02/11/2025
Someone wrote:
All in all we need to consult widely, value every opinion and see how best we can gear up for the next election. Truly, ambiri all they wanted was to see MCP gone. However we seriously need to sway the common villager's vote towards us.
In my opinion, here are some of the factors that made us get just over 200 thousand votes:
1. *Our message was great and the best but it was too rich for the common ear*. We are still in a country where illiteracy numbers are alarming. Mentioning a hundred billion or 500 billion, monetary policy and other jargons to them was pure noise. It was a thrilling message of hope to those that understood the language but the masses couldn't understand anything. We needed experts to break the message down so that the commonest of the populace could understand it
2. *UTM's delay in exiting the Tonse Alliance* . This one hit us hard. When signs were all over by 2021 that MCP wasn't for transforming the country, we needed to quickly (2021/2022) step out and stand with the suffering masses. This way we would have earned people's trust. Dr Dalitso Kabambe had a daunting task of washing the heavily stained UTM and indeed his sweat yielded results, that's why we have 8 MPs in the August house today and the party is still a threat to those that call themselves giants.
3. *Our Party structures worked at 30% capacity*. Most area office holders were standing akimbo waiting to hear where Dr Kabambe would be the following day. They weren't aggressive on the ground to sell the UTM brand. We could reach an extent of a governor waiting for a T-Shirt from our president to go and campaign
4. *Propaganda from UTM's two main rivals, especially DPP*. DPP used various media channels just to spread lies about UTM and it worked. The likes of Ntanyiwa, BMTV and others came from nowhere, spoke the common language that would gather groups in Chirimba, Ntandire as well as Nyezelera and Marka. Their message resonated well with the unsuspecting listeners who took their propaganda as the gospel truth. DK was accused of pocketing a meager 40 million Kwacha from MCP "kuti agawe mavoti a adadi" and people believed it and labeled DK a traitor. Some up to now claim DK ananyoza Adad but they can't answer the simple question loti ananyoza kuti chani?
5. *MCP ICHOKE*. As rightly written by honourable Njawala, a good majority of UTM members voted for DPP for the simple fear of MCP's comeback. Many didn't and still don't understand the 50%+1 rule. Many didn't understand that a re-run would still give victory to either UTM or DPP. MCP's death and burial was sealed but many didn't understand how
6. *UTM and DK had limited time and resources*. From the time our Leader SKC departed to the time we started organising our convention and quickly prepare for the general elections in less than 10 months, it has only taken the God of miracles for us to achieve what we have achieved. Dr Kabambe never rested. While MCP and DPP were just polishing up structures that have been there for decades, we had none. We started from the scratch. Dr Kabambe had the task of moving UTM from SKC as a brand to everyone's ownership. SKC kept preaching that UTM was every member's party but people never comprehended his message until Dr Kabambe took over the Movement's presidency.
At this juncture, we need serious solutions on the ground to get our love with the people back on track. I'd love to be part of the overhaul FORCE....PRO BONO!!
God bless UTM
