Lungu Arrives In The Copperbelt Whilst COVID-19 Restrictions Prevents UPND From Campaigning

President Edgar Lungu today arrived in the Copperbelt province in a trip which the province’s Permeant Secretary said was aimed at enabling the President to inspect developmental projects.

Copperbelt Permeant Secretary, Bright Nundwe, has said that President Lungu hopes that the visit will enable him to understand the progress of each development project.

The timeliness of President Lungu’s visit to the Copperbelt has raised concerns that he is taking the opportunity as a method of campaigning to reiterate the development projects which have occurred during his time in governance. These are development projects which he has recently claimed were not carried out to win votes. However, this is contradictory to earlier statements in which Lungu mentioned that he did not need a manifesto and that development projects around the country should be enough for citizens to have faith and vote for him in the August 12 elections.

If this were to be the case, that Lungu was participating in methods of campaigning during his trip to the Copperbelt, it would go against his very own COVID-19 restrictions which stipulate that in person campaigning is banned in a bid to stop the spread of the virus.

As a result of these restrictions, opposition parties such as the United Party for National Development (UPND) have thought of innovative ways to interact with their voters, including online campaigning.

Photo: Lusaka Times