WHEN THE MEGAPHONE BECOMES THE PROBLEM – AND THE PEOPLE NKOW IT
By Ephraim Shakafuswa
By every measure, the UPND’s media team has failed. Not because the opposition has outwitted them. Not because of a well-oiled opposition. Not because of misinformation. But because the truth on the ground has become too loud, too consistent, and too undeniable — even from within the party’s own circles.
When a party’s own media leaders start preaching and lecturing about ignoring “propaganda,” it’s no longer the opposition speaking — it’s a full-blown internal admission of defeat, they are waving a white flag. When they start philosophizing about “not responding to lies,” they are not offering strategy —they are conceding that they have nothing tangible to offer in return.
They’ve finally run out of spin. This isn’t a masterstroke of discipline; it’s an admission of complete media bankruptcy.
Truth is the rest of the so-called media “team” — are mere political cadres parading as professionals — and have hit a wall. They thought social media likes would translate into legitimacy. They believed hashtags could replace policy. But now, the same people they claimed to speak for have turned around and are asking tough, unfiltered questions:
“We are dying of power cutting kindly do away with Loadshedding”
“Make videos and show us what successes you have achieved so that we believe you. Ala mwalifilwa kanabesa.”
“19 hours of self-inflicted loadshedding because power is being exported before meeting local demand.”
“Prices are high ati propaganda, people being killed in daylight ati propaganda. Ulishilu?”
These questions aren’t coming from opposition platforms — they’re pouring in from the very people the ruling party claims to represent. Instead of engaging with these concerns, the media team has chosen to retreat into echo chambers of self-praise and selective storytelling, hoping that hashtags and handpicked photos will drown out the growing discontent
Let’s talk development then. Where is the evidence of real, wide-reaching progress? You can’t ride on the back of a few road projects and call that transformation. A Level 1 hospital and a 1×3 classroom block are not revolutionary – they are routine. This isn’t development; it’s the bare minimum. And even that is being rolled out in photo ops, not substance.
Meanwhile, load shedding has returned with a vengeance. We were promised light; we got darkness. We were promised cheaper mealie meal; we got unaffordable basic goods. We were promised human rights; we got lawfare, and intimidation of citizens raising concerns.
And what does the UPND media team do? Post selfies and trade tired slogans. Hello team, stop telling us to “keep our eyes on the ball.” The ball was dropped long ago, and now you’re just kicking dust. Your communication strategy is in shambles. Your spokespeople are uninspiring, repetitive, and clearly out of their depth. The damage is not from “propaganda” — it’s from reality.
What you’re witnessing is not a PR crisis. It is a governance crisis. And no amount of hashtags, press briefings, or semantic gymnastics will save you from the truth on the ground: you have failed to meet the expectations you set.
When even your own supporters are asking questions and labeling your excuses as lies, it’s not propaganda — it’s accountability.
The problem with the UPND’s media team is that they were hired not for competence, but for loyalty. They were more focused on silencing dissent than amplifying truth. They built their house on social media trends — and now it’s collapsing under the weight of unmet promises and public frustration.
This season, there is no place for weak spin doctors with messiah complexes. The people have matured. They want facts, not fiction. Results, not rhetoric. So the next time you hear them shout “propaganda,” understand this: It’s not a defense — it’s a deflection. It’s not the opposition making noise — it’s the people demanding answers. And they are not going to be silenced.
A reset is needed. Not a memo. Not a call for improvement. A reset. A clean break from the personalities obsessed with self-importance and a move toward media professionals who understand that communication is not noise — it is trust-building, policy-anchored, and people-focused.
Because as it stands, your own media has become your opposition. It has disconnected you from the people. It has misrepresented your silence as arrogance. And it has failed to convince even your supporters that you are still in control of the narrative.