GOVERNANCE UNDER FIRE: HON NAKACHINDA SAYS UPND HAS FAILED ZAMBIA

By Brian Matambo – Lusaka, Zambia

The Secretary General of the Patriotic Front (PF) and of the Tonse Alliance, Hon. Raphael Nakachinda, has delivered a scathing critique of the United Party for National Development (UPND), declaring that after four years in office, President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration has not only failed to deliver on its promises but has “systematically destroyed” Zambia’s governance institutions.

Hon Nakachinda, speaking on State of the Nation hosted by Kennedy Mambwe at the PF Secretariat in Lusaka, accused the UPND of weaponising the police, compromising the judiciary, and manipulating electoral systems to entrench its hold on power. He framed the PF as the natural alternative ready to “rescue Zambians from this brutal regime.”

A GOVERNMENT OF BROKEN PROMISES
According to Nakachinda, the UPND’s 2021 campaign mantra, “Bally Will Fix It,” has collapsed under the weight of unmet pledges. “Instead of fixing, they have actually destroyed,” he said, pointing to the economy, the judiciary, and law enforcement as institutions now “deeply politicised.”

He stressed that UPND had promised immediate remedies, including stabilising the kwacha and attracting billions in investment, but has failed to secure even modest financing such as the $1.3 billion IMF deal. “By their own standards, four years is too long for excuses,” he said.

RULE OF LAW “UNDER SIEGE”
Nakachinda placed strong emphasis on what he described as the collapse of the rule of law. He cited police brutality against opposition rallies, the selective application of the Public Order Act, and controversial Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) decisions that disqualified PF candidates in by-elections.

In reference to the failed Bill 7, he accused President Hichilema of defying court orders and harbouring ill intentions to manipulate the delimitation exercise proposed in Bill 7 to secure a legislative advantage. “We are dealing with a dictator, full-blown,” Nakachinda charged. “Every evil will be defeated by good if we remain consistent.”

THE PF’S PATH BACK TO POWER
Despite Zambia’s political history, where former ruling parties rarely rebound, Nakachinda expressed confidence that PF can return to government in 2026. He argued that the rise of digital media and heightened citizen awareness make it impossible for UPND propaganda to mask the “anguish and hunger” Zambians are facing.

“The citizenry is enlightened,” he said. “Poverty cannot be explained away by spin doctors. If people are hungry, they are hungry.”

ON UNITY AND SUCCESSION
Addressing internal PF matters, Hon Nakachinda clarified that recent bans on endorsements of potential candidates were meant to maintain unity, order and discipline during mourning for late President Edgar Chagwa Lungu. He insisted that the PF remains in consultation with the Lungu family and that the party will resolve leadership questions through proper structures, not premature campaigns.

He also reaffirmed PF’s commitment to the Tonse Alliance, cautioning opposition partners against reneging on previously agreed frameworks for unity. “Being President is not an achievement, it is a responsibility,” he said. “We must rise above narrow ambitions and focus on rescuing the nation.”

NRC SCANDAL
Hon Nakachinda seized on reports of fake National Registration Cards (NRCs) issued in Northern Province, calling it a “grave matter of national security.” He demanded accountability from Home Affairs Minister Jack Mwiimbu, describing the exercise as an attempt to disenfranchise voters in perceived opposition strongholds.

“Those issuing fake IDs must be arrested immediately,” he said. “This is abominable politics.”

“TIME TO PACK”
Hon Nakachinda concluded that the UPND has exhausted public patience and has no capacity to redeem itself. “The only thing this government can do now is prepare to pack,” he said. He urged citizens to remain peaceful and trust in the ballot box in 2026 to end what he called “four years of torment and anguish.”

ANALYSIS
Hon Nakachinda’s remarks underscore the PF’s strategy to position itself as the defender of Zambia’s democracy and economic future while portraying the UPND as authoritarian and inept. Central to this strategy is the demand for accountability from the judiciary. The manner in which courts handle PF-related cases, particularly the long-delayed consent order, will serve as a litmus test of whether Zambia’s judicial system retains its integrity or has been fully compromised by executive pressure. For Nakachinda, these decisions are not procedural technicalities but defining moments that will reveal whether the rule of law in Zambia is intact or fatally eroded.

At the same time, the UPND government may point to potential gains over the next twelve months, modest reductions in loadshedding, possible easing of fuel prices, and slight improvements in macroeconomic stability. Yet even such progress will not erase the lived realities of ordinary Zambians. Barbershops, salons, butcheries, and thousands of small businesses have endured four years of extreme loadshedding, economic strain, rising costs, and declining disposable incomes. The cumulative damage to livelihoods cannot be offset by incremental improvements in the twilight of a political term.

As Zambia inches toward the 2026 general election, the battle lines are clear: a ruling party seeking redemption through late-term reforms, and an opposition framing itself as the vehicle of democratic restoration and economic relief. For citizens, the deeper question may not be about short-term fixes but about whether governance itself can be trusted to serve the people, and whether institutions, starting with the judiciary, will rise above politics to uphold the nation’s democratic fabric.