Chingola Miners Back Hichilema for 2026, Cite CDF Impact

Small-scale miners from Chiwempala in Chingola have thrown their support behind President Hakainde Hichilema ahead of the 2026 general election, citing the transformative impact of Constituency Development Fund programmes on their communities.

Speaking on behalf of the group, representative Ben Bwalya said the miners will back President Hichilema at the ballot box, pointing to CDF empowerment initiatives as evidence of a government that is genuinely invested in young people's futures. Mr Bwalya said the programmes demonstrate the President's commitment to lifting communities out of poverty and creating real economic opportunity at the grassroots level.

His remarks came during a visit to the miners by Chingola Member of Parliament Chipoka Mulenga, who used the occasion to reinforce the government's position on small-scale mining. Mr Mulenga stressed that every life lost to illegal mining is a tragedy that can and must be prevented, and urged miners to operate within a formal, structured framework equipped with the proper tools and safety standards. He said formalising small-scale mining is not about restriction — it is about protection.

Chingola District Commissioner Howard Kamwandi added his voice to the message, encouraging young people across the district to actively engage with available CDF programmes as a route to acquiring practical, marketable skills.

The endorsement from Chiwempala's mining community reflects growing support for the Hichilema administration on the Copperbelt, where CDF investment has become a tangible and visible symbol of the government's development agenda ahead of next year's elections.