Andyford Mayele Banda

President - People’s Alliance for Change (PAC), entrepreneur and author of Economic Systems Dismantling- Why Zambia can be the model for African transformation.

[Andyford Mayele Banda @AndyfordMBanda]

For those asking where to get the book please note. Will also pin this picture for future reference. Thank you so much. Let's dissect the systems that have kept a continent endowed with so much yet so poor. Let's dismantle. Enjoy.

[OPP ZM @HonMushimba]

Coming soon….

Regalia near you.

[OPP ZM @HonMushimba]

Our billboards have started going up around Lusaka.

Next is Kopala.

Please Join the revolution at https://t.co/DVdpUwm0nt

#HardReset

[OPP ZM @HonMushimba]

Our billboards have reached Solwezi! We have two months to convince a critical mass that we are the change agents the country needs & deserves. Our plans are rooted in dismantling what doesn’t work, hasn’t worked for decades. It’s time to rebuild with the right foundation.

[Andyford Mayele Banda @AndyfordMBanda]

STATE OF THE NATION

After the 2021 elections our country had a lot of hope for the future, having put aside all things which were considered undesirable from the previous regime. Change was delivered and a new chapter began.

People had hope that the economy would rebound, political violence would be a thing of the past, freedom of speech would be expanded, people would be free to gather, the government would consult its citizens on all critical issues, especially if it decided to amend the Constitution and many other pieces of legislation. Tribalism would no longer be at play, plus many other things people detested from the previous regime.

Five years later, the country seems to be getting into a far worse situation than before, for many reasons, including that the people citizens rejected in 2021 have found their way back into the ruling party again. But the fear is that certain circles in the country are ready to try what failed. Citizens are between a rock and a hard place especially that wherever they now look they see what they rejected. At this time, it looks like the future is grim.

Through our journey we have tried to collaborate with other like-minded people to deliver the right change. The truth is that while certain people can sing opposition, their hearts are not with this country. Hence I have always said even those we call bad people in government were once in the oppositon.

Zambia has 63 days to either go back, return, or start afresh. I have faith that it is time for people to open their ears to Dr. Brian Mushimba and myself over the next 63 days. Others already know what we stand for and we have not changed, others may want to learn.

While I have run for President twice, coming out fourth in both instances, in 2026 I have decided to lead from behind through this partnership with @HonMushimba. Service to country is more paramount than personal ambitions. In any event, if you want to lead you must be ready to serve.

Our current governance system has made it difficult for politicians to operate and freely offer checks and balances without worrying. This has made consistency to be hard because you just do not know what tomorrow brings. However, here we are in an election and requesting your support to turn things around in 63 days.

Dr. Brian Mushimba and I are asking for your support. We request that you really look and think about the options ahead and what is at stake. The time to desperately just vote out something and just bring anything is long gone. It is time to restart! Kindly pay attention to us in the next 63 days.

[Stellenbosch History Department @Stell_History]

Loved by students for his teaching, cherished by colleagues for his collaborative attitude, respected by peers for his scholarship, and admired by many for his public intellectual work, our very own @ssishuwa continues to soar and inspire. Enjoy Harvard.

https://t.co/ilkh0gORaS

[open minded @JeffMosesZulu3]

@AndyfordMBanda Together we can...👊👊👊

[Sishuwa Sishuwa @ssishuwa]

We all win when we create a Zambia that works for the many, not the few: A response to John Sangwa

1 January 2026

Dear John,

I am deeply grateful to you for your open letter of 18 December 2025 and for the generosity of spirit with which you addressed my decision to step away from providing public political commentary on matters of governance in Zambia. I am profoundly humbled that a citizen of your standing would publicly implore me to reconsider my decision. Your appeal, together with the pleas of many other Zambians who have reached out to me both publicly and privately, has weighed heavily on my conscience.

