Crowds don’t win elections!
…..Nevers Mumba schools Tonse-Pamodzi Alliance leaders over mass rallies
By DAVID KANDUZA
NEW National Party (NPP) president Nevers Mumba has strongly cautioned opposition leaders against celebrating prematurely, pointing out that political mobilisation and large crowds do not automatically translate into electoral victory.
Dr Mumba’s remarks come on the heels of heavily attended rallies hosted by Tonse-Pamadzi Alliance leaders Brian Mundubile and his running mate Makebi Zulu that had been held in Kitwe, Kabwe, Nyimba, Petauke and Katete.
While the opposition had pointed to these massive crowds as a definitive mandate for change, Dr Mumba, a prominent Zambian politician, diplomat and evangelical minister who served as the eighth Republican vice-president from 2003 to 2004 under President Levy Mwanawasa, rubbished the notion, warning that relying on crowd sizes was a dangerous political strategy.
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“Crowds have nothing to do with voting,” Dr Mumba stated during a media briefing at the UPND secretariat Anderson Kambela Mazoka House, in Lusaka on June 24, 2026.
“If you are putting your faith in crowds, a lot of people are going to have heart attacks when the election results are announced.”
Dr Mumbs noted that attracting a crowd was not a sign of political sophistication, bluntly stating that ‘even fools can have crowds.’
Instead, he emphasized that electoral victory relies entirely on structured political organisation, voter registration and strategic mobilisation, rather than the mere optics of a rally.
The former vice-president urged the opposition to stop treating public anger over prevailing economic challenges as a guaranteed ticket to State House.
He explained that while citizens may attend rallies out of curiosity or frustration, transforming that raw energy into an actual vote required a disciplined scientific approach to data and ground operations.
“Winning an election is a science,” Dr Mumba added, “Do not be moved by multitudes of people.”
Dr Mumba’s hardline stance had triggered intense debate across Zambia’s political divide.
Critics from the opposition alliance hit back, accusing Mumba of downplaying genuine public discontent and speaking in defense of the ruling UPND Government.
Conversely, some political analysts have validated his caution, recalling historical instances where massive political gatherings failed to yield success on election day.