The Africa Confidential reports that President Hakainde Hichilema gave a long and emotional press conference on 25 April further cataloguing his persecution by the previous government – which many critics believe irrelevant to the current political situation – while making vague promises about his government’s programme.
Almost everyone agrees that Hichilema inherited a disastrous economy nearly bankrupted by corruption and political patronage. But even friends of the government complain he is spending too much time on distracting battles over the previous government’s treatment of him. For them it diverts attention from his programme, especially attempts to counter the conduct of appointees of his predecessor President Edgar Lungu, such as Director of Public Prosecutions Lilian Siyuni Shawa, and the liquidatorof Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), lawyer Milingo Lungu (see Box).
Hichilema’s team sees this campaign as crucial to honouring its election pledge to root out corruption. But his concentration on President Lungu’s past sins has been so great it risks, as the local newspaper News Diggers put it, ‘making criminals looks like they are victims of persecution’.
Hichilema and his team are too immersed in micro-management of the state apparatus and are failing to lead on the big picture of government as the end nears of the honeymoon he has enjoyed with the electorate after winning a landslide in August’s election, insiders say (AC Vol 63 No 1).
Instead of eliciting sympathy for his personal battle with endemic corruption and sabotage, not forgetting the 127 days he spent in detention on Lungu’s whim, Hichilema should be facing the rising cost of living and concerns over restructuring the debt and corruption. Commentariat and public alike are impatient at his failure to provide a clearer direction after promising massive job creation, lower cost of living and free education in the election campaign (AC Vol 62 No 20).
Hichilema spoke, seemingly off-the-cuff, for two hours at the press conference – which started one hour late – confirming a long-noted tendency not to prioritise key issues, ranging instead across many topics, and promising great things under each heading.
The speeches, like this one, often end with listeners still wondering what issues top his agenda (AC Vol 62 No 23).
This, the first press conference since last September, bore an only limited resemblance to the pre-briefing summary issued to media, which listed key topics such as the economy, mining, health, education, agriculture, and corruption.
Even supporters showed their disappointment at the performance. Activist Laura Miti, a Hichilema appointee to Zambia’s Human Rights Commission, tweeted ‘Could you apologise for keeping the nation waiting?’, and academic and activist Sishuwa Sishuwa, a vehement opponent of Lungu, also tweeted on the extreme length of the event: ‘The only positive thing about it is that it has ended!’ Many are now tired of the President’s assertions that the kind of freedom media and citizens have now would not have been possible under his predecessor.
Some commentators even detect a note of resentment of the public and press for not thanking him enough for not resorting to repression, and for honouring the rule of law. Thendertones of aggression in the speech were very unsettling,’ said one local analyst. ‘Trying to say that they could have used power to be thugs and we should be grateful they didn’t is an extraordinary narrative,’ he added.
Supporters of the government say Hichilema is only suffering from presentation problems. The climate has changed, they insist. Civil servants are more professional, party activists are less prominent, and even the traffic police have stopped extorting drivers at roadblocks. People, they say, are happier, and relieved to be free of the oppressive atmosphere under Lungu.
Full Report: https://www.africa-confidential.com/article-preview/id/13917/Hichilema_accused_of_%27losing_focus%e2%80%99
He was ill-advised on the contents of this press conference as it was a disaster..he still thinks he is an opposition leader who can get away with every Jim and Jack in the street. Please HH7 do something about your time management you can not always keep people waiting for an hour at press conferences.
So says the publication that gets almost every prediction wrong…………
They predicted a lungu victory………….
Anyways…….we were happy with the press conference
@2, speak for yourself, don’t say we. The only good thing about the press conference was that it happened, and the president’s team needs to make press conferences at least once every two months.
This article is accurately written and shows the views that logical and independent people hold. Most UPND members must understand that the many votes the UPND got were from angry people who wanted change. These people are now again wanting accountable government.
Americans thought by electing Donald Trump things would improve, nothing changed, They went for Joe Biden for better, many are disappointed. People these are just ordinary people just like any Johnny walking along Cairo Road. It’s very unfair to do miracles…. although even themselves expect that they they can perform these miracles.
