AT THE CROSSROADS: KATEKA CALLS FOR NATIONAL UNITY AS OPPOSITION PREPARES FOR 2026 ELECTIONS

By Brian Matambo – Sandton, South Africa
On a night marked by anxious voices and urgent appeals, Heritage Party President Chishala Kateka delivered a sobering and clarion call to action on Emmanuel Mwamba’s “Verified” program streamed live to thousands. In a nation growing weary under the weight of rising authoritarianism, Kateka’s message was clear: Zambia is in crisis, and the opposition must unite or perish divided.

Kateka, speaking with controlled urgency and conviction, responded to caller after caller, each pouring out frustrations over rural neglect, voter suppression fears, economic disenfranchisement, and the encroaching collapse of democratic institutions. But one theme rang louder than all: *the demand for unity and purpose within the opposition.*

“We’ve gone backwards in terms of beneficiation,” Kateka declared. “Zambians have not benefited from their own country. But this time, it’s not about who leads, it’s about saving the nation.”

A People in Crisis
Across phone lines from Lusaka to London, callers warned of “political paralysis” and creeping dictatorship. One Zambian in the diaspora compared the situation to a failing household: “A dissatisfied wife doesn’t leave until there’s a place to go.” Another caller, emotionally charged, described the UPND administration as “gutter politics in power,” alleging preparations for voter intimidation and systemic electoral malpractice.

Others, like Dr. Jay Kundano and “Mr. Anonymous,” voiced concern not just over the erosion of civil liberties, but the vacuum of credible alternatives. “We are focusing so much on what’s wrong. But what are we bringing that’s right?” Kundano asked pointedly.

The Blueprint and the Battle Ahead
Kateka didn’t flinch. She embraced the challenge, outlining a roadmap that she says will lead to a “Blueprint for a New Zambia”, a document that the United Front coalition is developing and plans to unveil in the coming months. It’s a promise not of vague campaign slogans, but of concrete governance reforms and economic empowerment, particularly on matters of land, mining, and devolution.

“We believe Zambians should be given land once they attain a certain age,” she explained, referencing a new land law that critics say could enable the state to arbitrarily revoke title deeds. “If we don’t have land, we are nobody,” she warned.

Kateka called for constitutional reform to reduce presidential powers and restore institutional independence, citing the troubling centralisation of appointments in anti-corruption bodies and the judiciary.

“We are not a democratic state. We are in a police state,” she said flatly. “But no system lives forever. Even this one will fall.”

Zambia Doesn’t Need a Saviour, It Needs Institutions
But the most resonant statement came not from the podium, but from a caller in the United Kingdom, who had once been a UPND supporter:

“Zambia does not need another strong president. It needs strong institutions. It needs good governance. Corruption is not the disease; it’s a symptom of bad leadership.”

The caller went further, suggesting the adoption of a federal or devolved system to redistribute power and reduce the all-consuming authority of the presidency. “Separate the state from government,” he urged. “Singapore did it. The UK did it. Zambia must do it.”

A Social Contract With the People
In her closing remarks, Kateka struck a tone both humble and visionary:

“Don’t leave this to the politicians alone,” she said. “Offer your skills, your knowledge. Whether you’re a mining expert or a governance consultant, this fight is ours, all of us.”

She called for Zambians to return to a spirit reminiscent of pre-independence unity, when ordinary citizens housed, fed, and funded nationalist leaders.

“At the time when people want to be stars, that era is over,” she concluded. “This is about posterity. We must reclaim this nation together.”

As Zambia heads toward the 2026 general elections, the stakes have never been higher. Whether the opposition can coalesce around a shared vision, and not just a shared enemy, may well determine whether Zambia’s democracy collapses, or is reborn.

Brian Matambo
Reporting from Sandton, South Africa