LUSAKA – Zambian musician Mwila Musonda, popularly known as Slapdee, has called for love, peace and unity as the country prepares for the General Election on 13 August 2026.
Slapdee delivered the message during a meeting with Information and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana at the Ministry’s offices in Lusaka.
According to Mr Kawana, the discussion extended beyond the music industry and focused on the responsibility Zambians share in protecting national unity during the election period.
A call for peace before, during and after voting
Slapdee urged citizens to value peaceful coexistence and recognise national diversity as a source of strength.
The message emphasised that political contests are temporary, while Zambia remains a shared home for people with different political views, cultural identities and backgrounds.
Mr Kawana endorsed the appeal and encouraged Zambians to embrace the principle of “One Zambia, One Nation and One People” before, during and after the polls.
Artists can reach audiences beyond formal politics
Musicians and other creative professionals often communicate with audiences that may not engage regularly with formal government or political institutions. Their public messages can therefore influence discussions among young people and communities that follow popular culture closely.
Slapdee is one of Zambia’s best-known hip-hop artists and has built a national audience over a long recording career. His intervention places a familiar cultural voice within the wider public conversation about peaceful participation.
The meeting did not include an announced policy agreement, funding commitment or formal electoral role for the artist. The stated focus was a civic message encouraging peace and national cohesion.
Peace also protects economic activity
A peaceful election environment matters beyond politics. Businesses, workers, transport operators and investors depend on predictable movement, functioning communications and public confidence.
Disruption or violence can reduce trading hours, interrupt transport and discourage investment. Peaceful participation, by contrast, allows households and businesses to continue their activities while citizens exercise their democratic rights.
The wider relationship between elections and economic policy is examined in Elections Are a Major Economic Event.
Institutions intensify election preparations
The peace appeal comes as the Electoral Commission of Zambia continues operational and stakeholder preparations for voting. The ECZ has recently briefed political parties, candidates and international observers on election readiness and key procedures.
Regional and international observation missions have also been deployed across the country, while political parties, civil society organisations, religious leaders and public figures continue appealing for restraint.
The practical test will be whether candidates, supporters and institutions translate those public appeals into peaceful conduct throughout voting, counting and the post-election period.
Source: Statement by Thabo Kawana, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Media. Image credit: Thabo Kawana, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Media.
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