While Upnd president Hakainde Hichilema was quick to comment on voter apathy and blame it on people’s non confidence in the running of elections by the Electoral Commission of Zambia, the real issue he should have thought and addressed should have been the actual loss of elections by his party as it has become apparent that people in the city of Lusaka still hold disdain against him and it.

Logically there is nothing shocking about the voter apathy experienced in Thursday’s election as almost all By-Elections are characterized by it, simple reason being that most voters would have either moved, died or even lost their voters cards during the period of mid-term elections. Secondly the hype of songs and dancing, accompanied by large entourages that raises interest to vote would have been absent to evoke a sense of compulsion to participate in the process. Thirdly, the present case of Mayoral By-Election seems to be the first of its kind and it didn’t generate the afore needed interest as most Lusaka voters don’t even see the importance of voting for a Mayor whose role they don’t even understand.

So the apathy issue should not be the main issue of discussion by Upnd as all parties were affected but rather their loss, which should give them reason for reflection that their party’s organization and mobilization methods have failed and they need to go back to the drawing board. How Upnd can fail to win even a single ward in a cosmopolitan city when the ruling party is at its weakest point tells the real story about its potential to win future elections (that it can’t).

The Patriotic Front, hit left, right and centre by negative media publicity:

-The $42 Million Fire Trucks.
-Swazi Mansion scandal.
-Mukula deals.
-Ambulance deals.
-Excessive borrowing.
-High country debt.
-Avic dirty contracts.
-Failing economy.
-Political intimidations and arrests.
-Political violence.
-Corruption allegations.

All these above and the Upnd can not unseat them but instead lose seats they held should be of prima concern to them than voter apathy which is expected of every by-election. The failure to address their election loss but instead shift attention to what is of non importance to their future elections performance exposes the party’s organizational failure and going forward may lose even more elections, the 2021 elections inclusive.

While it may be thought that people have no confidence in ECZ’s running of elections, it may also be that people don’t see need for change as they have lost confidence in the opposition party’s potential to deliver better than the Patriotic Front if voted for.

All said, the failure by Upnd is becoming more apparent with election losses and needs to be addressed or the PF will run this country without a formidable opposition to offer checks and balances.

Mbanga, Irvine Ilukui.
Fayetteville, Arkansas.
United States of America.