Running elections is too expensive for Socialist Party, says M’membe
Socialist Party president Dr Fred M’membe says the high cost of contesting elections has become one of the biggest obstacles facing smaller political parties, arguing that money now plays a decisive role in determining electoral outcomes.
Lusaka, 1 August – Speaking during an interview on South Africa’s *The Red Mic* podcast on Thursday, Dr M’membe said the Socialist Party lacks the financial resources needed to compete with larger political parties, describing elections as increasingly expensive and heavily influenced by wealth.
He said Zambia’s vast geographical size, poor road infrastructure and dispersed rural communities make campaigning costly, requiring significant spending on transport, fuel, campaign materials and logistics.
“Running an election requires huge amounts of money which a small, poor Socialist Party like ours does not have,” Dr M’membe said.
He argued that while his party channels its limited resources into community development, some political players spend heavily on campaigns and vote-buying to secure electoral victories.
“The popularity that we may enjoy is organic; it is not engineered,” he said. “Others spend money to buy votes, but we spend it on the people and ask them to vote for us.”
Despite the financial challenges, Dr M’membe said the party remains committed to improving the lives of ordinary Zambians, insisting that serving people takes precedence over ideology.
He said the Socialist Party had invested in education, healthcare and agriculture even while outside government, claiming it had helped train more than 5,000 previously illiterate men and women, over 30 medical doctors, several nurses and graduates in economic policy management over the past five to six years.
“The most important thing for us is not even our ideology; the most important thing is people,” he said. “Our ideology is simply a tool to help improve people’s lives.”
Dr M’membe also expressed concern over what he described as Zambia’s diminishing economic sovereignty, arguing that foreign-owned corporations dominate key sectors of the economy.
He claimed that foreign investors, including companies from Europe, the United States and China, control much of Zambia’s economy, while local ownership remains limited.
According to Dr M’membe, only about two percent of assets in Zambia’s banking sector are entirely Zambian-owned, while Zambians own only a small share of the wider financial sector.
He said meaningful political independence could only be achieved if Zambia regained control of its economy.
“If you don’t control your economy, what country are you running?” Dr M’membe asked, arguing that economic independence is essential for governments to make decisions that genuinely serve the interests of their citizens.
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Newspaper liar has had a test of his own medicine thought he would go matching to state house now reality setting in. Fred you brought down unip using the post, you tore apart mmd with the post and after conceived a status of i can do anything wrong, this is reality brother, you can talk ill of other but that does not give a clean ticket to your desires. This might be the last time, your body, your energy, your pocket may permit your much clap for stupidity to continue. Even the communist are not there physically in China, Russia and Cuba take a leaf enjoy the unremitted napsa money, invaded tax money and liquidated zambian airways funds you defrauded. I bet its enough to keep you going with been in politics.
yachinja futi, was this man recently not crying about rallies? This is Rally Season, Exsey, other Political Parties are busy campaigning (bali nuu) but him he is busy winging and scratching his bold head. Go campaign, Sir, perpetually complaining about foreign corporations owning our resources is mere rhetoric, we all know that, what stops us from owning our resources, therein lies the answer not always “stating the obvious”, even Kindergarten child knows that?
Fred’s Psyche is that of either complaining against “all and sundry” or scathing others, especially his Nemesis HH
Fred, welcome to the real world. ‘No sweet without sweat’
The Latin American source of campaign money has dried up with the illegal removal of Eduardo Maduro in Venezuela from power by Trump. I can understand because election campaigns are expensive and every serious politician needs well-rescourced allies.
This is the man who was claiming that he has been refused permits by the police to hold rallies 39 times. Well, it is rally season and your friends are having a field day rallying.
Knowing Dr. M’membe he will wait until the campaign/rally window closes and then he will start agitating to hold rallies out of season. We want to focus on developing our country after the elections, not politicking.
So much for Dr. M’membe’s complaints about the “shrinking” democratic space.
Well spoken all of you gentlemen.
It is interesting to note that M’membe has now conceded to the fact that elections are not won by sitting comfortably behind a mic in an unspecified location uttering negative narratives about other competitors. Bwana M’membe, visibility on the ground is an essential recipe in any electoral outcome. Hit the ground now, you have time on your hands. The time is ripe now. Don’t waste the calendar time allotted to you by the ECZ.