I read your letter with great care and emotion. I was particularly struck by your observation that my voice has been “a clarion call, reminding us that democracy is a sacred covenant that must be defended at all costs.” I was equally moved by your reminder that “your insistence on truth does not dissipate into emptiness; it creates a living discourse that others recognise and into which they are inspired to lend their voices.” Such words, coming from you, are both encouraging and sobering.

Like you, I remain deeply disappointed by the passage of Bill 7, whose adverse consequences will no doubt be felt soon and for many years to come. Its impact will be borne not only by ordinary Zambians, but also by those Members of Parliament who betrayed their oath to defend the Constitution and supported the Bill under questionable circumstances, as well as by intellectuals who chose, and continue to choose, silence in the face of grave threats to our constitutional and democratic order. I feel a particularly deep sense of sadness for the intellectuals who once stood with me when the previous government violated basic constitutional norms yet now choose silence as those same errors are repeated with even greater consequences. History will be an unforgiving judge of these choices.

It is also true, as you so candidly acknowledge, that I have paid a heavy personal price for my views. This has included abuse, the loss of friendships, betrayal, and even threats to my life. These are not abstract costs. They are real, personal, and at times deeply unsettling. My decision to step back was born of extreme disappointment, not indifference. Following the passage of Bill 7, I found myself despondent, as many Zambian patriots did, that such a manifestly unconstitutional amendment could be passed by the National Assembly even after the process leading to its development had been declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court.

However, I have reflected deeply on that decision and on the many earnest requests urging me to reconsider, including your own powerful entreaty. I have come to the conclusion that withdrawing my voice at this moment would be a dereliction of responsibility. Our country faces profound governance challenges that can only be addressed if we collectively and courageously confront the truth and direct our concerns to those we have entrusted with the management of our public affairs.

As a professional historian, I am privileged to understand some of these challenges. With that privilege comes a moral and ethical duty not only to share that understanding with fellow citizens, but also to speak truth to power when the occasion demands. I do not, for a moment, regret the time and effort I have devoted over the years to contributing to public discourse in an attempt to make Zambia a better place. I firmly believe that we all win when we create a Zambia that works for the many, not the few.

It is my sincere hope that the government will, at some point, choose to engage meaningfully with what I and many others have to offer in discussions aimed at building a more inclusive and fair society and a just, democratic, and constitutional order for all who live in or belong to our country. After all, this is what the government promised and what the President committed to do when he took his oath of office in August 2021. Silencing or ignoring dissenting voices has never strengthened a nation; engaging them honestly often does.

After careful reflection, I wish to confirm that I have rescinded my earlier decision. I will continue to offer public comment on issues of national significance, mindful of the risks, but strengthened by the knowledge that I am not alone. As you so rightly noted, “you are not a solitary voice crying out each day; many others are joining you in the struggle for a free, just, and democratic Zambia.” Discharging this civic duty sometimes puts some of us in harm’s way. However, we cannot run away from this responsibility, no matter how dangerous this undertaking may be. If anything, carrying out this role is more important than usual as we approach elections this year. It is likely that this year will be more difficult than the one before. It may even break or save Zambia.

Thank you once again for your courage, your solidarity, and your faith in the power of principled engagement. I am sincerely grateful. As you and many other people do, I believe deeply in Zambia and in all the communities that fashion its fabric. Zambia is the centre of my being; its well-being or integrity outweighs the interests of any individual or institution within it. And if all I can do is to speak, it is for Zambia that I will speak, whatever the personal cost.

As civic-minded citizens who care deeply about our country, we have a duty to refuse to assume the sterile attitude of a spectator when it comes to matters of governance. We should not be afraid. In fact, fear and ignorance are the tools that both trainee and established dictators rely upon to survive. If we succumb to fear and allow ignorance to be the guiding darkness in our lives, then we are doomed, for a very long time. Can we cast away our fear and equip ourselves with the weapon of knowledge necessary to win our freedom? We must.

Sishuwa Sishuwa
Citizen

[Distant Relative @LankyObserver]

The number one reason I will not vote UPND this time is its failure to articulate a compelling roadmap to Zambia's ultimate prosperity.

