By Brian Matambo | Lusaka, Zambia 

PF presidential hopeful Hon. Makebi Zulu delivered a pointed and uncompromising assessment of Zambia’s political landscape during a live appearance on MAFKEN Radio in Mufulira with presenter Misheck Moyo. His message carried the weight of a nation in economic distress and spoke directly to Copperbelt voters who feel abandoned, overlooked and increasingly restless under the current administration. Zulu’s tone was deliberate and controlled, but the political warning he delivered was anything but soft. 

He began by cautioning that Zambia cannot afford to approach the 2026 general election with a fragmented opposition. A divided field, he argued, would not strengthen democracy but hand the ruling UPND government an undeserved advantage. According to Honourable Zulu, the UPND is not banking on national progress to secure re-election. It is depending on opposition disunity, a strategy he described as a sign of a government that has drifted away from the needs and sentiments of ordinary citizens. In his view, this should worry any Zambian who is concerned about the direction of the country. 

Honourable Zulu pressed the case for a unified opposition, insisting that collective action is the only realistic path to a decisive first-round victory. Avoiding a runoff, he said, would save the country from unnecessary financial pressure and prevent a prolonged period of political uncertainty. He warned that while a divided opposition may still triumph in a second round, the delay and cost would be paid by citizens who are already carrying the weight of a failing economy. For this reason, he said, unity must be genuine and immediate rather than a last-minute remedy forced by electoral arithmetic. 

When pressed by Misheck Moyo on the whispered question circulating among supporters and observers alike, whether he is the chosen one, Honourable Zulu refused both self-anointment and political mythology. He insisted that the only “chosen ones” are the voters themselves. What he offers, he said, is not a claim to destiny but a commitment to principled service. If Zambians desire leadership that rejects vengeance, prioritises food security, fixes the power crisis and ensures that the country receives a fair share of its mineral wealth, then he stands ready to shoulder that responsibility. But leadership, he stressed, must be a collective endeavour, one in which the electorate replaces the politics of personality with a shared national mission. 

Turning to the internal dynamics of the Patriotic Front, Honourable Makebi Zulu said that the party remains far stronger than portrayed by its detractors. Legal wrangles and attempts to manipulate its structures, he argued, have not dislodged the PF from its social base. Those seeking to hijack the party, he said, have walked away with paperwork, not the movement itself. PF, in his view, will emerge on the other side of its internal disputes because it is anchored in a pro-poor ideology that resonates with ordinary Zambians. He reminded listeners that PF has survived more severe storms before and that the upcoming convention will formally restore clarity and direction as the party heads toward 2026. 

From there, Honourable Zulu widened his critique to the state of national governance. He argued that Zambia urgently requires leaders who understand that political authority is a responsibility to uplift citizens, not an opportunity for personal enrichment or intimidation. A government that relies on silencing dissent and reshaping the political environment to its own advantage, he said, has already lost its sense of purpose. For him, governance must be defined by accountability, service and development, especially in a country facing rising food prices, prolonged power outages and a declining industrial sector. 

As the programme drew to its conclusion, he delivered a heartfelt message to the Copperbelt. He reminded residents that their region has carried Zambia’s economic burden for generations, and that they deserve better than the abandoned hospitals, halted school projects and collapsing livelihoods seen under the current administration. He urged citizens to register, prepare to vote, and take ownership of the country’s direction. The next generation, he said, should be able to look back with pride, knowing that their parents acted decisively at a critical moment in the nation’s history. 

He closed by saying that Zambia’s destiny remains in its own hands. With unity, purpose and the resolve to choose leaders who stand with the people, the Copperbelt and the nation at large can redirect the country toward a path of recovery. In his view, change is not only possible but inevitable when citizens stand together.