By Revelation Editor
Zambians have noticed a disturbing trend where the main presidential candidates often record extreme lopsided victories from the regions where they come from, or those regionally aligned with them.
We saw this happen during the 2008, 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2021 general elections. Of course we saw some exceptions in 2006 elections with the Levy Mwanawasa vs Michael Sata election, and also in the Michael Sata/Rupiah Banda/Hakainde Hichilema election race of 2011, although generally, the participating candidates scored lopsided victories from where they hailed.
The movements in the 2021 general elections can of course not be discounted, especially in favour of President Hakainde Hichilema, as even when he lost in areas like Eastern, Luapula, Northern and Muchinga Provinces, he significantly improved his vote margins in these areas, which greatly aided his election and the close to 60 percent vote margin he got in the national election.
But as a nation that aspires to live under the One Zambia One Nation Motto, crafted under the founding President Dr Kenneth Kaunda, tribe should have no say in the election of people to various positions. We firmly believe that aspirants must be judged on the basis of their promises and the solutions they are offering to address the national problems. The aspirants must be elected on the basis of the promises and solutions they are offering towards ensuring that the country benefits handsomely from its resource endowment.
Because in the final analysis, what will provide bread and butter issues to the people is not the tribe of the individual they are seeking to elect into office. There is no bread or butter that is called Luchazi, Luvale, Bemba, Tonga, Chewa, Lozi, Kaonde, Nyanja or tumbuka. What will actually purchase the same bread is the money that one earns from the services they provide. Therefore, Zambians must pay particular attention to the issues of employment, and who is offering the best solutions towards job creation. Their focus should be on the candidates offering solutions towards lowering the cost of living in the country which is beyond the reach of many.
After almost 62 years of independence as a country, we should be ashamed of ourselves that when election seasons come we can predict with almost certainty that a certain candidate will win in this and that region. We believe that the same has contributed greatly towards the underdevelopment and high levels of poverty in this country, because those who aspire to lead will simply draw on the comfort of amassing votes from the regions they hail from, even when they are promising no brainers to the electorate. And foolishly, most of our people have deliberately, and out of ignorance been willing accomplices to the status quo.
Let’s build a united Zambia that will celebrate each others regional or tribal diversities. We must refuse to be accomplices to the tribal politicisation that our politics usually devolve into, where we who are one people, buy into the temptation of bundling ourselves in regional corners to vote for a candidate who hails from our region.
As for political candidates, they must show more resolve actually in trying to bury the regionalism, rather than trying to use subtle ways of exploiting the same to their political advantages. Let them go out there and campaign forcefully in all the regions of the country. Our role as citizens should be to make their visits and campaigns as welcoming as possible, even in instances where we don’t agree with them politically.
It is wise to approach the elections with open minds, without allowing our minds to be held captive to tribe and region. Tribe must play no part in the August 13, 2026 general election.
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By Revelation Editor
Zambians have noticed a disturbing trend where the main presidential candidates often record extreme lopsided victories from the regions where they come from, or those regionally aligned with them.
We saw this happen during the 2008, 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2021 general elections. Of course we saw some exceptions in 2006 elections with the Levy Mwanawasa vs Michael Sata election, and also in the Michael Sata/Rupiah Banda/Hakainde Hichilema election race of 2011, although generally, the participating candidates scored lopsided victories from where they hailed.
The movements in the 2021 general elections can of course not be discounted, especially in favour of President Hakainde Hichilema, as even when he lost in areas like Eastern, Luapula, Northern and Muchinga Provinces, he significantly improved his vote margins in these areas, which greatly aided his election and the close to 60 percent vote margin he got in the national election.
But as a nation that aspires to live under the One Zambia One Nation Motto, crafted under the founding President Dr Kenneth Kaunda, tribe should have no say in the election of people to various positions. We firmly believe that aspirants must be judged on the basis of their promises and the solutions they are offering to address the national problems. The aspirants must be elected on the basis of the promises and solutions they are offering towards ensuring that the country benefits handsomely from its resource endowment.
Because in the final analysis, what will provide bread and butter issues to the people is not the tribe of the individual they are seeking to elect into office. There is no bread or butter that is called Luchazi, Luvale, Bemba, Tonga, Chewa, Lozi, Kaonde, Nyanja or tumbuka. What will actually purchase the same bread is the money that one earns from the services they provide. Therefore, Zambians must pay particular attention to the issues of employment, and who is offering the best solutions towards job creation. Their focus should be on the candidates offering solutions towards lowering the cost of living in the country which is beyond the reach of many.
After almost 62 years of independence as a country, we should be ashamed of ourselves that when election seasons come we can predict with almost certainty that a certain candidate will win in this and that region. We believe that the same has contributed greatly towards the underdevelopment and high levels of poverty in this country, because those who aspire to lead will simply draw on the comfort of amassing votes from the regions they hail from, even when they are promising no brainers to the electorate. And foolishly, most of our people have deliberately, and out of ignorance been willing accomplices to the status quo.
Let’s build a united Zambia that will celebrate each others regional or tribal diversities. We must refuse to be accomplices to the tribal politicisation that our politics usually devolve into, where we who are one people, buy into the temptation of bundling ourselves in regional corners to vote for a candidate who hails from our region.
As for political candidates, they must show more resolve actually in trying to bury the regionalism, rather than trying to use subtle ways of exploiting the same to their political advantages. Let them go out there and campaign forcefully in all the regions of the country. Our role as citizens should be to make their visits and campaigns as welcoming as possible, even in instances where we don’t agree with them politically.
It is wise to approach the elections with open minds, without allowing our minds to be held captive to tribe and region. Tribe must play no part in the August 13, 2026 general election.
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