SOCIALIST PARTY KEY POLICY COMMITMENTS IN OUR MANIFESTO
With a Socialist Party led government, it will not be the “politics as usual” and Zambians will certainly have better political leadership.
The Socialist Party emphasises moral conviction, people-centered governance, and specific policy commitments to social welfare and economic sovereignty. The Socialist Party led government will focus on tangible improvements in citizens’ daily lives.
The key components of the SocialistParty led government will be:
Core Principles of Leadership:
Integrity and Discipline: The SP leadership stresses the need for leaders who act with integrity, speak with conviction, and serve with discipline rather than for personal or foreign interests.
People-Centered Governance: The party promotes the idea that “while leaders may guide, it is ultimately the people who govern,” advocating for increased citizen participation in decision-making at every level of society.
Moral Grounding: The party aims to build a movement based on unwavering moral conviction and “fraternal love,” aiming to give people a happier life both materially and spiritually.
Key Policy Commitments
The party’s promises of better leadership are tied directly to its manifesto, which includes specific, costed policy pledges:
Universal Healthcare: The party promises a socialized health system offering free services and expanding primary and mental healthcare with 20% of the national budget allocated to this sector.
Quality Education: The SP advocates for free, quality education from primary to university, with free uniforms, books, and meals for primary and secondary students. It aims to allocate 25% of the national budget to education to build a skilled workforce.
Economic Sovereignty: The party’s platform is based on the belief that national resources should serve the people, not a small group of profiteers. This includes reclaiming control of the mining industry and other strategic sectors from foreign interests to invest internally.
Agricultural Development: The SP aims to invest heavily in agriculture, the largest employer, to ensure food security and support farmers who have faced challenges with the current system.
Infrastructure and Housing: A key promise is the annual construction of 50,000 low-cost houses to address housing shortages and improve living conditions in urban and rural areas.
Strategic Approach to Deliver on Promises
Grassroots Mobilization: The SP focuses heavily on grassroots organization and community engagement, such as the sports empowerment initiatives, to build a strong base and understand the people’s needs directly.
Opposition Unity: The party emphasizes the importance of genuine unity among opposition parties and civil society to create a formidable force for change and restore constitutionalism and the rule of law.
Transparency and Accountability: By publicly critiquing the current government’s lack of transparency and adherence to legal processes (e.g., regarding Bill 7), the SP promises a more accountable and honest administration that respects the will of the people and the rule of law.
By linking these specific, people-centered policies with a commitment to integrity and inclusive governance, the Socialist Party aims to convince Zambians that it offers a genuine alternative to “politics as usual” and a path to a more prosperous, just, and equitable future.
Socialist Party (SP) emphasizes moral conviction, people-centered governance, and specific policy commitments to social welfare and economic sovereignty. This approach contrasts the SP’s platform with what it describes as the “politics as usual” of other parties, focusing on tangible improvements in citizens’ daily lives.
Dr Fred M’membe
President of Socialist Party Zambia.