The Zambia Police Service in Eastern Province has confirmed raiding the private residence of Patriotic Front (PF) presidential aspirant, Makebi Zulu in Mambwe District. According to Eastern Province Police Commanding Officer Robertson Mweemba, the police acted on intelligence information concerning a planned unlawful assembly at Mr. Zulu's property. Over 250 people had gathered, sparking significant security concerns, leading police to intervene to ensure peace and prevent potential confrontations.

Mr. Mweemba emphasized that any gathering of such magnitude at a private residence requires a police permit, highlighting the police's duty to protect life and property by dispersing the "illegal meeting." This incident adds a crucial layer to the narrative surrounding Makebi Zulu's re-emergence in the political landscape of Eastern Province.

Makebi Zulu's return to his home soil in Malambo is viewed not as a sudden surge but as a calculated recalibration of his political strategy. He recognizes that Eastern Province is a region that values familiarity, reassurance, and a long memory, rather than being swayed by mere excitement.

This approach harks back to the "Wako ni Wako" (one of your own) political instinct, popularized by the late former President Rupiah Banda, which advocates for rallying around and protecting one's own people. Though not openly articulated, this sentiment continues to resonate quietly within villages, wards, and party structures.

Within the PF base, this regional instinct confronts unresolved bitterness stemming from the party's 2021 defeat, which many "original greens" attribute to the succession battle following Michael Sata's death. Despite Edgar Lungu, an Easterner, taking over, the party eventually lost power.

Some northern-based PF figures, now aligned with Brian Mundubile, maintain that the Eastern Province leadership ultimately cost the party State House. This unspoken sentiment creates resistance to another Eastern figure inheriting the PF brand or its political legacy, a terrain Makebi Zulu is carefully navigating.

Zulu understands that open discussion of these internal hostilities would further fragment the PF, making a national takeover impossible without first establishing a strong home base. This explains his strategic engagement with chiefs, rituals, and regional affirmation. His recent anointing by Chief Mkanya is not mere political theatre but a deliberate message to local structures: he is reclaiming legitimacy from the grassroots, rather than awaiting endorsement from a divided party center.

However, this path is not without its contradictions. Makebi Zulu previously served as Eastern Province Minister and Malambo Member of Parliament, losing his seat in 2021. This electoral defeat still casts a shadow over his current mobilization efforts. The political figures surrounding him, comprising former ministers and Lungu-era loyalists, bring historical weight but possess limited current ground power.

Their influence relies more on memory than on established party structures. Zulu leans on these individuals due to their trusted standing within the Lungu circle, positioning himself as a custodian of that legacy during a time when the PF itself struggles to define its meaning. Consequently, Edgar Lungu’s name remains central to Zulu's messaging, serving not just as nostalgia but as a vital element of survival politics in a fractured opposition landscape where grief often mobilizes more effectively than ideology.

The police presence at his Malambo home further complicates the narrative. While authorities cited the lack of a permit, supporters perceive the action as intimidation. Regardless of intent, the optics are significant: a leader returning home to organize, amidst a police presence, reinforces Makebi's narrative of resistance and struggle. In Eastern Province, such a narrative often resonates more powerfully than polished press statements.

This phase represents groundwork, not yet full momentum, as Eastern Province is known for its measured pace. Makebi Zulu's gamble hinges on whether regional affirmation, loyalty to the Lungu legacy, and subtle ethnic calculations can rebuild his relevance before August.

The effectiveness of this strategy against entrenched party structures and voter memory of the 2021 elections remains uncertain. What is clear is a growing trend in opposition politics towards regional logic, where parties weaken, personalities rise, and old wounds shape new strategies. Eastern Province is once again at a crossroads, asked to choose between memory and the future, a decision that will be neither rushed nor simple.