🇿🇲 CAMPAIGN WATCH | Hichilema’s 65-Rally Push Across Zambia
President Hakainde Hichilema has now addressed 65 campaign rallies across Zambia since launching his re-election bid on June 28 outside National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka, underscoring an intensive nationwide campaign as he seeks a second five-year mandate in the August 13 general election.
In just over three weeks, the President has taken his campaign to many of Zambia’s 10 provinces, addressing voters in 65 districts. His itinerary has stretched from Mwinilunga in the far northwest to Chienge on the shores of Lake Mweru, covering traditional UPND strongholds as well as provinces that have historically voted for the opposition. The latest leg saw him complete an eight-rally tour of Luapula Province, where the UPND failed to win a single parliamentary seat in the 2021 general election.
The campaign has been built around a consistent message. At nearly every rally, Hichilema has defended his administration’s record on free education, infrastructure development, economic recovery, job creation and the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), while asking voters to renew his mandate to complete projects already underway. In Luapula, he also highlighted road development and argued that the creation of new constituencies through delimitation would accelerate the delivery of public services.
The numbers also reveal the scale of the President’s ground campaign. Between July 1 and July 19, Hichilema averaged more than three rallies per day, often addressing four meetings in different districts within a single day. The pace reflects the UPND’s strategy of maximising direct voter engagement before polling day, particularly in provinces where the party is seeking to expand beyond its traditional electoral base.
Whether the crowds translate into votes remains the central political question. Large attendances have become a defining feature of Hichilema’s campaign, including in regions that have not traditionally supported the UPND. While enthusiastic rallies indicate growing interest, elections are decided by ballots rather than crowd size.
As the President prepares to enter Southern Province on Tuesday, attention will increasingly turn from campaign momentum to whether that momentum can reshape the electoral map on August 13.
© The People’s Brief | Goran Handya
Hichilema’s 65-Rally Push Across Zambia
