From Bally to Belly-Up: Leadership is Hard Mr. President

President Hakainde Hichilema’s recent confession—that “leadership is not easy, it is assumed to be easy from a distance, it is pretty challenging”—might just be the first truth he’s spoken since taking office. For a man who campaigned with an “I know it all” attitude, this overdue admission explains the endless parade of broken promises and his authoritarianism. It seems he’s realized that there’s a big chasm between campaign slogans and the actual work of governance.

From a distance, President Hichilema seemed convinced that catchy slogans, rehearsed speeches, and global charm offensives were all it took to transform Zambia. He genuinely believed that with a little technocratic tweaking and the magic dust of his business reputation, investors would pour in and problems would vanish. He thought he could fix what others had struggled with for years—armed only with a Bally wand and bravado. But once he got to Plot One, that wand turned into a twig. And it’s splintering fast.

Political theorist Max Weber once said that power lies in the “slow boring of hard boards.” But Hichilema treated the presidency like a TED Talk—symbolic, sanitized, and style over substance. Coalition-building, compromise, humility? Not his thing. Instead, he bulldozed over the legacies of his predecessors, acting as if anything before him was obsolete. His obsession with his own ideas (“I am the only one… in the history of this country”) and his compulsive finger-pointing at Edgar Lungu have become so stale that even his die-hard supporters are cringing. One woman called shaking the President’s hand “ukuiishamika”—a curse.

Now, the office that once appeared so glamorous is clearly wearing him down. The Messiah, once worshipped by crowds, is now likened to satan. These days, the best compliment he gets is being called Bashi Promise. The same people who once jeered Lungu under HH’s approving gaze now mock HH in the same breath. Karma has a Zambian passport.

But if HH always knew leadership was this difficult, why did he mock the legacies of Mwanawasa, Banda, Sata, and Lungu as if their struggles were signs of incompetence? Each led Zambia through thorny domestic and global challenges. None of them, it must be said, faced the kind of disillusionment HH has stirred up in just three years. His political capital has all but evaporated. Even “Bally Will Fix It” T-shirts have become unwearable—unless you’re trying to insult your own intelligence. Rumor has it even the First Lady has retired hers.

Still, we must give credit where it’s due. A confession, however calculated, is a rare thing in politics. As my people say, “umwana ekalisha ilyo anya”—a child only sits still after soiling itself.

But let’s not be naïve. As a student of politics, I know better than to take anything from Plot One at face value. This “humble” confession may just be a strategic plot—political framing ahead of the 2026 election. And it comes with two clear advantages.

First, it builds a sympathetic strategy: “I’ve learned, I’ve matured, now I’m ready.” It’s a plea for forgiveness dressed in the robes of wisdom. Second, it sets a rhetorical trap: anyone who criticizes him too harshly is now just “watching from a distance,” as he once did—meaning they don’t really get how hard it is to lead. Classic anticipatory deflection: admit your flaws before your opponents can turn them into weapons.

But that trick only works if Lungu stays off the ballot. If Lungu runs, he’ll blow that “you don’t understand” excuse to bits. He’s been in the trenches. He knows the weight of the job. Which explains HH’s relentless efforts to keep Lungu off the 2026 ticket.

Now the big question. Will Zambians buy it? Will they see HH as a humbled, seasoned leader deserving a second chance—or a failed experiment seeking political cover?

To me, HH came to Plot One with the mind of a baby boss. And in doing so, he misjudged the patience—and intelligence—of the Zambian people. Now, the country is paying the price–unmet expectations, economic strain, and a boiling public mood.

A second term might bring wisdom. But whether the electorate is still interested in Bashi Promise—that’s the real challenge.

Kapya Kaoma