By Choolwe Chibomba
The international community is getting to know Zambia’s new President Hakainde Hichilema well these days. From Cape Town to Brussels to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali – the first appearance by a Zambian head of state since 2011 – President Hichilema, better known as HH, is a man on the move. This represents a huge change from Hichilema’s predecessor, Edgar Lungu, who held a more skeptical view of international cooperation. For example, Lungu kicked out the IMF in 2017 and declared the U.S. ambassador persona non grata in 2019.
Under Hichilema, the environment has drastically changed. For Zambians especially, this represents more than just a mere changing of the guard – it is a welcome breath of fresh air.
Already the Hichilema government’s agenda of job creation and economic empowerment is producing results. Next month, 30,000 new teachers will stand in front of chalkboards across the country, providing a vital boost to the nation’s education system while keeping thousands of qualified teachers employed. Meanwhile, the recruitment of some 11,200 healthcare workers continues apace.
Recognizing that the true engine of job creation is the private sector, Hichilema’s government has additionally prioritized attracting investment, as well as spearheading government initiatives to help businesses prosper. The US $1.36 billion investment by First Quantum Minerals, which Hichilema announced in Cape Town, is, according to a recent report, predicted to create around 18,000 jobs in Zambia’s mining and associated industries.
Unlike his predecessor, Hichilema is not concerned with or interested in quick wins but is instead setting sights on the future by investing in our nation’s youth. In the 2021 election, young people made up 56% of all registered voters. Hichilema is obviously keen to pay back this trust that young people have placed in him, consequently delivering on a campaign promise to provide free education to all primary and secondary school pupils. To date, the government has also funded an additional 2,000 university bursaries, using funding that has been reclaimed through anti-corruption efforts.
Zambians are experiencing other positive changes, too. Almost every day, news breaks about another high-profile anti-corruption case, with many public officials being taken to court for embezzlement under the previous kleptocratic regime. This is of course slow work and there is a sense of frustration that cases are not being dealt with quickly enough. To help speed up future anti-corruption efforts, the government has signed a statutory instrument for the creation of an Economic and Financial Crimes Court that will streamline future prosecutions.
Zambians do not underestimate just how difficult some of these efforts have been to push through. Those on the outside looking in should appreciate this fact.
On the important issues of justice and human rights, international readers may already be aware that Hichilema’s government is tabling legislation to abolish the death penalty – a decision that has been widely praised by human rights groups and ordinary Zambians alike. Less reported, however, is the proposed review of the Public Order Act (POA), a colonial-era piece of legislation that was used under previous governments to disrupt opposition party meetings and muzzle political dissent. As the leader of Zambia’s largest opposition party for over 15 years, Hichilema is familiar with the powers of the POA and has instructed government to amend it, making it less liable to abuse in the future. In doing so, the government is helping to safeguard the democratic rights and freedoms of ordinary Zambians, those who had previously suffered a dramatic curtailing of civil liberties.
No government is without fault, of course, and there have been challenges since Hichilema took office. The recent shortage of drugs and medical supplies in some of our hospitals sticks out as a particular shortcoming. Understandably, Zambians are keen to see the government pick up the pace when it comes to service delivery. And there are still thousands of qualified Zambians without jobs, businesses continue to struggle with rising costs, and many citizens remain desperate to make ends meet. Nevertheless, let’s not lose sight of the bigger and the increasingly clear picture.
A mere ten months into Hichilema’s presidency, Zambians can assuredly point to a specific way or an example in which their lives have improved. From the debt crisis to education and holding corrupt officials accountable, Hichilema’s government is making serious headway on multiple fronts while delivering on the key priorities of finding jobs and feeding families.
Zambians know this to be true. The rest of the world should take note as well.
The author is a Zambian political activist and commentator who recently worked with the United Party for National Development’s campaign during the 2021 general elections
Please Mr Praise singer Choolwe…..who cares about this makaka of a President uncle Tom House Negroee Muzungu asssss kisser
MOST PRINCIPAL LOSERS ARE GRACEFUL IN DEFEAT
EXCEPT THE PATRIOTIC F00LS WHO STILL THINK THERE IS A TIME FOR THEM
Stagnation is an alien word to lot of Zambian, break it down to laymen level. Sata once said you cannot eat inflation but masses know that inflation eats money : buying power.
