The Editor Zambia
Politics is at its best when it is founded on facts, honesty and credible alternatives.
It is at its worst when leaders deliberately spread misinformation in the hope of exploiting public anxieties for political gain. That is why some of the recent statements attributed to Brian Mundubile deserve careful scrutiny. 
One of the claims he has been advancing is that farmers are now sharing small containers, commonly known as meda (gallons), of fertiliser because government support has become grossly inadequate.
Such a claim simply does not stand up against the available evidence.
If farmers were genuinely receiving fertiliser in such insignificant quantities, how does one explain Zambia’s impressive agricultural performance?
Zambia has recorded an estimated maize harvest of around four million tonnes in the previous season and has now achieved an estimated five million tonnes this season. Such levels of production are not consistent with the picture of widespread fertiliser shortages that Mundubile is portraying.
While no agricultural support programme is beyond criticism or improvement, the suggestion that fertiliser distribution has collapsed is plainly contradicted by production outcomes.
Equally troubling is the claim by the Tonse Alliance leader that Zambians are dying of hunger. This is an exceptionally serious allegation and one that should never be made lightly. Zambia undoubtedly faced one of the most severe droughts in its modern history, placing immense pressure on food production, electricity generation, and rural livelihoods.
However, despite these extraordinary challenges, the country mounted extensive relief interventions to protect vulnerable households and no single life was lost as a result.
Assertions that people were dying of hunger require compelling evidence, not political rhetoric.
Public confidence in democratic institutions depends upon responsible leadership.
Opposition leaders have every right and indeed every duty to question government policy, expose shortcomings, and present alternative solutions. That is the essence of democracy.
However, there is a fundamental distinction between robust criticism and the deliberate distortion of facts.
When politicians exaggerate hardship or manufacture crises that cannot be substantiated, they risk misleading citizens who rely on public figures for truthful information.
Such conduct may generate applause at political rallies, but it ultimately weakens informed public debate and undermines trust in the political process.
Voters deserve leaders who present evidence rather than anecdotes, solutions rather than sensationalism, and policies rather than propaganda.
Zambia’s democratic future depends not on who can tell the most alarming story but on who can provide the most credible answers to the nation’s challenges.
As the country moves closer to the next general election, citizens should examine every political statement with care. They should ask a simple question: Where is the evidence? Democracy is strengthened when voters reward truth and competence, not dangerous populism built upon falsehoods and fear.