Debt restructuring isn't it. Chiluba got an IMF deal and still failed.

CDF isn't it. There's nothing about it any other govt couldn't do.

[Chonya @DrCh0nya]

2026 is here, Let Us Retire HH-Brebner Changala

Enough is enough.

UPND will be no more. Come this August, hope must be restored. We are tired of living in fear. Tired of hatred coming from leadership. Tired of selective justice, intimidation, and divisive speeches.

Leadership should unite, heal, and protect all citizens not rule through fear or vengeance. What we have witnessed under Hakainde Hichilema is not the Zambia we prayed for or voted for.

Zambia deserves peace.
Zambia deserves fairness.
Zambia deserves leadership with humility, empathy, and respect for the rule of law.

August is not about revenge it is about restoring dignity, justice, and hope to the people.

🇿🇲✊🏾

[Andyford Mayele Banda @AndyfordMBanda]

Happy New Year!

2026 is the coming of the second Independence of Zambia. Let's do this!

[Sishuwa Sishuwa @ssishuwa]

I sincerely thank everyone who took a moment to wish me a Happy Birthday. I feel truly grateful for all the lovely thoughts and beautiful wishes that came my way. It really means a lot. May joy and kindness find you always.❤️

[Sishuwa Sishuwa @ssishuwa]

What is said about us is not as important as what we know about ourselves, how we respond to what has been said, and the weight that we attach to that sentiment.

[Felix @FMwenge]

Wishing @ssishuwa a Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas 🎄🎂!

A countryman, UNZA and Oxford graduate, Stellenbosch Senior Lecturer in History and elected member of the University Council, Harvard Visiting Scholar, University of Cape Town Honorary Research Associate, Fellow of the UK Royal Historical Society, and author! 😊

I join the many voices urging SS recently to not shun political commentary. It may be uncomfortable for some, but it is an essential voice for others — and a vital sign of our democracy.

I don’t agree with everything SS says. However, I’ve learned in recent years that in some cases, whether we “like” or “dislike” him depends on our alignment or non alignment with political power.

I’ve seen the same people that celebrated him at one moment, condemn him at another, and those who once condemned him earlier, later celebrate him — many times for saying the same thing.

Often, I have observed, he has not changed his stance on certain national matters; it is the change of some people’s positioning in the political arena which seem to suddenly make his commentary begin to feel uncomfortable.

Whatever the case may be, he is a son of the soil and a true representation of #ZambiaKuChalo

Enjoy your day, sir 🙌🏾

[Andyford Mayele Banda @AndyfordMBanda]

PATRIOTISM IS MEASURED BY CONSISTENCY

As our nation attempts to heal from the deep constitutional wounds inflicted by the passing and enactment of Bill 7, allow me to reflect following in the principled footsteps of State Counsel John Sangwa on a fellow patriot, a comrade, and a friend of mine @ssishuwa.

History is unambiguous on one truth: those it remembers kindly are men and women who remained consistent in their convictions, even when it was costly to do so. True patriots do not shift with political convenience; they stand firm, anchored on principle, and are always found on the right side of history.

That kind of consistency is never cheap. It demands immense personal sacrifice. It invites isolation, ridicule, and discouragement. There are moments when the burden becomes so heavy that surrender feels tempting. Yet, patriotism demands endurance.

I fully understand where my friend Sishuwa Sishuwa finds himself today having fought relentlessly against Bill 7 and many other assaults on constitutionalism. Long before this moment, Sishuwa foresaw the danger ahead. Like a prophet unwelcomed in his own land, he sounded the alarm early. Instead of listening, many of our fellow countrymen and women dismissed his warnings as alarmist or attention seeking.

But these were never mere warnings about Bill 7 in isolation. They were warnings about a broader and more dangerous project: the deliberate manipulation of the Constitution by President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND. Those warnings were ignored. He was dismissed. And so were we.

