EVEN IF YOU HAVE NO VISION LIKE ECL, KEEP TRYING LIKE “THE CATTLE BOY”-HH was not destined to be president, HH was not even better than ECL: HH lost five times, but he kept on trying, till GOD saw his fight valid.
From losing 5 times, from being called a tribalist, from being called a freemason, from being arrested -15 times, from being a prisoner; to becoming the republican president.
“Destinations are not accidental, they must be chosen and walked”- Shipungu
Allow me to share with you a short story of a young man who became a CEO of the Zambian branch of a large international accountancy firm at the age of 26. I mean, a story of the Seventh Day Adventist church elder, who made six bids to become the 7th president of Zambia.
Firstly, before we dive deeper; is HH truly, a freemason?
Let’s put this to a close today as we go down.
HH, an ordinary poor “cattle boy” as he calls himself, was born on June 4, 1962, in the southern province of Zambia-Monze District.
Interestingly, little is known about HH’s childhood. Otherwise, due to his grit and determination at school; he won a scholarship to the University of Zambia (UNZA).
In 1986, he graduated from (UNZA) with a bachelor’s degree in economics and business administration. He then earned a Master’s of Business Administration in Finance and Business Strategy at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom (Black Past-David Zuber, April 28, 2022/ BBC-Kennedy Gondwe, 16 August, 2021/AFP-2021).
Between 1994 and 1998, HH served as the Chief Operating Officer of Coopers and Lybrand in Zambia. From 1998 to 2006, he served as the CEO of Grant Thornton, Zambia (Black Past-David Zuber, April 28, 2022).
From there, HH worked his way up to becoming one of the country’s wealthiest men, with business interests spanning finance, ranching, property, healthcare and tourism.
Critics had viewed him as a political outsider, an economic jargon-spouting corporate leader who was catapulted into politics following the 2006 death of Anderson Mazoka, former leader of the United Party for National Development, which Hichilema bankrolled at the time.
Regardless, according to Zambian analyst O’Brien Kaaba, the man affectionately referred to as “Bally”, slang for “Dad,” tried to blend with the ordinary (people) much more, swapping tailored business suits with casual fatigues or jeans.
HH is not only referred to as “Bally” of the nation, he is equally, a loving husband and present parent. He and his wife, Mutinta, have three children: Chikonka, Miyanda, and Habwela ( AFP, 2021).
Aside from that, like I earlier captured; after the death of Anderson Mazoka, then president of the UPND; in 2006, HH was elected as the new party president. He was the party candidate for presidency in the elections of 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015, and 2016. Though, he lost every election. In the 2015 election, he lost by only 27,757 votes: 1%.
It’s always darkest before the dawn, in the 2016 general elections, Lungu once again; scraped a victory, beating HH by at least 100,000 votes.
In early 2017, Hichilema was arrested when his convoy of vehicles failed to make way for President Edgar Lungu’s motorcade. He was charged with treason and spent four months in jail before the charges were dismissed.
On 12 August, 2021 the veteran opposition leader garnered almost one million more votes than his predecessor and long-time rival, Edgar Chagwa Lungu (ECL), to whom he had narrowly lost twice (AFP, 2021/Black Past-David Zuber, April 28, 2022).
Fast-forward, HH was inaugurated as the seventh president of Zambia on August 24, 2021.
In his inaugural address, he said that no Zambian must go to bed hungry. He promised to revive the country’s stagnant economy, provide jobs for unemployed youths, and pledged that his administration would have zero tolerance for corruption. He also promised an inclusive government, recognizing diversity as strength.
Most importantly, he assured the people of Zambia in advance, that when his time to leave comes; he would graciously leave.
As we say bye to 2025 and entering an election year, how do you rate the leadership of president HH out of 10; based on his inaugural speech?
Copyright ©️ Shipungu 2025
Fact Check…
. Hakainde Hichilema was on government Sponsorship as were all Students who went to the University of Zambia in those days.
Whoever was admitted to the University of Zambia or to any college in Zambia was on 100% Government Sponsorship. Hakainde did not have any special Scholarship to study at Unza..It was a GRZ sponsorship, just like me.
.Hakainde Hichilema was not an Accountant..He is not an Accountant. He did a Bachelor’s degree in Economics at UNZA, and graduated as an average Student…Not a Distinction, or anything close to that.
He then went on to do an MBA – Masters in Business Administration. He hasn’t done ACCA, CIMA or any degree in Accounting.
. Hakainde joined Coopers and Lybrand , an Accountancy Firm, as part of support services to Accountants.
The Pathway to being Managing Partners was for Accountants.
It was only after the death of Henry Ngaba, the Managing Partner, in strange circumstances, that Hakainde assumed that Position , and he was 32 Years Old.
.Hakainde Hichilema was CEO of Grant Thornton which had taken over Coopers and Lybrand when he was 36 years old and not 26.
.Hakainde Hichilema became President of the United Party of National Development ( UPND) under the banner of only a Tonga should Succeed a Tonga after the death of Anderson Mazoka. There were Vice Presidents , Patrick Chisanga and Counsel Sakwiba Sikota who were more deservingfor the Position.
He is a product of Tribalism, and was propelled to the Presidency of the UPND by Sheer Tribe..and by default to the Presidency of Zambia by Tribe.
I can continue and discuss his politics whilst in Opposition and his governance upon assuming power…but I have more important things to do.
I know the works of Edgar Lungu, without vision , from Clinics, Hospitals, Airports, Bridges, Universities, Colleges, Schools, Roads, Police Officers Houses, Hydro Power Stations..to food security,
and I know Hakainde’s works with Vision, the Bulangililo Welenskey Pit Latrines..Sub standard 1 × 3 classroom blocks, 2 Unit Mortuaries, haphazard CDF projects!
You think you can fool a Corleone?
Kabiyeni uko.
Fast Check: You are also peddling inaccuracies or ignorance with HH’s working life. There’s no harm in you rechecking your facts, thorougly, Sir, it is what is called “Objectivity”!
@simpo Sitali
Point out where I have missed it.
Hakainde was with my elder brother at UNZA . And my elder brother was best friends with the person who was Managing Partner at Coopers and Lybrand.. from Secondary school.
He is alleged to have committed Suicide, which gave openings for other people to take the position of Managing Partners.
Hakainde is not an Accountant. He did a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, and a Masters in Business Administration, which any one can pick up.
He hasn’t done a Masters degree in Economics. You only become an accepted Economist when you get a dedicated Masters degree in Economics. Hakainde has none.
He did an MBA .
How can a person who has done economics become a Managing Partner of an Accountancy Firm? I find it rather odd.
I end here, drinking ka Whiskey, and counting down to 2026 when the Axis will Fall..
All the best Brother Sitali for 2026.