We are now firmly into a season of promissory notes 

By Daily Revelation Editor

The campaign season is right upon us now where heavens upon heavens will be promised to Zambians by those seeking public office.

Even the politicians who are not accessible will become accessible this time around before they disappear again after the elections.

And of course not related to this, the frequent press briefings and media statements from the Ministry of Information and Media have recently minimised. Where have our good people in that ministry gone yo? Anyway, lest we lose our focus, let’s revert back to the issue of politicians and campaign seasons.

Here we are not just talking about politicians from the ruling party but also from the opposition. The promissory notes dished to Zambians is a two way street, where those in power make more promises upon the same ones they have failed to deliver, while those in the opposition promise heaven on earth to the electorate. Mostly promises they won’t even fulfil, or do not understand the magnitude of what’s involved in running government since they have not experienced the realities of governance first hand.

We are now in a season where the ruling party will try to move mountains to try to appease the voters by appearing to address the same things they failed to address for several years. Our good brothers and sisters in compounds are already experiencing such moves where after two years of extreme blackouts through loadshedding, suddenly the government has taken on a kinder heart to actually listen to their cries, where they are now only enduring loadshedding for 14 hours daily as opposed to the 21 hours they were experiencing just over a month ago.

While those in power will be dangling more carrots, those in the opposition will be on their heels exposing the dishonesty of the moves, with the likelihood that they will mostly expend their energies on that score alone, without attempting to present their own workable programmes on how best they intend to navigate this country to prosperity and good governance.

This is where the electorate will need to be watchful to ensure that they are not given a rawdeal from the politicians.

Clearly, the ruling UPND, start these campaigns as favourites to continue in office given the benefits of incumbency, while facing an opposition that is not fully mobilised. Of course, no one can argue that there is palpable anger in public sentiment especially with the high cost of living and the loadshedding, but probably what the country may be missing is a ready alternative. Maybe one will emerge from the many vying for office during these few months we have remaining with before the polls in August 2026.

However, it is also clear that the ruling party cannot relax in the absence of a very clear alternative as Zambians themselves have proved over the years to determine their own political course they desire. And the fact that there seems not to be a ready made alternative is thanks to the government’s works where they have participated heavily in sowing factionalism in the main opposition PF. However, despite the state sanctioned factionalism, the grassroot seems to have firmly held in the former ruling party. 

There are also some opposition parties offering some promise i.e Harry Kalaba’s Citizens First (CF), Fred M’membe’s Socialist Party and the emergency of some notable personalities such as renowned lawyer John Sangwa among others. But will the time be enough to translate that promise into tangible electoral successes? Seems a bit of an uphill task. But time and the will of Zambians will determine.