Opposition presidential candidate Brian Mundubile has launched a public fundraising drive for his campaign, inviting ordinary Zambians to bankroll his bid for the presidency with the national vote fast approaching.

The National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity leader announced the initiative in a Facebook post on Saturday, describing it as a “people-driven campaign” and urging citizens to make voluntary contributions towards party activities.

The move places Mundubile’s financing strategy in the same category as that once associated with constitutional lawyer John Sangwa, who built his Movement for National Renewal candidacy around the same citizen-funded model before withdrawing from the race earlier this year, citing registration delays and fears among supporters over the traceability of contributions.

Mundubile disclosed no fundraising target and gave no indication of how contributions would be collected or accounted for. The post directed supporters to a newly launched campaign support platform.

The NRPUP candidate paired the appeal with a policy pledge, promising to revise school grants upwards once he forms government. He offered no detail on the scale of the proposed increase or its funding source.

UPND supporters have moved swiftly to criticise the fundraising appeal on social media, framing it as evidence of a struggling campaign. The mockery, however, sits awkwardly against President Hakainde Hichilema’s own fundraising history. In September 2015, ahead of the 2016 election, Hichilema publicly promoted a donation platform, HH-Zambia.com, urging supporters to “spread the word” that his campaign could now receive donations. He renewed the approach in 2021, running a GoFundMe page titled “Hakainde Hichilema-2021 Presidential Fundraiser,” which accepted small individual donations processed through the platform.

Both fundraising drives were run openly and publicly, mirroring the model Mundubile has now adopted.

The announcement lands at a sensitive point in the campaign calendar. With voters set to head to the polls within days, presidential candidates typically shift from broad policy messaging to logistics-heavy final pushes covering transport, rally costs and get-out-the-vote operations, all of which require sustained cash flow.

The NRPUP has campaigned on a platform of national reconciliation and unity, with Mundubile and running mate Makebi Zulu positioning themselves as the primary challenge to Hichilema.

The party has in recent days gained momentum from defections, including former Ngambela Clement Sinyinda, who publicly endorsed the Mundubile-Zulu ticket after withdrawing his support for Hichilema.

Presidential campaigns in Zambia require substantial resources for provincial travel, rally logistics, campaign materials and volunteer coordination, particularly given the country’s geographic spread and infrastructure challenges.

Crowdfunding as a campaign financing model carries both advantages and risks. Supporters argue it strengthens grassroots ownership and reduces dependence on a small number of wealthy backers who might expect political favours in return. Sangwa’s own experience with the model illustrates the risks, as his campaign ultimately stalled partly over difficulties raising funds through the same approach.

Whether Mundubile’s version can generate sufficient resources to compete with better-resourced rivals in the campaign’s closing days remains an open question, particularly in a race already shaping up to be tightly contested.

The NRPUP has not indicated whether it will publish regular updates on funds raised, or whether the platform will remain open through to polling day.

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