OPINION | The Politics of Self-Interest: Why Voters Share the Blame

In our editorial last week, we argued that Zambia’s political class is among the country’s greatest challenges as we head towards the August elections. But are politicians alone responsible for the state of our politics?

The answer is no.

Voters, too, bear a share of the responsibility. Too often, electoral choices are influenced not by a candidate’s competence, integrity, vision or ability to provide effective leadership, but by personal connections, family ties, ethnic affiliation, regional loyalties or the expectation of personal gain. In such circumstances, support for a politician is driven less by considerations of the national interest and more by narrow self-interest.

This is not a uniquely Zambian problem, but it has become deeply embedded in our political culture.

Every election cycle brings with it a scramble for proximity to power. Citizens align themselves with political camps not necessarily because they believe in particular policies or ideas, but because they hope to benefit if their preferred candidate wins. Politicians understand this reality and often exploit it.

Campaign promises are increasingly framed around access to opportunities, jobs and appointments rather than long-term solutions to the country’s challenges.

For many people, a successful election is one that results in personal rewards. It may mean securing a government job, obtaining an appointment to a diplomatic mission, joining the board of a state-owned enterprise, winning a government contract, or ensuring that a relative is placed on a list of prospective public sector recruits. Politics becomes less about public service and more about access to resources.

The Constituency Development Fund, one of the government’s flagship decentralisation programmes, has not been immune from these dynamics. Investigations by MakanDay have repeatedly uncovered allegations that access to certain CDF opportunities—including skills training bursaries, empowerment grants and other benefits—is sometimes influenced by political considerations.

In several communities, residents have complained that opportunities are disproportionately awarded to ruling party supporters or those perceived to be sympathetic to the governing party, rather than being allocated transparently and on the basis of need or merit. Whether these allegations are isolated incidents or evidence of a broader pattern, they reinforce a dangerous perception that public resources are rewards for political loyalty rather than assets belonging to all citizens.

The consequences are profound. When votes are exchanged for promises of personal benefit, accountability suffers. Politicians learn that they do not necessarily need to deliver effective governance or fulfil campaign promises. Instead, they need only satisfy a relatively small group of supporters and beneficiaries. Citizens, meanwhile, become less likely to scrutinise leaders they perceive as advancing their own interests.

This transactional approach to politics creates a toxic environment in which opportunities are viewed as rewards for political loyalty rather than rights or entitlements available to all citizens on the basis of merit. Public institutions become vulnerable to patronage. Meritocracy weakens. Corruption flourishes. National development takes a back seat to political survival.

Perhaps most worrying is that this culture encourages voters to view politics as a competition between groups seeking access to state resources rather than a contest of ideas about how best to govern the country. Elections become battles over who gets to eat rather than discussions about how to create prosperity for everyone.

Politicians deserve criticism when they manipulate these tendencies. But voters must also reflect on the role they play in sustaining them. A democracy cannot function effectively when citizens demand personal favours instead of good governance, or when loyalty to individuals outweighs commitment to principles.

As Zambia prepares to go to the polls, the challenge is not only for politicians to offer better leadership. It is also for voters to demand it. The quality of our democracy ultimately reflects the choices we make. If we continue to reward self-interest, we should not be surprised when self-interest becomes the defining feature of our politics.

The future of Zambia will be shaped not only by those who seek office, but also by those who elect them.