Copper, Crocodiles, and Courage
…Zambia Tells Uncle Sam to ‘Keep the Change’
Amb. AM 26 Feb 26
In a move that has electrified the corridors of African power, Zambia, the continent’s second-largest copper producer, has sent shockwaves through diplomatic circles by rejecting a $1 billion financing proposal from the United States government.
President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration, elected on a reformist platform under the United Party for National Development (UPND), declined the deal after uncovering what local media and international observers have described as restrictive and intrusive conditions.
Among the most controversial demands: unfettered access to the personal health data of Zambian citizens and sweeping mining concessions for American interests (Reuters).
Zambia’s refusal echoes a broader continental shift. Observers have applauded the government’s bold stance, contrasting it with the historical pattern of African nations acquiescing to Western demands, often at the expense of sovereignty and integrity.
As Lusaka charts its own course, echoes ring across the southern border, where Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa—known as “The Crocodile”—similarly rebuffed U.S. overtures, famously telling Washington to “keep your money.” (Reuters)
This is no mere diplomatic spat. At stake is Zambia’s immense mineral wealth, which includes not only copper but also an increasingly strategic cache of rare earth minerals.
These resources are critical in the escalating global contest between the United States and China for technological supremacy. While both superpowers vie for influence, Zambia and Zimbabwe find themselves in the crosshairs, but, crucially, are no longer playing by the old rules.
Washington’s grip as the world’s economic trendsetter appears to be loosening. Once, the world caught a cold when America sneezed; today, African nations like Zambia and Zimbabwe reach for their own remedies.
Is this the dawn of a stronger, multipolar Africa? Whatever the answer, Lusaka and Harare now stand tall, their mineral-rich lands a testament to a new era of African resolve and resourcefulness.
Uncle Sam unfortunately doesn’t need us more than we need him. Yours and my relatives in Shangombo and Gweembe will be dying like chickens from malaria, maternal deaths, TB and HIV/AIDS before we will be able economically stand. China learnt how to walk using uncle Sam’s help. Maybe we can learn something from them.