As a historian, Sishuwa understands this moment deeply. As a student of history myself, I equally comprehend where Bill 7 is taking this country and what its true intentions are. The consequences may not be immediately visible or felt today, but time has a way of revealing truth. One day, Zambia will understand why some citizens resisted Bill 7 with the same resolve with which we opposed Bill 10.

The tragedy perhaps the most painful irony is that we resisted Bill 10 shoulder to shoulder with some of the very people who have today abandoned the principles they once claimed to defend.

It must also be said clearly: the most dangerous abuse of Bill 7 may not even come from the UPND. Tomorrow, another government perhaps in 2026 could weaponize these same constitutional distortions against the people of Zambia. That is why this fight was never about personalities or political parties; it was about the Republic itself.

To my friend Sishuwa: I understand your disappointment. I understand your exhaustion. We are all deeply disheartened by the outcome of Bill 7. But this is not the moment to surrender. Patriots do not retreat when the struggle becomes difficult.

We still need your voice. We still need your courage. The battle is not lost; it merely demands a recalibration of strategy, direction, and scope.

My comrade, my friend, my brother let us press on. History will vindicate you. Zambia will one day thank you.

May God bless you, and may God bless the Republic of Zambia.

[StoicRise @StoicRise]

15 Deep Truths about Life:

1.

[Hopewell Chin’ono @daddyhope]

Benin’s president, Patrice Talon, has been toppled by his army in a military coup in that West African country. Patrice Talon has been in power since 6 April 2016.

Before becoming president, Talon was a very successful businessman and one of the most influential figures in Benin’s private sector.

Benin, formerly Dahomey, experienced six successful military coups between 1963 and 1972, as well as two unsuccessful attempts. The country became independent from France on 1 August 1960.

At this moment, there are four West African countries under military rule, namely Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Guinea. Benin becomes the fifth after today’s coup.

[Andyford Mayele Banda @AndyfordMBanda]

WE’RE ONE ZAMBIA ALLIANCE (WOZA) LAUNCHED

After months of planning, discussion, and careful agreement-building, the We’re One Zambia Alliance (WOZA) was officially launched on 5th December 2025. The time taken to reach this milestone was deliberate and necessary — WOZA was never intended to become just another alliance without clear purpose or direction.

As many of you are aware, the People’s Alliance for Change (PAC) has not been part of any political alliance since 2021. Our decision to join WOZA reflects the overwhelming call from Zambians who have consistently demanded unity of purpose among opposition political parties. By answering that call, PAC has finally found a platform of like-minded political organisations and individuals whose collective experience forms a strong and credible team.

What makes this alliance different?
WOZA, in reality, has existed for close to a year. It did not rush to launch because the focus was on ensuring sincerity, clarity, and stability. One of the major reasons alliances fail is launching before establishing ground rules. Parties get excited and come together prematurely, only to break apart when disagreements emerge.

WOZA has taken the opposite approach. Before launch, the alliance agreed upon and signed key foundational documents — with additional documents still being finalised — ensuring stability and shared understanding from the outset.

Many PAC members and members of the public have asked: “Who is your flag bearer?”
This alliance was not created to elevate one individual. Furthermore, the rules and procedures for selecting a flag bearer have already been agreed upon by all members. Internal elections will be held in January 2026 to determine the alliance’s presidential candidate.

WOZA remains open and inclusive. Other political parties, civil society organisations, and individuals who support this cause are welcome to join. Interested parties may contact the Alliance Secretary General and Spokesperson, Mr. Muhabi Lungu.

I urge all PAC members, alliance partners, and the people of Zambia to support this just cause as we work together to reclaim our country from total decline.

WOZA so that we bring about real change.

Enjoy your weekend.

Andyford Mayele Banda
President, People’s Alliance for Change (PAC)
Member of the WOZA Council

[Sishuwa Sishuwa @ssishuwa]

Zambia is on a dangerous path: the president is subverting peaceful and democratic means of removing him from office. Unless corrected, this continued disregard for constitutional norms and democratic principles may drive the country towards instability.
https://t.co/ruwTDOlX5a