“SORRY ZAMBIA FOR BRINGING YOU HICHILEMA,” MAJOR CHIZYUKA SAYS AS HE ENDORSES MUNDUBILE AT SOUTHERN PROVINCE VIRTURAL RALLY

In a striking political development ahead of the upcoming general elections, former Namwala Member of Parliament and United Party for National Development (UPND) founding figure Major Robbie Chizyuka has publicly apologized to the nation for his role in elevating President Hakainde Hichilema to the party's leadership in 2006. Speaking during a virtual campaign rally hosted for Southern Province by the opposition alliance, Major Chizyuka expressed profound regret, stating that he and other party founders leaned heavily on financial capacity rather than broader governance criteria when seeking a successor to the late founding president Anderson Mazoka. Major Chizyuka's remarks went further as he extended apologies to Tonse Pamodzi Alliance Chairperson Sakwiba Sikota, asserting that Sikota, who served as UPND vice-president during that turbulent transition, should have naturally assumed the mantle of leadership. The veteran politician's unexpected U-turn carries considerable symbolic weight, particularly given his historical ties to the formation and early struggles of the ruling party. By publicly breaking ranks and endorsing presidential candidate Brian Mundubile, Chizyuka sought to redirect political sentiment within Southern Province, a region historically viewed as an unshakeable stronghold for the incumbent administration. The virtual rally also featured endorsements from other notable political figures, including veteran politician Syache Madyekuku and cultural figures who echoed calls for a political and economic reset. Opposition figures like Mundubile have intensified their campaign messaging in the final stretch, focusing heavily on economic reforms, local resource management, and decentralizing opportunities away from a perceived political elite. For the opposition, cracking the political landscape of Southern Province by utilizing voices from founding members is seen as a crucial strategy to alter electoral dynamics. Political analysts note that while f