In Defense of Principle: This Is About Integrity, Not Lt. Habwela- Ephraim Shakafuswa

In Defense of Principle: This Is About Integrity, Not Lt. Habwela

By Ephraim Shakafuswa

I have seen your comments and as a listening leader lol! here is the clarity! Let’s get one thing straight from the beginning: this is not about Lt. Habwela Hichilema. He is a citizen with the right to choose his path, serve his country, and build a life of his own. What this is about — is leadership, integrity, and the dangerous precedent of political privilege.

Zambians Were Promised a Different Kind of Leadership. President Hakainde Hichilema didn’t just win an election — he won trust. He set himself apart from the politics of nepotism, favoritism, and dynasty. He looked Zambians in the eye and said: “My children will not work in government.” “They will not do business with government.” “We are not like those who used public office to benefit family.” That was not a whisper. It was a loud, repeated declaration — and it’s a big part of why many people gave him their vote.
Now, we see his son, Lt. Habwela, in a ZNS uniform, saluted on national television, turned into a political symbol of “discipline” and “humility.” Whether or not he earned his place on merit is not the point. The issue is: why the double standard? Why the selective outrage?

Africa Has Seen This Before — And It Starts Small. We must not ignore the regional warning signs. This is how dynastic politics begins — not with big declarations, but with quiet exceptions, PR stunts, and rationalizations. In Uganda, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba — President Museveni’s son — now openly positions himself as successor.

In Zimbabwe, the Mnangagwa children and in-laws are entangled in state tenders, influence peddling, and public controversy.

In Rwanda, the Kagame family enjoys near untouchable status, with tight control over political and economic power.
In Equatorial Guinea, Teodorin Obiang is now Vice President, following in his father’s long dictatorial footsteps.
It always starts small — and then it becomes normalized. Before long, power is inherited, not earned. And when citizens raise concerns, they are told they are “bitter,” “petty,” or “unpatriotic.” We must not allow that in Zambia.

No One Is Attacking the Son — We’re Holding the Father Accountable. Let’s stop pretending this is about blocking a young man’s dreams. That’s not only misleading — it’s dismissive. This is about a President who made a public commitment to Zambians — and is now asking us to forget it. Yes, Lt. Habwela may have joined ZNS on his own volition. But would any ordinary Zambian youth have quietly passed through training, only to be revealed post-graduation, with a camera-ready script and national rollout? If it was truly about humility and discipline, why the photo ops? Why the state-driven narrative? This was not a private moment. It was a crafted message — and that’s where integrity comes in.

This Is Not About the Law — It’s About Trust. No one said it’s illegal for the President’s child to serve. That’s not the point. The point is that leadership is built on trust, not just legality. And trust comes from consistency — from saying what you mean, and standing by it even when it’s inconvenient. You cannot build a brand on morality and merit — and then ask to be judged by convenience and exception.
We Must Say No to Privileged Access Disguised as Patriotism.

Zambians are not foolish. They know the difference between equal opportunity and strategic positioning. They remember how past leaders were criticized for letting their children benefit from state resources. The same must apply today — or else we admit that we were only angry then because the beneficiaries weren’t “ours.” We must say no to the sanitization of privilege. We must say no to grooming political heirs under the cover of public service. And we must say no to breaking promises under the pretext of family freedom.

In Closing: Zambia Must Not Set the Wrong Precedent. If we normalize this, we open the door for more — quietly, gradually, and then irreversibly. We do not want to wake up one day to find ourselves explaining why a President’s child is Defence Minister, or heading parastatals, or being positioned as a successor. That’s not democracy. That’s dynasty. And Zambia must reject it at the root — before it becomes a tree too big to cut down.

So no, this is not about bitterness. It is not about the young man. It is about protecting the soul of our democracy — and demanding that our leaders respect the promises they made in the light, not just the ones they whisper when it’s politically convenient. We will keep remembering. We will keep asking. Because this country belongs to all of us — not just the privileged few.

A Citizen Who Remembers — and Will Not Be Gaslit Into Silence