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DR DOUGLAS SYAKALIMA: “HAVING A PRESIDENT WHO CARES FOR THE PEOPLE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING AN MP WITHOUT ONE”
Former Chirundu Member of Parliament and former Minister of Education Dr Douglas Syakalima has reflected on his long journey in Parliament, saying his experience under previous governments taught him one important lesson: having a President who genuinely cares about the people is more important than simply having a Member of Parliament in a constituency without the right leadership at State House.
Reflecting on his years as a Member of Parliament representing Siavonga and later Chirundu, Dr Syakalima said there were periods when he served as an MP without President Hakainde Hichilema being in State House, and he questioned what meaningful development he could bring to his people with limited support and resources.
He explained that, during those years, there were times when he was forced to use his own parliamentary salary to put up structures so that children could have places to learn, saying that this came at the expense of his own family.
“I was a Member of Parliament for 15 years without a President, both under Siavonga and under Chirundu. What did I bring? Almost nothing. I was forced to use my salary to put up structures so that children can have somewhere to learn from, leaving my family with nothing,” Syakalima said.
His reflection is particularly significant because he has now experienced the difference between being a constituency representative and having a President at State House whom he believes is committed to supporting development across the country.
Syakalima has argued that after President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND formed Government in 2021, the situation changed. During his time as Chirundu MP after 2021, he has pointed to the establishment of five secondary schools in the constituency as one of the major developments that became possible under the new administration.
He has also highlighted his ability to engage directly with the Ministry of Infrastructure on road maintenance issues affecting Chirundu, saying that having a government that was receptive to constituency needs gave him a stronger platform to push for development.
For Syakalima, this is why the presidency matters.
He has repeatedly argued that an MP can have good intentions and still struggle to deliver if the national leadership is not supportive. In his view, the relationship between State House, Parliament and constituencies determines how effectively government programmes can reach ordinary citizens.
This was also part of the reasoning he gave when he decided not to recontest the Chirundu parliamentary seat in the 2026 elections. Syakalima announced in May that he would not seek re-election and would instead focus on supporting President Hichilema nationally.
His argument was straightforward: what is the value of winning a parliamentary seat if the President at the top is not someone who can drive the development agenda he believes in?
He said his biggest political dream was therefore not just to return to Parliament, but to see President Hakainde Hichilema given another five years to continue governing.
“All I wanted, my biggest dream, was to give President Hakainde Hichilema another five years because I know how much this man loves the people of Zambia,” Syakalima said.
He further argued that the country needs a President who protects the ordinary citizen and creates an environment where people can conduct their businesses without intimidation.
In making this point, Syakalima has spoken about the importance of peace and freedom for ordinary citizens, including traders and bus drivers. He has argued that people should be able to trade, drive buses and conduct their daily activities without political intimidation.
He has also reflected on the atmosphere following the 2026 election, raising allegations about conduct by opposition cadres after an opposition figure declared victory.
“You saw what happened. Just after voting day, an opposition declared himself a winner, and you saw what happened. In no minute, their cadres occupied the streets, and a lot of traders lost their goods as they were grabbing from them,” he said.
Syakalima then posed a question: if that camp had actually won the election, where would Zambia be today?
His broader point was that political leadership has consequences beyond elections. For him, peace, stability, freedom to trade and the ability of government to deliver development are all connected to the leadership of the country.
“I feel at ease, and I can assure you that having a President is more important than being a Member of Parliament without a President,” he said.
At the centre of his argument is also the issue of the Constituency Development Fund.
Under President Hichilema, CDF has increased dramatically from K1.6 million in 2021 to K40 million per constituency in 2026. President Hichilema himself highlighted the increase in his 2026 address to the National Assembly.
Syakalima has pointed to this as an example of what he describes as a different approach to development. His argument is that CDF is intended to benefit constituencies regardless of whether their MP belongs to the ruling party, is independent or is from the opposition.
That principle has also been reflected in parliamentary statements describing the enhanced CDF as being allocated equitably across constituencies regardless of political affiliation.
This is why Syakalima says even MPs outside the governing party can acknowledge the impact of the increased CDF. His argument is that development funds should follow the people rather than the political party of the person representing them.
For him, this is what he means when he says President Hichilema has brought a different kind of leadership.
His story therefore becomes bigger than his own decision to leave Parliament.
It is a reflection on the difference he says he experienced between being an MP without his preferred national leadership and being an MP under a President he believes shares his development priorities.
He looks back at the years when he says his own salary had to help provide basic learning infrastructure, and compares them with the period after 2021, when he says Chirundu saw the establishment of five secondary schools and greater access to national government support.
And that is why, instead of asking for another parliamentary term for himself, Syakalima chose to campaign across Zambia for President Hakainde Hichilema.
His message was essentially this: a parliamentary seat is important, but the leadership at State House determines the environment in which Parliament, councils and communities can deliver for the people.
For Syakalima, the decision to step aside from Chirundu was therefore not an abandonment of development. He presented it as a decision to put what he considered the bigger national responsibility first — helping President Hichilema secure another five-year mandate.
And having served for many years on both sides of the political divide, his conclusion is clear: he would rather see a President he believes cares about the people occupying State House than simply occupy a parliamentary seat himself without that national leadership.
BY BA MEDIA 100%
R. CHIKANYA