It is Bembas, Easterners, and urbanites who finally put Hichilema in power- Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa
It is Bembas, Easterners, and urbanites who finally put Hichilema in power
By Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa
Outright opposition to one candidate rather than genuine support for the candidate voted for is becoming the norm across democracies in the world. Many of those who voted for Joe Biden in the last US election were motivated by the desire to stop Trump rather than their support for Biden or the Democratic Party. This is also true for Zambia’s last election. I hope Hichilema understands that he was largely the conduit of the revulsion against the PF and former President Edgar Lungu and that his support is tenuous. The 1.8m voters who supported Lungu, despite the damage he and the PF inflicted on Zambia, are hardcore supporters who are unlikely to leave PF. In contrast, many of those who voted for Hichilema are not his supporters but people who were disillusioned with the status quo. These are the ones who decisively swung the vote in his favour. Their support in future elections is not guaranteed; it is subject to good performance.
In my view, the heroes of the last election were Bemba speakers in Northern and Muchinga provinces, voters in the Eastern Province and those in Lusaka and the Copperbelt who rose above ethnic prejudices and rode on economic grievances to rally behind Hichilema. If Hichilema does not take the time to understand why these people voted for him, he risks losing their support.
The Lozis, Tongas and North-Westerners were not the heroes of the last election, for these groups have historically voted for him but their support was not enough. It was only after the Bembas, Easterners and urbanites came to the party that he finally crossed the line. It saddens me greatly that these groups are the ones suffering marginalisation today especially in the civil service. It does not help that Hichilema’s supporters, mainly from the Zambezi provinces, are so excited that they keep talking to each other rather than respectfully persuading those with contrary views to see their point. They have canonised Hichilema and bully and harass anyone who does not identify with the ruling leadership. This is counterproductive. When Zambians stop talking, those in leadership should get concerned.
I get a sense that having been elected with a popular mandate, Hichilema and his supporters think there is no credible opposition to unseat him. In my view, the biggest opposition that he faces is an alert and politically engaged citizenry, not an organised party. The latter will rise organically and should be the least of his concerns. What Hichilema must fear most is already in place: the voter. Discontent will not wait until there is an effective opposition party to harvest it!
Zambian voters may not always know what they want, but they almost always know what they don’t want!