda’s faction was part of the Tonse Alliance. However, because of internal wrangles in the PF, the Tonse Alliance opted to use the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) as a Special Purpose Vehicle, which is how its candidate, former Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary Bright Nundwe, stood on the FDD ticket for this by-election.

As Lubinda’s faction pushes toward a convention to elect a substantive party president, pressure has been mounting. Several senior figures have either fallen out or failed in their leadership ambitions. These include Hon. Miles Sampa, Hon. Chitalu Chilufya, Hon. Greymond Monde, Hon. Brian Mundubile, Hon. Chishimba Kambwili, and Hon. Lubinda himself, among others.

The Chawama by-election became personal for Lubinda who led the campaign. Calls grew louder for Lubinda to resign as Acting President, with critics accusing him of failing to mobilise the party after Edgar Lungu’s death. Over a week ago, Hon. Lubinda and his faction were expelled from the Tonse Alliance due to those PF disputes In a moment that captured the confusion within PF ranks, a named party youth even called a press briefing demanding Lubinda’s resignation.

Notably, apart from Lubinda, Kambwili, and Sampa, none of the PF presidential hopefuls actively campaigned in Chawama. Whether deliberate or a result of sidelining, their absence spoke volumes.
In the end, the result was more than a win on paper. It was symbolic.

It spoke to the enduring influence of Edgar Lungu’s legacy, the need for relevance within the opposition and most importantly, it breathed new life into Hon. Given Lubinda’s quest to lead the Patriotic Front.

The named PF Youth who had called for Lubinda to resign was in the earlier hours since getting selfies with him whilst congratulating him.

Chawama did not just choose a Member of Parliament. It reshaped a political contest. And in doing so, it gave life to Given.