Is the Socialist Party also re-branding?

THE Socialist Party (SP) seems to have done a thorough evaluation of their electoral performance in the August 12, 2021 general elections.

There are indicators of fundamental shifts in their mobilisation strategies and unfortunately these shifts are clearly unconstitutional or non-traditional.

Under the Socialist constitution, potential members can only become active members once they have undertaken a basic training in the value system known as JEP.

JEP stands for Justice, Equity and Peace. This is no longer the case, as most of the well-known politicians such as Paul Moonga who just recently defected from the PF have been unveiled as SP members and appointed into the national mobilisation committee.

The provision of grass root conscientisation through popular education was intended to cause the revolution from below because people would have realised and known the oppressive system in which they were cooperating.

But now, we have the new strategy directed at getting experienced politicians so that there is mass mobilisation led by the top, win state power and push for socialism as a reform process from the top. It is socialism with Zambia colours.

The mass mobilisation approach without any integrated and sustainable in-house popular education will make the Socialist Party similar to PF or UPND.

These are parties with grassroot membership which is passive, in worse cases violent, and good at sloganeering such as “Amaka Ku Bantu” or “Zambia Forward.”

My little exposure to literature about Socialist parties around the world informs me that they are very strong at developing hard core vanguard visionaries and idealogues, because they believe in investment in popular education to create a different world view.

They operate like churches with their evangelisation programmes.