HICHILEMA’S BIGGEST ‘CRIME’? HE ENDED THE EASY MONEY CULTURE.
Opinion | By the Zambian Watch News Editor.
One question has continued to occupy our minds: Why do some people intensely dislike President Hakainde Hichilema to the point that they want to remove him from office at all costs?
To find answers, we have spoken to people from different backgrounds, including those who openly oppose him and the UPND.
We asked a simple question: “Why don’t you support President Hakainde Hichilema?
Some gave clear reasons, saying they simply don’t like him for ending what we can describe as the easy money culture under the Patriotic Front.
If you were a bodybuilder, vocal in a local language, and could threaten a citizen of the country during the Patriotic Front administration, you would be rewarded with money, vehicles, and be worshipped as a new hero.
We saw a number of youths actually running away from school in preference to building muscle for easy money.
In our opinion, a section of the strongest critics are individuals who feel they lost the privileges and opportunities they once enjoyed under previous administrations.
The transition to a different style of governance disrupted a way of life that had become comfortable for them.
Whether rightly or wrongly, many of these people believe they were better off before 2021. Others appear to be disappointed that political change also meant the end of benefits they had expected to continue.
This, in our view, helps explain why President Hichilema attracts such passionate criticism from certain quarters.
That does not mean every critic falls into this category. Many Zambians have sincere policy disagreements with the government, and those opinions deserve to be heard and debated.
Democracy is strengthened when citizens challenge leaders based on ideas and performance, not when politics becomes driven by emotion, personal interests, or loyalty alone.
History will ultimately judge whether President Hakainde Hichilema’s reforms were worth the political cost.
For now, one thing is certain: his leadership has changed the political landscape in ways that continue to divide opinion, especially by ending the easy money culture.
©️ Zambian Watch News.