President‘s son received no special treatment during ZNS training

Government says Lt. Habwela Hichilema, son of President Hakainde Hichilema, was officially commissioned as a military officer in the Zambia National Service (ZNS) following a rigorous training programme in which he reportedly received no preferential treatment.

Speaking at a joint press briefing with ZNS in Lusaka, Ministry of Information and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana dismissed speculation that the President’s son was given special privileges during training.

Mr Kawana said the young officer cadet shared basic accommodation with three others, dug and slept in his own trench during a week-long bush exercise, and was only recognised by some instructors and fellow cadets as the President’s son during commissioning.

“Lt. Habwela Hichilema lived and trained like every other officer cadet, he participated in all scheduled training activities, including bush exercises, and endured the same hardships as his colleagues. When necessary, he was subjected to disciplinary measures like any other trainee.” Mr Kawana said.

ZNS Public Relations Officer, Brigadier Mable Nyone said ZNS felt privileged that the First Family chose it for his training, a decision she said the institution views as an honor.

She urged the public to see him as an individual forging his own path.

Meanwhile Fellow Trainees have defended the President’s Son, against claims of favoritism during military training, offering a detailed and emotional account of the young man’s physical and mental resilience throughout the program.

Captain Siva Asani, recalled a moment early in the program when he encountered the President’s son at the clinic, suffering from severely swollen legs due to the intense physical demands of training.

“That caught my attention, as a health professional, I knew what that kind of pain meant, but he didn’t stop. He continued participating in all activities, even those that were physically draining,” Captain Asani said.

“He’s someone who believes in doing things by the book. Even toward the end of training, during long hours of parade rehearsals, he kept encouraging us. He would whisper, ‘This is our commission, we must give it everything,” Asani said.

“The worst thing you can do to someone who has gone through military training is to claim they didn’t earn it. That would be unfair, we went through every phase, breaking down, rebuilding, and preparation. He was there, every step of the way,”he added.

Another trainee Sherry Kalela, praised Lt. Habwela Hichilema for his humility and strong work ethic, saying he completed training like any other recruit, without seeking or receiving special treatment.

“He trained with us from day one, ate what we ate, and did every task assigned, No instructor gave him anything extra, he earned everything,” she said.

Another officer, Jack Zimba, added that it was unfair for anyone to suggest the President’s son didn’t train, pointing out that he only revealed his identity on the day of commissioning.