“BALLY WILL FIX IT” VS “SALT SANA” – WHAT ARE WE REALLY SAYING?
In 2021, the phrase was simple and bold.
“Bally will fix it.”
It was a campaign slogan. A promise of direction. A statement of confidence after years of economic strain.
Now fast forward. The President visits the Copperbelt. He interacts with students. A new phrase catches fire.
“Salt sana.”
Social media laughs. Students chant. The phrase spreads.
And then comes the predictable comment by someone saying:
“After Bally will fix it, we expected Bally has fixed it. What does salt sana even mean?”
Let us slow down.
Because the sarcasm is tempting. But the facts are stronger.
WHAT “SALT SANA” ACTUALLY MEANS
In simple Zambian language, salt makes food better.
You can cook nshima. You can prepare relish. It is edible.
But without salt, something feels incomplete.
“Salt sana” means adding more flavor. More improvement. More value.
It does not mean the meal did not exist.
It means it is getting better.
And that distinction matters.
FIXING A COUNTRY IS NOT FIXING A TAP
When a tap leaks, you fix it. Done.
When an economy is weighed down by debt, inflation, currency instability, and investor mistrust, you do not “fix it” in one sitting.
You stabilize it. You restructure it. You rebuild confidence. You attract investment. You expand social protection. You repair public finances.
That is not tap repair. That is national reconstruction.
WHY “SALT SANA” RESONATES
Young people are not foolish.
They respond to momentum.
They respond to visible effort.
They respond to incremental improvement.
“Salt sana” is not a claim that paradise has arrived.
It is an acknowledgment that change is ongoing.
It reflects a generation that understands progress is layered.
Add salt. Taste. Adjust. Improve.
That is governance in motion.
SO APA ILISO…
Politics loves absolutes.
Fixed or failed.
Perfect or disaster.
Real governance lives in gradients.
The Copperbelt students did not invent a theological doctrine. They expressed a cultural metaphor.
And perhaps that metaphor is more honest than critics admit.
Because rebuilding a country is not about flipping a switch.
It is about steady heat, careful stirring, and yes, sometimes, adding salt.
Sana.
Zambian Angle | February 24, 2026
Salt sana imweeee!