Muhabi’s calls for opposition unity

By Daily Revelation Editor

Zambia We Want spokesperson Muhabi Lungu has denounced what he described as the collective stupidity of the opposition, and some opposition “idiots” who insist on going it alone despite what he calls as the existential threat posed by the UPND.

He is calling for the opposition to unite forces in order to remove the ruling UPND from office in 2026.

Like we have stated before on this topic, the country benefits from having a powerful opposition as the same keeps the ruling party on its toes in terms of working to serve the greater interests of the public. A stronger opposition keeps the ruling party always in check that in case they misbehave, people have a ready alternative to take over from them.

A stronger opposition also plays a critical role in the democratic life of a country in terms of offering checks and balances on those who are in office. However, a weakened opposition is not desirable.

Clearly, in Zambia right now we do not have a stronger opposition that would give the UPND sleepless nights. The strongest opposition we have in PF has been bogged down in internal strife, with the ruling UPND playing a major role in instigating the same. They have used state power to weaken democracy by recognising elements within the PF which are clearly in cahoots with them. How in the world does a person who claims to lead the biggest opposition political party claim to be in an alliance with the same party he is supposed to be keeping in check? Does that even sound normal?

Therefore, the ruling UPND has massively played the destructive hand of state power to cause serious divisions with the former ruling party. Actually one of the PF’s alliance members in Tonse, Zambia Must Prosper (ZMP) leader Kelvin Bwalya Fube, is right when he says that legally the current PF leadership is not in charge of the party.

Some argue that the happenings in the party could have been pre-empted had the PF quickly moved on from late former president Edgar Lungu after he lost the 2021 general election, by electing a new leader to take over from him. Some of the PF members of parliament we have spoken, those who were actually loyal to Lungu and have their allegiance to the PF under the leadership of acting party president Given Lubinda, have told us in confidence that had they moved on quickly after the 2021 loss, they probably would have a ready leader by now, someone they will have sold to the country had they moved on quickly. It, however, remains the big unknown if some of the chaos could have been avoided, amid the ruling party mingalato, had they gone along that path.

But speaking of the now, what is clear is that the opposition will need to find a way of making themselves more formidable ahead of the 2026 general elections. The greater interest of the country must guide their interactions, and time is not on their side. It is only good for the country to have an opposition that is strong enough competing against the UPND in elections.