Another Five Years For HH and UPND is a National Imperative

Another Five Years For HH and UPND is a National Imperative

By Magret Mwanza

Zambia is finally on a path of rational, disciplined, and visionary governance. Under President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND government, we have witnessed something unprecedented in our recent history, clarity in economic management. For years, our country was choked by reckless borrowing, hidden deals, and institutional decay.

Today, mining revenues are properly accounted for and collected at levels that allow the state to breathe and plan. The economic house is not yet fully in order, but the foundation has been laid.It is this very trajectory that demands continuity. Cutting this progress short now would be like demolishing a house when only the roof is left to be completed. Another five years is not a gift to HH, it is a necessity for Zambia’s survival and long-term prosperity.

Free education from early childhood to secondary school is not a slogan, it is a life-altering policy. Millions of children from poor families are now in classrooms, preparing for futures their parents could never have imagined. Constituency Development Funds have been multiplied to empower communities directly, bypassing bureaucracy and corruption that previously suffocated development.

The Social Cash Transfer programme has expanded, cushioning the most vulnerable. These are not abstract achievements; they are visible transformations in the lives of our people. What we must understand is that development is like planting a field. The seeds have been sown and if we abandon the field now, we will starve. *Another term for HH ensures that these gains are watered and harvested* into a stronger, more inclusive Zambia.

No nation can move forward while corruption eats away at its soul. Under HH, the Anti-Corruption Commission, FIC, and law enforcement agencies have been emboldened. Former ministers, politically exposed persons, and cadres who once felt untouchable are being called to account. Of course, challenges remain, and some corrupt actors still manipulate the system.

But the message is clear: Zambia is no longer a playground for thieves. However, the fight against corruption is not a one-term battle. Criminal networks that looted our resources for years are still regrouping, plotting their return. If HH is denied a second mandate, these forces will hijack the state once more.

A second term gives Zambia a chance to cement zero tolerance to corruption, sending a clear message that public office is a responsibility, not a cash cow.

Load-shedding, unemployment, and high cost of living remain real and painful. No one can deny this. But governance is about process and progress, not miracles.

In just four years, Zambia has stabilized its international credit standing, created space for economic growth, and strengthened its social pillars. What remains is for these reforms to bear fruit in ordinary households.That cannot happen overnight.

Cutting off HH and UPND now would be like changing captains mid-sail during a storm, it would guarantee disaster. Continuity is the only way to complete the matrix so that the benefits reach every Zambian home.

While UPND has its flaws, no serious citizen can deny that under President Hakainde Hichilema, Zambia is on the correct trajectory. Another five years is not about politics, it is about securing a future where our children inherit a nation that works, where corruption is punished, where education is free, where resources are managed, and where leadership is accountable.

To abandon this journey now would be national tragedy. Zambia must give HH and UPND another term, not as a favor, but as a patriotic duty.