WE’LL REGROUP, WE’LL REBUILD… Not every loss is a defeat, and not every silence means consent- Fred M’membe

WE’LL REGROUP, WE’LL REBUILD… Not every loss is a defeat, and not every silence means consent

Comrades, friends, and fellow Zambians,
The results of the August 13, 2026 general, elections are clear and are a product of many endless debatable factors. For our party, the Socialist Party, the numbers recorded at the polls do not reflect the future we envisioned or the effort we put into the campaigns. That said, we acknowledge our very poor performance at the ballot box with absolute humility, honesty, and transparency.

But let me remind you of a fundamental truth: not every loss is a defeat, and not every silence means consent.

To look at our electoral numbers and declare our mission dead is to misunderstand the very nature of a revolutionary struggle. A setback is not a defeat unless we surrender our convictions. Our fight has never been merely about securing state power or winning a single election; our ultimate strategic objective remains to wipe away the tears of the poor and the marginalised from the severe hardships they continue to endure.

The institutional outcome of this election shows that the path ahead is steep. Millions of our people did not vote for us, and many remained silent. But we must recognise that their silence or their votes for the status quo do not equal consent to the systematic injustices, the rising costs of living, the compromised state of our public institutions, or the economic inequality gripping our nation. Silence is often the heavy weight of exhaustion, disappointment, and a temporary retreat from a system that many feel has left them behind.

We do not blame the voters.  Instead, we take this time to look inward, reflect deeply on our approaches, evaluate our message, and understand how we can better connect with the working class and the poor of Zambia who deserve a true alternative.

To every comrade, mobiliser, candidate, and supporter who stood with the Socialist Party: do not hold your heads down. We have planted the seeds of equity, justice, and peace. This election was just a single chapter in a long, generational struggle for the soul of our republic.

We will regroup. We will rebuild. We will continue to be the unyielding voice for those who have been silenced.

The struggle for a fairer, more just, and humane Zambia continues.

Aluta Continua!

Fred M’membe
SP President