Dancing bear, music and politics: Hichilema’s Eastern Province rally sparks debate over campaign style
SINDA, EASTERN PROVINCE, July 10, 2026 – President Hakainde Hichilema’s final campaign rally in Eastern Province has generated widespread discussion after he appeared alongside a person dressed in a bear costume wearing United Party for National Development (UPND) regalia, adding a theatrical touch to an event that also featured popular musicians.
The bear, clad in UPND-branded attire, danced alongside the President before a large crowd, with videos from the rally quickly circulating across social media platforms.
The unusual appearance became one of the most talked-about moments of the campaign stop, with supporters cheering while others focused their attention on the entertainment that accompanied the political event.
Another video from the rally showed sections of the crowd chanting the name of popular Zambian musician Yo Maps as the master of ceremonies prepared to hand the microphone to President Hichilema to deliver his address.
The chants have fuelled renewed debate over the role of entertainment in political campaigns, particularly the use of well-known musicians to draw crowds.
President Hichilema’s campaign has, throughout the election period, featured performances by several popular artists before and after his addresses, a strategy that has become common in Zambian election campaigns.
Opposition questions campaign strategy
Opposition leaders have seized on the videos, arguing that the large crowds seen at some UPND rallies are partly attracted by the entertainment programme rather than the political messages.
Socialist Party president Fred M’membe, one of the presidential candidates in the August 13 General Election, has repeatedly criticised the ruling party’s campaign approach.
M’membe argues that political rallies should focus on policy and governance rather than musical performances, saying voters would ultimately make their decisions in the polling booth.
“The campaign rallies are not music concerts,” M’membe has said, maintaining that election results—not crowd sizes—would determine the eventual winner.
The UPND has not publicly responded to the criticism and has continued incorporating entertainment into several of its campaign events.
Campaign entertainment not new
The use of musicians and entertainers during election campaigns is not unique to the current campaign.
During the 2021 General Election, then-President Edgar Lungu and the Patriotic Front also enlisted many of Zambia’s leading musicians to perform campaign songs and entertain supporters at rallies across the country.
Despite the popularity of those campaign performances, the PF went on to lose the election to Hichilema by a margin of more than one million votes.
Political analysts have long noted that while entertainment can help attract crowds and create excitement during campaigns, turnout at rallies does not necessarily translate into votes on election day.
As campaigns intensify ahead of the August 13 polls, both the ruling UPND and opposition parties continue employing different strategies to engage voters, with entertainment increasingly becoming a prominent feature of Zambia’s electoral landscape.
Watch the full video for highlights from the campaign rally and the growing debate over the role of entertainment in Zambia’s election campaigns.
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