“When the government fails to change the lives of the people, the people must change the government!” – Hichilema. What should Zambians do in 2026?
Lusaka, Aug. 11 – This powerful declaration by President Hichilema when he was the main opposition leader, resonates more profoundly when we consider the issues plaguing our nation today, the time for change is not a distant promise, but a pressing necessity.
Also Read: Hichilema’s Nightmare Unfolds as Edgar Lungu Announces 2026 Presidential Run! Aware that he cannot defeat Edgar Lungu in the 2026 general elections, Hakainde Hichilema has placed all his cards on a compromised Judiciary preventing his rival from contesting.
Our biggest enemy, corruption, has entrenched itself like a parasite, siphoning off resources that should be channelled into public services and infrastructure. Instead of eradicating this rot, President Hichilema has allowed it to fester, undermining the trust of the people and tarnishing the very essence of democracy.
President Hichilema, as opposition leader, is on record stating that when corruption becomes the order of the day, it is an ordinary citizen who bears the brunt, their cprushed under the weight of greed and injustice so why is he today against naming those being investigated for corruption?
Then, there is the issue of power deficits – a daily reminder of his government’s failure to honour his plan to invest in sustainable renewable energy solutions. Our homes have been plunged into darkness, businesses ground to a halt, and the economy brought to its knees. The government’s inability to provide a stable power supply is a testament to its failure to harness the potential of our resources, leaving the nation literally and figuratively in the dark.
The ever-rising cost of living is another glaring indictment of President Hichilema’s failure. With the Kwacha weakening and the price of fuel skyrocketing, life for the average citizen has become a relentless struggle.
Families are being forced to make impossible choices between putting food on the table, paying school fees in less crowded private schools, or seeking medical care in private health centres. The government’s failure to stabilize the economy and strengthen the currency has pushed the people to the brink, as inflation erodes their purchasing power and their hopes for a better future.
When a government fails to address these critical issues – when it allows corruption to flourish, neglects its duty to provide reliable energy, and stands by as the cost of living spirals out of control – the social contract is broken.
Also Read: Zambia Needs Leaders Who Prioritize Minerals’ Value Over Extraction Wages. The current political leadership under President Hichilema is incapable of developing Zambia, driven by an inferiority complex that prioritizes wages from foreign entities for extracting our valuable minerals.
The people, who are the true sovereigns, have the right, and indeed the responsibility, to demand change. If the government is unwilling or unable to change the lives of its citizens for the better, then the people must rise, with courage and resolve, to change the government.
This is not just a right, but a duty – to themselves, to their children, and to the generations that will come after them. The time for change is not a distant promise, but a pressing necessity.
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