16/07/2026
CITIZEN'S ANALYSIS OF THE MUNDUBILE CAMPAIGN PROMISES
So far, from my analysis, Mr. Mundubile is largely promising to continue many of the same programmes that President Hakainde Hichilema's administration has already introduced or set in motion. The only noticeable difference is the slight twist in his messaging of "We will do it better."
Here are my take-away examples from his campaigns so far, that are merely a plagiarism of President Hichilema's ideas.
Mr. Mundubile says free education will continue, but with this twist that, under his leadership it will be quality education, with a maximum of 40 pupils per class and the provision of free books, uniforms, pencils, and pens. These are commendable goals, but many of them are already being done under the current administration and others are part of the government's long-term direction. Nothing new.
More classroom blocks are being built, with many more planned. The real question is not what should be done, but how it will be financed. Promises are easy to make but funding them is the real challenge.
Secondly, Mr. Mundubile says they have identified farm blocks that will create jobs. Again, this is not a new idea. If you have followed the UPND budgets, you will find that farm block development has already been planned. The challenge has been the country's debt burden, which limited the government's ability to finance such projects. President HH spent years restructuring the Kongole. Now that the debt has been restructured, these are some of the investments that are expected to gather momentum in his second term, courtesy of the people of Zambia.
Mr. Mundubile is also promising to invest in Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ). Once again, this is already underway. The objective is to make Zambia self-sufficient in fertiliser production and reduce dependence on imports. The HH Government has already supported increased local fertiliser production through investments such as United Capital Fertilizer. As we speak, Zambia is the leading fertiliser exporter in the Southern African region.
On Social Cash Transfer, Mr. Mundubile says he will increase the number of beneficiaries and raise the amount they receive. This is also what the current government has been doing. Since taking office, it has expanded the programme to include more beneficiaries and increased the value of the payments. As the economy continues to improve, it is reasonable to expect that even more vulnerable households will be brought on board. Again, nothing new if you ask me.
They have also promised to continue government empowerment programmes for women and youths. These programmes are already being implemented through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC).
Considering how these same people handled the empowerment programs in the past, my only concern is that, under their leadership, access to these opportunities could become politically selective.
Again, while addressing a rally in Nakonde, Mr. Mundubile promised to construct an airport for them. I did a little research on this and found that there's actually already an airport under construction by the current government. works have started.
What concerns me most is the economy. I have not yet heard a convincing explanation from the Mundubile team on how they intend to finance these ambitious promises.
It appears their strategy is to inherit programmes that are already in place without presenting a clear plan for generating the additional resources needed to expand them. It is now left to us voters to decide if these promises are worth changing the government for.
With this in mind, there is also the risk of returning the country to unsustainable borrowing if spending is not matched by economic growth.
My analysis is that the Mundubile team appears more focused on spending existing resources than on creating new sources of wealth. Every politician can promise more jobs, better schools, increased social support, greater empowerment and everything else better. The real test is whether it has a credible and sustainable plan to generate the revenue needed to deliver on those promises.
In the end, elections should not be decided by who makes the biggest promises, but by who presents the most realistic and credible plan to fund them. So far, I believe Mr. Mundubile's team has told us what they want to do, but they have not adequately explained how they intend to pay for it.
A BIG TRAP FOR THE ZAMBIAN VOTER! one single mistake will get us heavily taxed.
BE AN INFORMED VOTER!
