🇿🇲 BRIEFING | Sinkamba Says UPND Has Shifted from Denial to Crowd Anxiety
Green Party president Peter Sinkamba says the ruling UPND has moved from dismissing the opposition to becoming increasingly concerned about the turnout at recent campaign rallies, arguing that the political conversation has shifted following large opposition gatherings in parts of the country.
Speaking to Kalemba, Sinkamba claimed the ruling party initially downplayed the opposition’s presence but changed its approach after the Tonse Alliance attracted sizeable crowds at KPF Grounds in Kitwe.
“After opposition parties filled KPF with people who came on their own, UPND shifted strategy and started talking about the battle of crowds instead of dismissing rivals,” he said.
Sinkamba further alleged that the UPND responded by mobilising supporters from across the Copperbelt for its candidate launch at Changanamai Grounds in Kitwe.
He claimed the ruling party had deliberately sought to match the opposition’s public show of strength, although the UPND has maintained that its gatherings reflect its own mobilisation efforts.
Despite his criticism, Sinkamba cautioned against reducing the election campaign to a contest of crowd sizes. “We do not care about the crowds. What we care about is what is supposed to be done because elections are not won by headcount at rallies, but by service delivery,” he said.
His remarks come as both the ruling party and the opposition intensify nationwide campaigns ahead of the August 13 general election, with increasingly large rallies becoming an early feature of Zambia’s electoral landscape.
While crowd sizes continue to dominate social media debate, analysts note that elections are ultimately determined by votes cast on polling day rather than attendance at campaign events.
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