Group challenges parties to present clear rural transformation plans ahead of 2026 elections in Zambia

Support for Vulnerable Communities and Active Leadership (SVCAL) has called on all political parties in Zambia to outline clear and actionable policies aimed at transforming rural areas as the nation prepares for the 2026 General Elections.

SVCAL Chief Visionary Leader, Eugene Machona, expressed concern that over 90 percent of most rural communities remained without access to basic social and economic amenities, including electricity, clean water, and good road networks.

In a statement issued in Lusaka on Thursday, Machona said the persistent neglect had continued to widen the inequality gap between rural and urban populations, leaving millions of citizens trapped in poverty and economic exclusion.

He urged all political parties—regardless of size or affiliation—to move beyond campaign rhetoric and present practical blueprints for addressing the structural barriers facing rural Zambia.

Machona said voters should be able to assess how each political party intended to tackle poverty, improve service delivery, enhance local enterprise, and strengthen rural governance systems.

“As part of its governance watch mandate, SVCAL will closely monitor manifestos, policy pronouncements and campaign activities of all political entities to ensure that the rural agenda remains at the heart of Zambia’s development discourse,” he said.

He added that the organization would also engage with media institutions, faith-based organizations, and traditional leadership structures to amplify rural voices and demand accountability from those seeking public office.

Machona reiterated that true national progress could not be achieved if the rural majority continued to live without dignity, opportunity, and essential services.

“The transformation of rural Zambia must therefore form the cornerstone of every political and governance strategy as the country advances toward the 2026 polls,” Machona said.

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