PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema’s launch of his re-election campaign at Heroes Stadium had all the colours of a ruling party entering the final stretch with confidence. Of course, there was music, spectacle and multitudes, but unfortunately for the President’s handlers, there was also a dance routine that may travel further on social media than the speech itself. Zambians are playful people. Give them one awkward twerk from a President trying too hard to look like a common politician, and they will make it the headline. But it would be unfair to reduce Sunday’s launch to that skit. Beyond the dancing, Mr Hichilema made a case for his re-election. He spoke about debt, reserves, free education, inflation, the cost of living and the foundation which his government claims to have laid.

In truth, the President’s work was made easier by the careless remarks attributed to Mr Brian Mundubile on foreign reserves. No serious presidential candidate should speak about reserves as if they are useless savings kept for decoration. Foreign reserves are not a campaign slogan. They are a country’s insurance against external shocks. They matter when fuel must be imported, when food must be bought during drought, when medicines must be paid for, when the kwacha comes under pressure, and when creditors are measuring national credibility. A politician may mock economic language because it sounds distant from hunger, but governance punishes ignorance. One cannot wish away reserves simply because youths need jobs or council workers need salaries. Those are problems, but they do not make reserves useless.

This is where the opposition NRPUP has a problem. We have observed that they are succeeding in attracting good crowds to their rallies. That must not be dismissed. Crowds say something about public curiosity, frustration and appetite for alternatives. But crowds are just that, crowds. When it comes to reasonable, realistic and truthful messaging, NRPUP is lagging far behind. Mr Mundubile speaks with confidence, but too often the substance is dangerously thin. He gives the impression of a man who believes that volume can substitute for vision, and that excitement can cover gaps in understanding economic issues and governance.

Take his message in Petauke, where he told voters that his “young brother” Jay Jay Banda had started constructing 40 health posts, that works had reached 80 per cent, and that people should vote Mundubile so that he can complete the clinics Jay Jay left. First of all, is this true? Which health posts did the former Petauke MP start constructing? Which money was being used for that? Is it the role of an MP to build clinics or hospitals? What exactly is the governance framework behind such a promise? Was this a government programme, a parliamentary project, a private initiative or political theatre? How does a presidential candidate who understands issues make such a claim and a promise?

This is why we say, pound for pound, Mr Mundubile still has a lot of work to do before he can convince serious citizens that he is ready to run a government. He may be energetic. He may be popular in certain crowds. He may know how to provoke applause. But governing is no, he is far. Running a country requires discipline of thought. It requires a candidate to understand the economy, the Constitution, public finance, international obligations, decentralisation, service delivery and the limits of political promises. On many of these fronts, Mr Mundubile is lacking.

President Hichilema, for all his weaknesses, beats him on this score. Mr Hichilema may not be a natural career politician. His attempts to behave differently from his normal self sometimes make him look strange. The Heroes Stadium twerking moment is a good example of a leader trying too hard to become what he sees in other politicians. HH does not need that. His strength is not in dancing. His strength is in explaining economic choices, presenting himself as a manager and defending his record. When he sticks to that lane, he is more convincing.

Of course we don’t miss an opportunity to remind the President that he must also be careful. Mocking opponents as ignorant may excite supporters, but it does not change the high cost of living for citizens. Many families still feel that macroeconomic gains have not yet entered their kitchens. The President was right to acknowledge that life is still challenging and that more work remains to be done. That humility must not be swallowed by arrogance. It is not enough to say inflation has reduced if mealie meal, fuel, rent and transport remain heavy on household budgets. Citizens understand economic indicators better when they feel relief in their pockets.