Hichilema Urges Calm As Election Race Enters Critical Week

President Hakainde Hichilema moved to calm Zambia’s political climate ahead of this week’s presidential nominations, urging political players to run peaceful campaigns as parties enter one of the most decisive weeks before the August 13 general election. With nominations opening today at Mulungushi International Conference Centre, the process now shifts the country from months of speculation, alliance negotiations and internal party battles into the formal presidential race. Electoral officials expect 30 presidential aspirants to file nomination papers between Monday and Friday, offering the clearest indication yet of who will officially compete for State House.

The President used the final weekend before nominations to project continuity following the dissolution of Parliament and Cabinet, assuring citizens that government operations would continue without disruption. He directed permanent secretaries to maintain public service delivery during the election period and said citizens should continue accessing healthcare, education and other essential services without interruption. He also said security agencies had been placed on alert to safeguard peace before, during and after the elections as political activity intensifies across the country.

Hichilema also pushed for cleaner campaigning, telling political leaders to focus on issues affecting citizens rather than personal attacks and inflammatory rhetoric. His remarks come at a sensitive moment as tensions continue rising across multiple political camps preparing for formal campaigns. The nomination period is expected to offer the first real test of organisational discipline for both the ruling party and opposition alliances that have spent recent weeks trying to consolidate their structures before the race formally begins.

That pressure has been particularly visible within opposition circles, where alliance negotiations have dominated political discussions. Questions had emerged over whether opposition figures Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu would face obstacles in the nomination process, fueling political speculation over the weekend. Electoral authorities moved to cool those concerns by indicating both figures had been accommodated within the nomination schedule, clearing the way for them to proceed as expected.

The Mundubile-Makebi alliance has emerged as one of the more closely watched opposition developments ahead of August because it reflects broader efforts by smaller opposition formations to consolidate support. While the partnership has generated interest among opposition supporters, it also faces questions over timing, organisational reach and whether it arrived early enough to build meaningful national momentum against an incumbent seeking a second term.

At the same time, UPND continued receiving fresh political backing from outside its traditional structures. Munali aspiring parliamentary candidate Thomas Sipalo, widely known as Diffikoti, officially joined the ruling party and publicly backed Hichilema’s re-election bid. Sipalo said visible development under the current administration influenced his decision, pointing to free education, Constituency Development Fund expansion, infrastructure works and mining sector activity as reasons he believes the current trajectory should continue.

His defection adds to a growing trend of opposition and independent figures crossing into the ruling party as nomination deadlines draw closer. UPND officials have framed those moves as evidence of confidence in the administration’s performance, but internal tensions remain visible. Several constituencies have experienced disputes over adoption processes, with some losing candidates challenging outcomes while others continue lobbying party leadership for consideration.

Those disputes have handed opposition figures fresh ammunition as they accuse the ruling party of attempting to manage internal dissatisfaction while projecting unity publicly. Political stakeholders have also continued raising broader concerns about fairness, warning that public confidence in the electoral process will depend heavily on transparency during nominations and campaigns.

By Friday, Zambia’s political landscape will look far clearer than it does today. The country will have a confirmed presidential ballot, clearer alliance formations and a sharper picture of which political camps enter the official campaign season with momentum and which ones are still battling instability at the worst possible moment.