Most of the tribal supremacists are hanging their heads in shame , having supported a bankrupt lungu regime only because the main opposition likely to win was not from their tribe…………..
For many who saw how bankrupt the lungu regime was………..
mother zambia salutes you………
“Next month, 30,000 new teachers will stand in front of chalkboards across the country, providing a vital boost to the nation’s education system while keeping thousands of qualified teachers employed. Meanwhile, the recruitment of some 11,200 healthcare workers continues apace.”
THIS IS UNDERLINED, remains to be seen how the puppet goes about this.
Just the name of the author is enough to tell you why he has seen change…. for me it’s only suffering that I see.
Next month, 30,000 new teachers will stand in front of chalkboards across the country……….USING INFRASTRUCTURE BUILT BY THE PREVIOUS REGIME MR PRAISE SINGER
Using borrowed money………..
Even my garden boy Solomon, who now wants to go back to school because of the new GRZs free education, can build those schools.
What’s hard about building things using borrowed money ????
The time for honoring yourselves will soon come to an end (Maximus the Gladiator)
Wait a minute! Is the author visiting Zambia for the first time or he lives here? As an employer running SME business I disagree with him. Ever since Bally came into power he has locked up cash and we’re failing to honor our obligations. So where’s the support for small scale businesses?
They see things differently just like PF supporters used to do.
Bally promised good life with affordable prices of essential commodities. Instead , the opposite has happened. Life is unbearable for most Zambians now. Food has become very expensive. Bread is running towards K20, sugar touching K50, Cooking oil heading towards K300 for 5litres. Fuel approaching K27/litre. Bus fares have become unaffordable….Workers have leave their homes at 04.00hrs to get to work and arrive back home at 20.00hrs after knocking off at 5pm. Maize peasant farmers are shocked at the prices of K160 . What is really good about HH and his govt?
What do you expect from a Chooooooooooooooooooolwe? only him and other characters of a similar origin are seeing what he is saying.
Employing 30 000 teachers using people’s tax money is not job creation. It is actually adding a wage burden to the poor country. Count/jobs to be created as a result improved economy due to the hard working administration.
And ZRA may start taxing us for keeping overgrown children in order to meet the wage demand
Education is an enabler and equaliser…………
You can not go anywhere with a semi literate population………….
As a realist and objective observer, this article seems to paint a rosier picture than what is actually existing on the ground. But again, there are also people who also paint a darker picture than what actually is existing. UPND have scored some points and failed to deliver some quick wins. Granted, some objectives require time and patience, because turning around a country in a disastrous situation like the PF left us, takes time. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being excellent performance, I will give HH and his government a 6. The main point being restoration of law and order, from cadres, police, judiciary, civil servants and ordinary citizens. This is a big win. The economy continues to bite and they have to put things right. Utilization of CDF also has been a flop. Therefore, there…
Therefore, there is room for improvement, but i agree with the author on one point. We can see some direction and effort of restoration, I just hope 4 years will be enough for the results to reach Zambians on the ground.
So far so good and the man HH deserves a chance to rule without insults, you can judge him after 5 years at the polls.
Please fix our roads Mr HH and you will have my vote again.
Fuel prices have been increased because it was caught in stagnation. Development indeed Choolwe style
Bally will fix it
Watch this space you PF loving sympathisers
Fark your bally
The only real change am seeing are price increases. Politician wama politrix before you even finish your article fuel prices go up. This is the real change. Inflation is at the same rate as the UK and the USA. This is a real jock of perceived change. Our pocket have have developed huge holes. But in any case other people are having money more than they used to. That is real change!
Has Choolwe Chibomba engaged residents of Kapoto and Kalikiliki on the real change they are experiencing?
fuel prices are going up coz of Pay Forward (PF) plunder and looting of resources coz they knew very sure that time will surely catch with them.
ka big head KZ your days are numbered. you will never test power again until you repent of misusing tax payers money.