Bally Zambians want to see the benefits of
Voting UPND.They want to see how you handle the economy.Try to bring down prices
Of fuel and essentials.spend less time talking
About opposition leaders.Fix the country.
Is this the same Africa Confidential which predicted that ECL will win by 500,000 votes?
Another PF Vuvuzela
Hahaha Hahaha it has not even been a year yet and failure can be seen everywhere in this govt. We advised hh that governance of a country is not like governing a farm of cows in dundumwezu. Hh has no idea what he is doing. I receive calls everyday from upnd voters who say kaizar we are sorry you were right.
The lateness in arriving at the press conference, can be attributed to – probably, being too meticulous; which is good, but can be debilitating – leading to missing deadlines! Also, now, I think people should evict PF from their minds! PF has been living in some people’s minds rent-free for too long! You cannot progress if every time you are faced with difficult questions around the delivery of your pledges, you quickly point to PF’s failures! It suggests that you’re having a bit of a struggle in meeting & surpassing expectations. Constantly referring to PF’s failures would appear to be a deflection, or silencer. This is wrong, & massively missing the point people chose you.
#plant a tree please.
You are in the driving seat Mr President you fought for this for many years. Masses gave you their vote and confidence, now doubt you took over a broken down system which requires repairing. It is normal and human to show emotions even as leaders KK used to do so, but important thing is to remain focussed and be a team player, that is why you need a strong Cabinet. Don’t take on too much on your own, it is public service.
No doubt
Is this kaizar Zulu the Thug?
Your guys messed up the country like garbage chocolate. Zambia is better now. When your friend Lungu took over what did we see in the first months of his administration ? , high prices.. kwacha down grading , inflation.. all these happened in Lungus four months of government. But what are seeing in HH? Atleast something different pointing to greatness.. just now inflation is dropped.. what else do you want? He 8s not malaika. Is just a person and he can get angry as well when provoked..
11 flag Danny Dee April 30, 2022 At 2:36 pm
Is this kaizar Zulu the Thug?
NO ITS NOT !! JUST PAID BLOGGER WHO’S SOLE PURPOSE IS TO POST DEFRAMATORY BLOGS ABOUT UPND
CHECK HIS POSTS NOTHING OF SUBSTANCE
Danny dee stop dreaming and comparing hh failure to pf. You are not in government to continue giving excuses for why you are not achieving what you promised. Your hh promised heaven on earth just to become president. Ecl never promised things that he couldn’t do. Now you have a big problem because hh tenure will be spent giving excused for his failures. Hahaha
Don’t mind tikki he is a constipated upnd pig
#3 Chiza Chirwa
April 30, 2022 At 9:25 am
“@2, speak for yourself, don’t say we. The only good thing about the press conference was that it happened, and the president’s team needs to make press conferences at least once every two months…”
the 2.8 million are happy…….
We don’t care about what you think………
@ Tarino 1 Kept people waiting for one hour at his press conference? Soooo Second Republic! This is the 21st century and Africans need to value time-keeping to show we have taken a different direction
But one thing we know is president HH is the 5th best president in Africa. Record to be proud to be Zambian. Zambia Forward!, indeed progressing for development
John sangwa s student, HH is a very arrogant f00I. He thinks he is gods gift to human kind
Africa Confidential’ and its Zambian subset called ‘Zambian Watchdog’ been ruthless on Edgar Lungu’s Govt in favour of UPND. Yet this western newspaper can now pretend to be a moderating factor on UPND’s misrule in Zambia. When Tony Blair deceived the British in support of USA to invade Iraq and HH lied to Zambians prior to August 2021 elections, it was all deemed as civilised democracy. Hypocricy! Yet HH’s Govt is breaking provisions of the Constitution by harassment of DPP Siyuni and rampart arrests of PF leaders. HH Presidency was due to countrywide votes, but 99% of persons accused of corruption and senior Civil Servants fired are Northerners and Easterners. Yet the wise men (VJ Mwaanga, Prof. Ndulo, Prof. Hansungule) have opted to bury their heads in the sand. Many Zambians are…
The current political climate has instilled FEAR in many Zambians. Yet Africa Confidential prefers to look away from reality.