A PRESIDENT WITH LITTLE OR NO EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Chishala Kateka President – New Heritage Party
The President must be someone who sets a good example for citizens, possessing a character that nationals aspire to.
A President should have, among other qualities, very strong emotional intelligence. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) “is the ability to recognize, understand, manage, and reason with your own emotions while accurately reading and influencing the emotions of others. It shapes how you navigate social complexities and make personal decisions.” In my language, we refer to this as “Amano ya Chifyalilwa” – the wisdom you are born with, although I believe this can be cultivated or grown as one experiences life.
The President should also be the first to defend the constitution and the cultural norms of those they lead. There must be clear expectations of what is acceptable and what is not for the Zambian people, and the President must be the first to uphold these standards.
President Hakainde Hichilema clearly fails to demonstrate this aspect of the qualities a President ought to have.
Here are three examples:
• His consistent twisting of the truth regarding the beating of people from his strongholds, by individuals from other regions, used as a campaign tactic. This divisive and deeply negative behavior is especially troubling coming from a head of state. It has been called out and condemned by Zambians, including those from his own region and province.
• Going onto a national podium and insulting Garry Nkombo and his mother in the crudest terms, “Nkombo wabalya banyoko.”
What? This is the worst form of insult! A church elder in this Christian nation where even children are listening? What example from a head of state is this? What are we teaching our children—that it’s acceptable to insult? What has Gary’s elderly mother done to deserve such insults from a sitting head of state? She cannot defend herself! Women need to speak out for this lady
• His bulldozing the passage of laws (including Bill 7), against the will of the Zambian people.
A President must have unwavering honesty, integrity, ethical consistency, and be accountable to the people they serve. A person should be able to control their emotions and language if they are to lead effectively. If they cannot do so, they have no business leading us.
As Zambians, we get the leaders we deserve. If we put into office a bully, a liar, a manipulator, and someone who does not respect women or indeed, the Zambian people collectively, then we only have ourselves to blame.
26 July 2026