RESPONSE TO DR. MBITA CHITALA’S CALL FOR A NATIONAL CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE
By Tobbius C . Hamunkoyo-LLB
This is a long article, written to fully and honestly address the issues raised by Dr. Mbita Chitala. To every genuine Zambian who wishes to understand the truth about where our country has come from, where it is now, and where it is going, I encourage you to patiently read through this response.
I begin by appreciating Dr. Mbita Chitala’s consistent engagement with matters of national importance. As a veteran of Zambia’s political life, his voice is valuable in shaping national debate.
However, in order to move forward constructively, we must all commit to truthfulness, honesty, and historical accuracy. When we speak of governance challenges, we must not erase or sanitize the past.
Dr. Chitala calls for a National Consultative Conference (NCC) to address Zambia’s current challenges. While national dialogue is healthy in a democracy, his submission falls short because it overlooks the reality of where our nation was in 2021 and the progress made since then.
For such a call to carry credibility, Dr. Chitala and others who served under the Patriotic Front (PF) must come with clean hands and acknowledge the destruction that PF left behind.
It is a notorious fact that the PF administration left Zambia on the verge of collapse. It presided over unprecedented levels of corruption, with billions of kwacha lost through inflated contracts, ghost suppliers, and outright theft of public resources. The Honeybee scandal, the fire tender scandal, and the misuse of Eurobond funds stand out as painful examples. Reckless and non-transparent borrowing ballooned Zambia’s debt to unsustainable levels, pushing the country into default in 2020. This crippled the economy and deprived ordinary citizens of essential services.
It is also undisputed fact that under PF, the rule of law collapsed. Political violence, police brutality, cadreism in bus stations and markets, and media intimidation became the order of the day. State institutions were captured and turned into political weapons, used to persecute opponents while shielding corrupt officials. To make matters worse, the economy suffered heavily, inflation soared, the kwacha collapsed, and unemployment rose sharply. PF politics was also characterized by tribalism, favoritism, and divisive rhetoric, which eroded the unity of our country.
This is the Zambia that the UPND inherited in 2021, a country bruised, divided, and bankrupt. Against this background, the UPND administration under President Hakainde Hichilema has made significant progress in four years. While challenges remain, the nation is far better off today than it was under PF.
On the economic front, Zambia has successfully restructured its $13.03 billion external debt, restoring international financial credibility. Inflation, which had once soared uncontrollably, has been reduced, and while the kwacha still faces global in the economy.
The UPND has also restored the rule of law and freedoms. Cadres have been removed from bus stations and markets, giving traders space to conduct business freely. Citizens now enjoy freedom of expression, association, and assembly without fear of political violence. The judiciary, police, and investigative wings have been allowed greater independence, unlike in the PF era when they were heavily politicized.
In the fight against corruption, the UPND has shown commitment by prosecuting high-profile cases and beginning to recover stolen assets. Procurement systems have been tightened to prevent abuse. This stands in sharp contrast to the impunity that flourished under PF.
One of the most transformative reforms has been the increase of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) from K1.6 million under PF to K36 million per constituency. This has decentralized resources in an unprecedented way, enabling youths, women, and community groups to access loans and grants that are creating jobs and businesses across the country.
In education and health, progress has been remarkable. Over 45,000 teachers and 16,000 health workers have been recruited in four years, the largest recruitment drive in Zambia’s history. The free education policy has lifted the burden off poor families and boosted school enrolment. Health facilities across the country are also receiving more staff and supplies than before.
The agriculture sector has also seen improvements, with timely distribution of inputs under FISP being prioritized despite global challenges. Government is promoting diversification beyond maize, with increased investment in irrigation and cash crops to secure long-term food security and export surplus to Congo DR our potential market.
Infrastructure development continues but with more focus on sustainability. Unlike PF’s debt-driven approach, the UPND is targeting economic roads, rural electrification, and renewable energy projects to reduce load-shedding. At the same time, Zambia’s international standing has improved, attracting investment and development partnerships that had been lost due to PF’s reckless governance.
Dr. Chitala’s concerns about poverty, unemployment, and high cost of living are valid, these are real struggles citizens face daily. However, to suggest that Zambia today is worse than under PF is to ignore the catastrophic mess PF left behind. It is misleading and unfair to compare today’s Zambia with an imagined version of PF governance that never existed.
If Dr. Chitala genuinely seeks dialogue, he must also acknowledge these truths. National reconciliation requires honesty. It requires that those who served in PF admit the failures of that regime, even as they call for improvements today. Only then can such calls inspire credibility and unity.
In conclusion, the UPND has not solved every problem in four years, no government can. But it has moved Zambia from the ruins of corruption, debt, and lawlessness towards a path of recovery, stability, and hope. The focus now should be on consolidating these gains, accelerating job creation, and lowering the cost of living.
Dr. Chitala’s experience is valuable, but his message must be grounded in truth. Zambia cannot afford selective memory. We must build on the progress of today, not romanticize the failures of yesterday.
