By Michael Lombe
Bob Marley’s timeless message in Running Away is that a person may run from circumstances, critics or uncomfortable truths, but can never truly run away from themselves. Politics offers many examples of this reality.
Garry Nkombo’s political journey is one such story worthy of reflection. Before becoming one of the most recognisable figures in the UPND, he sought election to Parliament and failed on two occasions, first under the then ruling MMD in 1998 and later under the FDD in 2001. It was only after joining the UPND that his fortunes changed. In 2006, he won the Mazabuka parliamentary seat and went on to enjoy a parliamentary career spanning two decades.
For this reason, many UPND members believe the party deserves recognition for providing him with a political platform, adopting him repeatedly and entrusting him with leadership responsibilities over the years. They believe that the UPND transformed him from a perennial contender into a national political figure.
Yet questions were often raised within sections of the party regarding his political relationships and political choices. At a time when many UPND supporters viewed the Patriotic Front as a political adversary determined to weaken both the party and its leader, President Hakainde Hichilema, Nkombo was frequently perceived as maintaining unusually cordial relations with prominent PF figures like Kaizer Zulu and late President Edgar Lungu himself.To some within the UPND, this created unease and fuelled concerns about his political judgement.
These concerns intensified when he voted against Bill 7, contrary to the collective position taken by his party. To many UPND supporters, this was not merely a difference of opinion but a direct challenge to party unity on a matter of strategic political significance. Their fear was that had the Bill failed as a result of divisions within the ruling party, the PF would have seized upon that outcome as evidence of a weakening government and used it as a platform to advance its political comeback narrative ahead of the 2026 election.
Whether these concerns were justified or not, the perception persisted among some party members that he increasingly carried himself as an heir apparent rather than a team player within a collective movement. It was clear that Gary had swallowed the bait dangled by the PF. Politics, however, is often as much about perception as it is about reality.
Today, as debate continues around his political conduct and ambitions, Bob Marley’s words remain instructive. Every politician must BE occasionally pause and examine themselves honestly. The most difficult questions are not those posed by opponents, journalists or social media commentators. They are the questions posed by one’s own conscience.
In the end, political careers are shaped not merely by ambition, but by loyalty, gratitude, discipline and self-awareness. The UPND gave Garry Nkombo the platform upon which his political career flourished. History records that fact. Equally, history will judge how he responded to that trust.
As Marley reminded us, one may run far and wide, but one can never run away from oneself.
Michael Lombe is a seasoned political commentator and public affairs analyst with a keen interest in governance, leadership, party politics and national development. He writes extensively on contemporary political issues, offering perspectives shaped by history, institutional memory and the evolving democratic landscape of Zambia
