Africa-Press – Zambia. A sea of red filled the streets of Chingola today as thousands of United Party for National Development supporters staged a solidarity march in support of President Hakainde Hichilema. The demonstration, led by Copperbelt Provincial Minister Elisha Matambo, was both a show of strength and an attempt to reclaim the political ground shaken by last week’s unrest at Chiwempala Market.
The crowd gathered at Kaunda Square before marching through Chingola’s central district, singing party songs and waving flags emblazoned with Hichilema’s portrait. The atmosphere was charged with emotion, part loyalty, part protest, as the ruling party sought to frame the incident not as a political failure, but as an isolated act of lawlessness.
Matambo, flanked by district officials and party organisers, thanked the residents for “standing with the President” and urged them to remain peaceful. His speech mixed gratitude with mobilisation.
“Go flat and form polling station committees,” he told supporters, signalling that the march was as much about political image as it was about structure-building.
The Chingola march was strategic. The Copperbelt, once the PF’s footing, has become a test of loyalty for the UPND government. The unrest at Chiwempala struck deep into this symbolism, raising uncomfortable questions about the ruling party’s grip on the mining towns that helped propel Hichilema to power in 2021.
Party insiders say the march was organised as part of a coordinated damage-control effort. Images of the stoning incident had spread quickly online, prompting outrage among loyalists and embarrassment within government circles.
The show of numbers in Chingola was intended to restore confidence and reinforce the message that the President remains popular in the region.
Observers, however, note that while the optics were impressive, they also reflected a pattern in the UPND’s communication playbook: reactive rather than pre-emptive. The governing party often appears to respond to incidents after the fact instead of managing narratives early. The Chingola march, in this context, became both a rally and a repair exercise.
The event has also exposed the pressure on Hichilema’s provincial networks to manage image and emotion in equal measure. While cadres sang about peace, party strategists were working behind the scenes to ensure the President’s next public appearance does not face similar hostility.
As the UPND hails a peaceful march and renewed show of unity, questions remain about its broader communication strategy.
The next CONTEXT segment will interrogate how the party’s growing habit of defending every controversy, rather than setting the narrative, may be deepening public fatigue and giving its critics more control of the national conversation.
© The People’s Brief | Ollus R. Ndomu | 12/11/25
For More News And Analysis About Zambia Follow Africa-Press
