Zambians are tired with UPND, they want us in 2026- Socialist Party

Socialist Party says Zambians are already tired with the ruling UPND, reports Martha Banda.

And the party says it is the fastest growing political grouping currently in Zambia.

With only less than two years in office, Zambians are tired with UPND due to failure to implement on their campaign promises.

Secretary General and first Vice President Cosmas Musumali says people vote for change to better their lives and not just for rethoric. He says currently Zambians are tired and looking for an option.

Musumali the message on the ground now is Socialist Party and it’s president Fred M’membe was the hope for Zambia. He said people want UPND out.

The Socialist Party Chief Executive Officer was talking to a Television audience according to an article below seen by Zambian Eye on its Facebook page:

The Socialist Party is the fastest growing opposition party in the country, General Secretary and First Vice-President Cosmas Musheke Musumali told a TV audience.

Speaking on TV1 about the party’s mobilisation strategy, Dr Musumali said people on the streets were yearning to have party leader Fred M’membe as the Republican President in 2026.

He said SP had now developed its structures in all ten provinces. “All the districts, apart from roughly six, have structures, and the party is currently working on having structures in those as well – 80 percent of provincial offices have already been fully occupied.

“Talking of the capital city, there is no corner of Lusaka that does not know SP, and the party is currently working to enhance the activities at branch level structure,” he said.

“SP is also focusing on making the structures self-supportive with members learning life skills. These skills are in agriculture, health, and many other income-generating activities.”

Dr Musumali said those who were saying there was no strong opposition in the country were basing their views on what was happening in the Patriotic Front.

“People who are saying that Zambia does not have a strong political opposition are looking mainly at what’s going on in the PF. They say it is fragmented and is supposed to be the main opposition political party. SP does not have Members of Parliament, but the PF has.

“So the PF, whether we like it or not, is supposed to be the main opposition party. But it is fragmented. There are too many internal divisions and too much infighting. Zambians are worried about that and are asking the question, what is next?”

Dr Musumali said people were asking that question because they were tired of the ruling party.

“It is already over a year and they are feeling like they need to know who is going to be next,” he said. “They need to know the leading opposition political party that will be the party of their choice. And the more you ask people in the streets, on the buses and in other public places, they say that maybe the next one should be Fred M’membe.

“But as SP we have to do more, that is why we are focusing on the structures. It is the structures that will give us the visibility. It is the structures that will allow us to go to the mass front, talk to the people and confirm that the next option is indeed Fred M’membe, that the next option is the Socialist Party.”

Dr Musumali said a political party should not promise the masses it was going to scoop power come 2026. He explained it was the masses who should be saying, ‘enough is enough, we are tired, there were a lot of promises made and those promises have not been fulfilled. Because of that we need change’.

He said people fight for change because they want a better livelihood. “People fight for change because they want material benefits. When people say ‘we want political change’, they are not just talking about ideas, they are not talking about theories, they are talking about, ‘am I going to buy food, access food, cheaply?’

“They are asking, ‘will this economy create jobs so that the youth, the young people of this country, can also have a livelihood?’ They are saying, ‘if I am a small-scale farmer, will I be able to access my fertilisers, my farm inputs, at a reasonable price at the right time?’ They also fight for what is there, what has been stolen,” he said.

“The word we use normally is corruption, theft. This is public money, public resources that are being stolen, and people know that. This is money that should be coming to them. They want that money for social services. They want that money for education. They want that money for health,” he said.

“So the Zambian people today are saying, ‘we do not want another four, five years of corruption’, and they will make their decision come 2026.”