Watermelon Campaign: Can History Repeat Itself?

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UPND-Cadres - Watermelon - Picture credit Tunfweko
UPND-Cadres - Watermelon - Picture credit Tunfweko

The run-up to Zambia’s 11th of August 2016 elections has been characterised by violence and intimidation of political opponents. In addition, the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) has been facing allegations of abusing state institutions, such as the police, military and Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) to bully perceived political opponents. In response to the Machiavellian political tactics by the ruling party, the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) launched the “Watermelon Campaign”.

The ruling Patriotic Front (PF) is describing the UPND “Operation Watermelon” as evil and a recipe for bloodshed. The “Watermelon Campaign” draws similar parallels to the PF’s “Donchi Kubeba” campaign during the 2011 elections campaign. The reaction of the ruling PF to watermelon campaign show a political incumbency in panic under huge distress. The PF knows the effectiveness of non-violent underground campaigns having been beneficiaries of such a campaign strategy in the 2011 elections. The big question is whether the panic reaction of the PF is driven by the fear of the power of such a strategy or real concerns for violence?

In the 2011 general elections the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) were busy splashing out a lot of money and campaign materials to bribe voters. In addition, President Rupiah Banda and the MMD allegedly resorted to political violence and intimidation of voters. In response, the PF launched an underground and non-violent campaign strategy “Donchi Kubeba” (Don’t talk, your vote is your secret) to deal with then ruling MMD. The strategy successfully worked well as the PF triumphed in the 2011elections.

The MMD rallies and meetings were highly subscribed, creating a lull that, it was still popular and yet what people were doing was shouting MMD slogans, pocket their money, materials and in turn voted for the PF.

To get more insights into the “Watermelon Campaign”, I spoke to a PF and UPND cadre based at the highly politicised Intercity Bus Terminal and Lusaka City Market respectively.

John Mwape (not real name) a strong PF supporter and a bus conductor at Intercity Bus Terminal said, “Markets and bus stations have been heavily politicized areas and a number of incidents have happened where people’s shops are rioted or burnt down because they are suspected of supporting the opposition”.

For Mwape, the politicisation of markets and bus terminus is not anything new and was not started by the PF. He argued that it part and parcel of Zambian politics. Mwape noted that the local city council has failed to take charge of the markets and bus stations and this has been the trend dating as far back to the time of the ruling MMD.

Mwape defended President Lungu, statement calling Operation Watermelon as evil saying the plan is evil because by wearing PF campaign materials the opposition can commit violence in the name of the PF. He argued that by wearing PF regalia the opposition is unnecessarily provoking and mocking the ruling party. For Mwape this could potential cause bloodshed if one is caught.

Susan Mwanza (not real name) a fruit and vegetable trader in Lusaka’s City Market defended Operation Watermelon. She said the PF is going to get a test of its own medicine come Thursday’s elections.

Mwanza said, this year the UPND is the one playing the Donchi Kubeba on PF, we are all appearing green outside but inside our hearts we know who exactly we are voting for.

Mwanza added that Operation Watermelon is a mind game and this is disturbing PF so much as it is torturing their minds on whom exactly is on their side.

Mwanza disclosed that in a market like City market where levies, shop rentals and all affairs of the market which includes security and cleaning are controlled by the ruling party, it is very dangerous for her to openly come out in the open on her political preferences.

“I could lose my shop and everything that I have invested here, if I openly came out as opposing the PF and therefore, the Operation Watermelon is a plan that works out well for people that are in places like markets” said Mwanza.

 

Mwanza said, violence is so much in Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces because these where the strongholds of PF but things have changed this year as the two provinces have split with both PF and UPND enjoying a fifty-fifty chance of winning.

 

And UPND has maintained that Operation Watermelon is a safety strategy aimed at protecting its members from been attacked by PF.

 

And Late President Michael Sata in 2011 supported the Donchi Kubeba theory and encouraged PF supporters to attend rallies and functions organised by MMD and other political parties among them the UPND and FDD and collect any gifts, money or materials

Mulenga Sata (son to late President Sata) now in the opposition UPND, claims that the police has failed them and is biased towards PF. Sata notes that his party has resolved that they only way to protect themselves is to appear green outside and remain red inside.

The only reason that President Lungu is calling this strategy evil is because he is fully aware of the impact that such a strategy has in terms of the election outcomes, Sata has charged.

For Sata, Operation Watermelon is Donchi Kubeba part two. He claims that, right now the PF is not sure how much support it has on the ground because the numbers of people wearing and shouting their slogans does not mean anything. It is the votes that will count at the end of the day, says Sata.

However, what remains to be seen is whether the UPND’s “Watermelon Campaign” will enjoy the same success as “Donchi Kubeba”? Zambians will decide with their vote tomorrow on the 11th of August 2016. It is only tomorrow’s elections, which will tell whether history has managed to repeat itself.

