Let's make some noise

It did not take long for the noise to start. Mazabuka, probably like every other town across Zambia, now has campaign vehicles being driven around daily blaring out loud music and party messages with supporters singing, dancing and chanting their own particular slogans. The parties compete with each other to see who can make the most noise, get out the largest number of supporters and also cause the most amount of disruption on the roads by slowing down or often stopping traffic. The two banners in the picture have been part of a game of cat and mouse pitched on the roundabout. At one point the red banner (one of the opposition parties) was positioned above the blue banner (depicting the President and the party in government). This was deemed to be offensive and undermining to the President so the blue one had to move – side by side being the diplomatic alternative. Otherwise Mazabuka has been fairly quiet so far and has not experienced any of small scale fighting and bickering that has occurred in some other towns. The weather is hotting up and so too are the politicians and their parties.