Zambia’s main opposition lashes ban on campaign rallies ahead of polls

African Dialogue

Zambia’s main opposition party, the United Party for National Development, has criticised what it called an effective ban on campaign rallies before elections in August, after President Edgar Lungu warned that such gatherings could accelerate the spread of the coronavirus.
Lungu on Wednesday ordered police to ensure health guidelines are followed and said opposition parties should avoid public gatherings so that Zambia avoids a situation like in India, where political rallies accelerated the spread of the pandemic.
To assist us on this we are joined by Dr William Mpofu, Political Analyst; Professor Sitwala Imenda, an academic and we are also joined by Advocate Sipho Mantula, Researcher at the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, listen…