BY MCPHERSON MUTALE
WE HAVE A CRISIS OF COURAGE IN THE OPPOSITION.
Let me speak plainly, and from the heart.
Give me just one name—one—within the opposition today who has demonstrated the resilience and tenacity required to mount a serious counterforce against United Party for National Development. Just one.
Most of the current opposition leaders are either weighed down by questionable past conduct or simply lack the political stamina required to lead. Instead of building a formidable alternative, many have become apologists—men and women who seem to believe that President Hakainde Hichilema somehow owes them power, as though leadership is granted by sympathy rather than seized through struggle.
Despite numerous policy inconsistencies and political missteps that could have energized a vibrant opposition, this administration has largely moved forward unchallenged. They have enjoyed a political free ride. At this stage, the UPND need only manage its internal processes effectively; they face no credible external threat.
I have said it before and I will repeat it: the UPND has firm traditional strongholds in Southern, Western, and North-Western Provinces, where they can confidently count on not less than a million votes. In contrast, as of 2021, the opposition had no consolidated stronghold. The Patriotic Front failed to defeat UPND in any constituency with an overwhelming majority. In fact, the UPND secured respectable votes even in Muchinga, Luapula, Northern, and Eastern Provinces—areas previously claimed as PF fortresses.
When one carefully observes the current opposition leadership, the reality is unsettling. Some appear restrained by fear—fear of legal consequences stemming from past actions. Others simply lack the intellectual courage to articulate policy alternatives superior to those of the ruling party.
How can we speak of a “formidable opposition” when, just months before a general election, they are quiet, fragmented, and visibly confused? Where are the mass rallies? Where are the decisive mobilization campaigns? Where are the high-profile defections from the ruling party? Instead, the trend runs in the opposite direction: opposition members continue to migrate toward the UPND.
Let me state this with certainty: the UPND is positioned for an easy victory—not necessarily because it has been exceptional, but because it has no serious match. The wisest course for the opposition now is to put its house in order and prepare strategically for 2031. That is the sobering reality. Today’s opposition is fragmented, bruised, and directionless—waiting, it seems, for President Hichilema to hand them power.
But political power is never handed out like a blessing. It is wrestled. It is fought for. It is claimed through relentless tenacity and calculated aggression. President Hichilema and the late Michael Sata both demonstrated this truth. Each endured years—over a decade—of political struggle before reaching the apex of Zambian politics.
If resilience and tenacity are absent now, they will not magically appear once in office.
Let me ask again, sincerely and honestly: who among the opposition today possesses the political aura, the courage, and the strategic depth to defeat President Hichilema in a national election? I am not asking for a list. I am asking for one name.
This moment should serve as a lesson to young and aspiring leaders—Antonio Mwanza, Binwell Mpundu, Jackson Silavwe, Christopher Kangombe, Chipoka Mulenga, Sean Tembo, and others of their generation. The future is not closed—but it requires preparation, unity, and strategic patience starting now.
I hold respect for individuals such as Makebi Zulu, Christopher Kangombe, and Jackson Silavwe. Yet respect alone does not win elections. Zambian politics demands a certain fire—push, endurance, and calculated boldness. In that regard, figures like Antonio Mwanza, Binwell Mpundu, Kasonde Mwenda, and Sean Tembo may, in time, stand a stronger chance—precisely because they appear willing to go the extra mile.
Be not deceived: becoming President in Zambia is no simple ascent. It requires vision anchored in patience, clarity of purpose, and the refusal to rely on opportunism. Many today claim that “the people” are the largest opposition force. But leadership is not inherited from dissatisfaction. It must be earned.
What have you built? What have you sacrificed? What have you organized?
Let me be unapologetically clear: much of the current opposition leadership lacks courage and strategic seriousness. They are attempting to ride on public frustration rather than build a disciplined, credible alternative. As it stands, they may be ready to participate in elections—but they are not prepared to compete.
And that is the painful truth.