By Mutinta Himunyanga

UPND-Cadres – Watermelon – Picture credit Tunfweko

140 COMMENTS

  1. Water Mellon has worked in mumbwa. I never expected these results here in mumbwa according to the response of mumbwa people when we were having rallies with them. They don’t need development here.

  2. When eating. The watermelon you eat the red staff what remains the green staff via pf u fools wakeup ecl

  3. Upnd there jst lyk thy president ad de vice wu beats he’s wife ,these pipo ar fools infintu no lungu don’t worry ba PF God z with us

  4. Shameless behaviours nd may God forgive you for all troubles you caused the nation. Who ever supported this move is Evil

  5. Oh okay,,,,so ba upnd u r th ones who stoned your president,s chopper so dat u put th blame on innocent pf???? Shame on u!!! God has xposed u peacefully in th name of watermelon

  6. we shall see what you remove upon declairing Lungu as Republican President..winango aza vula nkanda yake

  7. Is just as simple as total chabe and announce we are all aware in what’s happening in all polling stations

  8. Hw can a normal person vote for a freemansonly{mansonist}??its same as u re vottin for Idi’amin.HH is a mansonist he eats people’s butts.Infintu Ni lungu for lif

  9. Watermelons ineed this pipo are truly usles just wait and our strong holds are yet to be anounced

  10. So this is what is really behind the watermelon, to fight fellow upnd guys and tarnish pf, but it has not worked a lot watermelons have been eaten.

  11. Hypocrisy fiupnd you pretend a lot don’t hide in our attire and perpetrate violence
    Mwembwamwe

  12. these cadres behave like sluts. Ukwalola umwela. Anyway at the end. We are all zambians.

  13. Watermelon ifyabupuba ur da same pipo attacking nd Killin pipo den pretending to be pf try all ur tricks bottom line z u are losing

  14. U r truly watermelons ba pf I guess u r shy to show ur self wer belong to remember one Zambia one nation don’t be scared any more feel free feel at home don’t hide ur selvs nhm

  15. Someone will cry,idiots are even kamaflagin and attacking pipo,b proud of ur losing party,u’ll never rule

  16. So thugs wearing pf regalia and pretending to pf and beating and harassing the public so that people point at the ruling party and say they are harassing innocent citizens, Do you think Zambians will support u evil deeds? Too bad you curse even beat up people insult but leadership is not yours. Until the day u grow up

  17. Nayo slogan ati watermelon awe sure menshi yeka yeka obviously its not even sweet yaba!!! Kikikikikikiki #wenUPNDlackscreativity

  18. It can’t becouse the fruit is roten so you can’t eat what is inside but you can see that it tried to hide it self from the public after realising it was not fit for human consumption so it’s history

  19. I can describe the situation being faced by my UPND brothers and sisters as a quagmire, they are in limbo were the issue of results is concerned, they cannot practice pomposity, hyperbolic or braggadocio like they used to before elections.

    Allow me to speak like a prophet i forsee a situation called political conundrum which can cause political dichotomy and political dichotomy can cause political pandemonium which can lead to political catastrophe

    #CHIKONKOMWIKATE!!!

    😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

  20. most of these things happen to people who are undecided o should I say those who don’t know exactly which political party to belong too……remember Zambian is a christian nation and whatever we do judgement wil follow after….pliz don’t serve two masters at the same time just be you and follow your heart..the Bibble say if you chose to please man u can nt be a servant of GOD

  21. Lol I lov the unity btwn the two Red n green lol I see the future can I predict am cycic Guys!! UPND watermelons on gear foward … Hahahahahaha n pf too revearse hehehe wat a quesdance!!

  22. So These are the guys who were causing violence in name of PF when they were actually UPND cadres.
    I am quitting eating water melon

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  24. You know guy don’t talk like idiots.were you evolved wen upnd members were killed??????fool

  25. thz er desparet foolz wth no vision,,,kafwayeni inchito ba mbuli.watermelon finshiiii pwapwapwapwa

  26. THESE ARE THE ELEMENTS WHO HAVE BEEN CAUSING CONFUSION IN OUR COUNTRY.OUR GOD WILL JUDGE YOU.

  27. These are the same culprits attacking their fellow UPND inorder to blemish the PF’s Name.you should be ashamed of your foolish selves.

  28. Fuck watermelon have u ever seen a watermelon grow without the outer part thing before saying staff

  29. BREAKING NEWS: GUY SCOTT MOBBED AT KATONDO
    ====================
    Guy Scott has failed to cast his vote at Katondo Street because the people standing in long queues mobbed him. The people were shouting PF slogans and waiving the PF symbol.

    Feeling embarrassed and rejected Guy Scott just went back to his vehicle and drove away.

    I hope he will come back to vote because it is his right.

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