SINCE UPND formed government in 2021, Zambia’s political environment has undergone noticeable changes, some positive and others troubling. On the positive side, the country has largely been freed from the culture of cadreism that had become deeply entrenched under the PF administration. We no longer witness mobs of party cadres wielding pangas, intimidating citizens, blocking roads, or violently disrupting public life with impunity. That alone is a significant achievement and deserves acknowledgement. However, while the reduction in cadre violence is welcome, it has come with an unintended but serious consequence: the near-total disappearance of opposition political rallies. This is not a healthy development for a democracy. For democracy to thrive, political competition must be visible, active, and unrestricted within the...