HH TELEGRAPH CROWN : ZAMBIA’S POVERTY SHOULD HAVE WON THE PRIZE
When a British editorial board at The Telegraph decides that Hakainde Hichilema is one of the “best presidents in the world,” Zambians should pause, not to celebrate, but to laugh bitterly.
Because while London’s editors sip tea and pen glowing tributes, ordinary Zambians sip nothing at all. Poverty still grips nearly 70% of our people, farmers remain unpaid, no drugs in hospitals, fuel prices bite harder than hunger, and load shedding plunges homes into darkness in my view.
“The Telegraph may see a statesman; Zambians see a salesman of hope who forgot to deliver.”
Let’s be clear: this is not a scientific ranking. It’s an “editorial decision” by outsiders who don’t know the price of mealie meal in Lusaka and Shangombo or the agony of a farmer waiting months for FRA payments.
They see President. HH shaking hands with American dignitaries and China’s H.E Xi Jinping, but “they don’t see the Zambian mother cooking nshima by candlelight or kerosene lamp during prolonged power cuts.”
I say, “If poverty were a medal, President Hichilema would be a world champion.”
Here are some facts, “the Mo Ibrahim Index places Zambia mid table in governance. The World Bank’s indicators show government effectiveness lagging, corruption control shaky, and poverty stubbornly entrenched.
Yet Mr. Hichilema is paraded abroad as a darling of democracy. That’s the danger of imported praise: it blinds us to local pain.”
Zambians should know that “London may crown our president today and glorify him; Lusaka counts the kwacha it no longer has, the food it doesn’t have.”
The Telegraph’s bouquet of compliments is just that—a bouquet. Pretty to look at, but it wilts quickly.
Zambians need bread, not bouquets. Governance is not about photo-ops with foreign leaders; it’s about whether a Zambian child eats tonight or sleeps hungry as the case is daily now.
“The Telegraph’s award is like giving a chef of the year trophy to a man whose diners starve.”
So let us take this with not just a pinch of salt, but a bucket. Because the only ranking that matters is the ballot box, not the editorial desk of a foreign newspaper. President Hichilema may bask in international headlines, but at home he risks becoming the darling of disillusionment, soon to be deleted via the ballot.
“The Telegraph crowns him; Zambians crown poverty, load shedding, and unpaid farmers, no drugs and daily starvation.”
In 2026, Zambians will decide not based on foreign applause but on local accountability. And when that day comes, Mr. HH will learn that the world’s best president is not the one celebrated abroad, but the one who delivers at home. Foreign editorial boards don’t vote.
Caution to Zambians.
This Telegraph feature is authentic but it’s also just ‘editorial’, not evaluative. It reflects how outsiders perceive Zambia’s geopolitical importance, not how Zambians live.
Poverty near 70%, crippling load shedding, high fuel prices, and unpaid farmers tell the real story. Zambians must treat such foreign praise with scepticism because headlines don’t fill stomachs, and applause doesn’t pay bills. Especially when they are foreign.
Ichikalipa chimfwa umwine
Brian Mundubile
Aspiring presidential candidate
Mr. Mundubile you’re the ones that wrecked our economy and then you dare come back to attack an innocent person. You failed dismissally to sort out your mess, then comes HH and begins to correct your mess. You’re a very respectable figure and it’s only fair that you issue responsible statements. You people were quiet and enjoying the loot in your circles in PF and today you have no shame to start attacking HH. We expect you to contribute positively from the biggest opposition but not this way.
Given lubinda don’t surrender that party to gopala just joined PF criminal party even chishimba kambwili said that gopala is not a true green but blue
Of course you’re a hater, thought you had brains
Hon. Brian Mundubile is out of touch with Zambia’s socio-economic reality. He speaks as if money can be picked from the forest, forgetting that he was part of the PF leadership that mismanaged the economy, piled up unsustainable debt, and presided over corruption and political violence.
Under President Hakainde Hichilema, Zambia has restored decency and stability. Debt restructuring is on course, fiscal and monetary discipline has returned, and clear social and economic plans are being implemented.
The New Dawn Government is empowering communities through CDF grants and loans, scholarships, and strengthened social safety nets to promote inclusive growth. Those who failed the country should stop making unfounded claims and simply watch Zambia move forward
Mr. Mundubile, you are free to weep. We are celebrating.