If we don’t handle our independence very well, colonizers will come back in the form of investors.” – Kapwepwe.
Lusaka, Mar. 22 – In the quiet town of Chinsali stands the house of the late freedom fighter, Hon. Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe. It is not the structure itself that demands our reflection today, but the wisdom of the man who once walked its halls.
Also Read: Hichilema Breaches Constitution: LAZ Sues to Oust ‘Illegal’ Auditor General! Dr. Ron Mwambwa is 66 years old – well past the constitutional age limit of 60 for the Auditor General. Yet, in a move that defies both logic and legality, President Hichilema went ahead and appointed him anyway!
His words, spoken with the clarity of a prophet, now echo with haunting relevance, “If we don’t handle our independence very well, colonizers will come back in the form of investors.”
Kapwepwe and his comrades fought for a Zambia free from foreign domination, believing that self-rule would bring dignity, prosperity, and sovereignty. Yet, decades later, one must ask – did we truly break free, or did we merely trade our chains for more sophisticated shackles that President Hichilema happens to be part of today as he surrenders the mining sector into the hands of foreign entities?
I ask this question because today, the coloniser does not arrive in a uniformed battalion but in tailored suits, armed not with guns but with contracts and economic prescriptions. He comes bearing promises of investment, yet leaves us indebted. He offers partnerships that strip us of ownership. He smiles for the cameras while quietly tightening his grip on our resources.
And in this unfolding tragedy, we find ourselves ruled by men like President Hichilema who mistake servitude for strategy – who celebrate foreign control as “economic diplomacy” and call the plunder of national assets “progress.” We have leaders who, instead of defending our sovereignty, are rolling out the red carpet for those who exploit our land, our labour, and our livelihoods.
Also Read: Hichilema’s Contentious AFRICOM Decision Unsettles Mnangagwa.
Hichilema’s controversial stance on AFRICOM was made without consulting or obtaining approval from either his Cabinet or Zambia’s Parliament, despite its notable regional ramifications.
Independence was not merely about lowering the British flag; it was about securing the power to decide our own destiny. And yet, here we are, bound not by force but by debt, by dependency, by policies crafted in boardrooms far from our borders. The very freedom we won through blood and sacrifice is being auctioned off, piece by piece by our own leaders.
In a world where vows are worthless, where pledges are empty, and where campaign promises dissolve like mist in the morning sun, we must ask ourselves: When will the words of true statesmen return to State House?
Also Read: Democracy Isn’t About Winning Elections – It’s About Letting People Shape Governance! True democracy goes beyond ballots and power struggles; it prioritizes serving the people through inclusive governance. When politics focuses on humanity and cooperation, it fulfills its purpose as a vehicle for national development, not partisan division.
Our Mission: Woodpecker’s Digest delivers in-depth analyses and commentaries on critical issues of national interest, alongside insightful content on personal development and health. We uphold journalism as a driving force for socio-economic transformation.
©2025 Woodpecker’s Digest.
Journalism for social change.
