By Dr. Joze Manda
The sooner we are all clear that elections are not won on social media but on the ground and through the ballot box, the quicker we will understand that it is a fallacy for political parties like UPND to claim election victory based on a thousand likes on social media propaganda write ups and fancy comments.
Such is the spell of which UPND, its members and supporters suffer from. They are under the illusion that they can win an election seating in their fancy offices and air-conditioned houses, massaging their cell phone and computer keyboards with fancy comments, fake news and inconsistent propaganda.
Well it is tempting to think that politics mostly happens online, since that is where so much of the rest of life now occurs; it is very dangerous, retrogressive and sheer laziness to think Zambian politics start and end online.
Winning elections requires figuring out who your voters are and moving them to the polls on election day and that requires serious and vigorous groundwork and direct contact with the voters. It is one thing to swim in a million likes on social media and another thing to win an election.
Elections in Zambia are won on the ground and no amount of social media propaganda will reach kwa pyana bwalya or deliver a service to dudumwenzi or just a stone throw away in lwimba, in the Chongwe area.
There is no doubt that social media has changed the way in which politics plays out in Zambia. The news cycle is now real-time with gaffes, announcements, and failures played to a hard-core political class that in turn relays their narrative to a narrowing base of party activists. We know that social media is influential but can it actually win a political party an election?
The answer it seems is NO, for all the hype, Facebook had little real impact on the 2016 election in Zambia.
In fact, more active Facebook users who have more connections and belonged to more Facebook groups tend to be less politically active on the real ground than the population at large who are the real voters.
Most UPND social media supporters are simply armchair critics who don’t even understand the strategy of voter mobilization. From our short analysis, it is now clear that UPND has more people playing social media politics and that has created an illusion in their minds that they are popular and they have already won the 2021 elections.
Those that pedal social media propaganda have spent all their time highlighting the challenges that the PF government is facing instead of offering alternative solutions in black and white.
This social media overzealousness of UPND also explains why opposition parties in Zambia have a problem winning elections because they work with a mental illusion of being popular in their minds when they are not. This kind of behavior is what breeds’ violence at the slightest reality of a loss in an election.
UPND must prepare for yet another loss nest month, as we all know that there is absolutely nothing they have offered to counter the challenges we face as a country, but they have concentrated more on propaganda against the government at the slightest opportunity they get, even at the death of our Founding Father KK.
It must be agreed and noted here forth that the role of the opposition is crucial to a democracy and speaks directly to Zamia`s future. Opposition plays varying roles in parliament, on behalf of their constituency, within policy, policy development and accounting for project implementation and as such their obsession should not only be to ascend to power but to offer alternative views and represent the people and not a self-proclaimed hero who has been rejected numerous times by the same people he claims to represent, Bally or no bally, UPND and HH are still a directionless lot.
The problem with UPND is that they opposed everything that the government tried to do in the last ten years including the bill of rights.
Today they are blaming the PF of being selective in its development agenda when it is their “Bally” who instructed them NOT to work with the PF government, what a shame.
It is very unfortunate that HH now thrives at the challenges we are facing as a way to get himself into the statehouse.
HH must examine himself to determine if he wants power to enrich himself or to help the Zambians, but as things stand, it is clear to all of us to see that his intentions are not noble and we must reject his kind of politics.
What kind of leader would rejoice when people are suffering because it almost creates an opportunity for him to gain political power?
Dr. Joze Manda is a Political Analyst based in Lusaka
They will always dream big. As PF keeps on achieving big through practical tactics. UPND’s strategists are quite pathetic with no reality touch of reasoning.
Yes but don’t forget that the PF won the last election by a razor thin margin with all government resources at their disposal.
Joe Manda is an unemployed PhD living in Lusaka. Who knows, when your degree is covered with dust, that someone may just give you a job?
It will not in a million light years away. Tell these perpetual losing niggaz.
This is not true, UPND has never privately or publicly stated that it will win elections on account of social media postings. So this is another of the many fabrications which the out going party has been pushing.
The only hope for Zambia is the UPND. How can one say Zambia is receiving foreigners to buy commodities because their cheaper in Zambia, when Zambians themselves are struggling. What type of insensitivity is this, even propaganda must have some decency please
Is UPND the only opposition party in Zambia to have daily attacks from PF, or its the usual fear. When did UPND ever issue words saying they are popular on social media, get a life please
For sure UPND has no control on who or how many people post on social media in their favour. If most people are posting in favour of UPND, it is surely not UPNDs fault. It shows popularity of the party, why should it send goose pimples in agents of the PF. With inflation at 22%, PF still expects people to post in the favour on social media, how surely
@ Porter, UPND is not the only opposition party. But it is the only one posing a threat to PF. So you want PF to be attacking Muliokela. UPND and HH are attacked because they are serious contenders. We on the hand do not expect UPND to be attacking Muliokela but PF and ECL. This is the nature of the game.
You cannot rule out by be role of social media in this election. Especially I. Urban areas.
Show me someone in Lusaka or the Copperbelt who doesn’t have social media, and it extends to their relatives in other provinces too.
The fact that this Joze even bothered to write an article shows he is angry that the PF, his party of choice, seems to lag far behind the UPND.
The youth vote is key in this election, more so that majority if reasonable youths do not attend rallies or road shows, they have access to information through social media.
Covid has made social media more relevant this election.
Ok
But you are the same people frustratimg UPND’S EFFORTS to campaign on the ground. You will come out all guns blazing when UPND draws mammoth crowds in their Road shows and say Covid but your pf party president is busy with the same roadshows and drive ins that he spoke against (typical)…UPND opted the safer way (against PF shenanigans and or Covid) of the proposed door to door campaign which is actually responsible of them in a way than the Irresponsibility of PF in doing those rallies they keep doing in the wake of the 3rd wave….lets be serious for once
It always takes two to Tango. But for a long time HH has been doing the Tango Dance all alone.
There is a lot of truth from the article. HH is very good at giving interviews to foreign media. But not good at going to local radio stations of every town of Zambia to sell himself and connect with people.
His body language is totally the opposite of his presidential ambitions.
Why do people even bother advising UPND. If these people listened to advise they will be in power by now.
PF know HH and UPND are cowards and scared of being arrested so they will not come out of thier homes to campaign. You can’t win elections like that. We have not seen HH in luapula, north western, western, michigan and northern during this campaign period how do you expect pipo to vote for him