PUBLIC SERVICE IS NOT MEASURED BY APPOINTMENT: SOME HISTORICAL FACTS ABOUT THE UPND ALLIANCE
I have noticed the various comments, speculation and personal attacks directed at me following the recent Cabinet appointments. I ordinarily prefer to devote my time to matters of national development rather than responding to personal insults. However, some of the statements circulating demonstrate a misunderstanding of my political history, the United Progressive People (UPP) and the origins of the UPND Alliance.
The Historical Origins Of The Alliance
For the record, the United Progressive People was involved in the discussions that originally conceived what would later become known as the UPND Alliance. During the Patriotic Front administration, the late Honourable Mike Mulongoti, President of the People’s Party, and I worked closely together. At one stage, our political parties even shared secretariat facilities.
We recognised the importance of building a broad political alliance capable of bringing together different political parties around a common national programme. Our thinking was influenced by the alliance tradition in South Africa, where the African National Congress works with independent political organisations under a shared political framework.
We subsequently reached out to President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND leadership to discuss the concept. A founding meeting was convened at Community House, the residence of President Hichilema, who personally chaired the meeting. Six political leaders participated in those initial discussions:
1. President Hakainde Hichilema, UPND President.
2. Honourable Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba, my uncle, who was then Vice President of the UPND.
3. Honourable Mike Mulongoti, President of the People’s Party, now of blessed memory.
4. Honourable Charles Milupi, President of the Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD).
5. Honourable Dr Nevers Mumba, President of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD).
6. Myself, Saviour Chishimba, President of the United Progressive People (UPP).
That is the historical background to my involvement in the conception of the alliance.
Why I Did Not Attend The Public Launch
When arrangements were subsequently made to unveil the alliance at Cresta Golf Hotel, I did not attend. President Hakainde Hichilema made several telephone calls attempting to persuade me to attend. However, there were circumstances that prevented my participation. At the time, I had received information that the PF authorities were looking for me in connection with my vigorous anti corruption campaigns, particularly the Bring Back Our Money campaign and my public interventions concerning the Zambia Malawi maize scandal. My absence was not a rejection of the alliance or its founding principles.
A few weeks later, the events surrounding Mongu unfolded, resulting in President Hichilema’s arrest and detention. I also subsequently experienced detention during that difficult political period. Much happened in the intervening years, both politically and personally. The important distinction is that my involvement in the original alliance discussions preceded the 2021 general elections by several years. The UPP’s formal participation in the present UPND Alliance in 2026 must therefore be understood alongside that earlier history.
The Original Vision Of The Alliance
Our original thinking was that political parties could retain their separate identities while cooperating under a common national development programme. We drew inspiration from South Africa’s ANC led alliance tradition, where different organisations cooperate politically while maintaining their institutional identities. We envisaged an arrangement in which participating parties could contribute to policy formulation, electoral mobilisation, governance and national development, with questions of political representation and responsibility addressed through agreed alliance structures.
This was never conceived merely as an arrangement for distributing government appointments. It was a broader political project intended to bring together different experiences, constituencies and leadership capabilities in the national interest. Political alliances must ultimately be judged by what they deliver to the people, not simply by which individuals occupy government offices.
On The Recent Cabinet Appointments
The United Progressive People joined the present UPND Alliance as a political party. I participated in the electoral campaign as its President, committing my time, huge resources and organisational capacity to our shared objectives. I did not do so because I had been promised a government position. I made that decision because I believed that cooperation offered an opportunity to advance Zambia’s national development. I respect the constitutional authority of President Hakainde Hichilema to appoint those he considers suitable to serve in his administration.
On The Ambassadorial Speculation
I have also seen claims that I am now lobbying for an ambassadorial appointment. This is completely untrue. I am not seeking an ambassadorial appointment, nor do I have any desire to relocate outside Zambia. I have substantial responsibilities, ongoing projects and important work to accomplish here at home. There is no basis for presenting my political participation as a campaign for diplomatic deployment. Public service does not begin with an appointment, nor does it end when one is not appointed.
Throughout my life, I have served in different capacities, including outside government. My commitment to national development has never depended on holding public office. Those who believe that supporting a political cause must necessarily result in personal reward misunderstand the meaning of conviction. Political alliances should be founded on shared national objectives, not merely the distribution of positions.
My Commitment Remains Zambia. To those who have chosen insults and ridicule, I bear no resentment. We may disagree politically without abandoning mutual respect. My attention remains firmly on the issues that matter to our people, including economic opportunity, agriculture, education, national development and the dignity of every Zambian.
I remain President of the United Progressive People, a political organisation with its own identity, principles and responsibilities to the Zambian people. Our participation in an alliance does not extinguish those responsibilities. Neither does the absence of a government appointment diminish them. I have spent many years participating in Zambia’s political and economic life. I understand that political circumstances change, governments change and appointments come and go.
What must remain constant is our commitment to the Republic and its people. I have not lost my purpose because I have not received an appointment. My purpose was never an appointment. It remains Zambia.
Saviour Chishimba
Member
UPND Alliance Council of Presidents
President – United Progressive People (UPP)