PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA’S PRESS BRIEFING WAS VERY UNIFYING – HON. OLIVER MUMBUNA AMUTIKE
President Hakainde Hichilema’s press briefing, rightly described by Hon. Oliver Mumbuna Amutike as a “unifying one, a ray of hope for Zambians.”
In a political landscape still healing from the deep scars of tribal polarization and the weaponisation of state power by the past regime, Hichilema’s consistent message of national unity is not merely rhetoric, but a foundational political principle. It signals a deliberate departure from a politics of exclusion to one of active citizenship, where every Zambian, regardless of region or affiliation, is considered a stakeholder in the nation’s future.
The President’s firm stance against protest and violence, while welcoming dialogue, is a critical recalibration of governance that prioritizes stability and discourse over coercion. This is a clear political statement that his administration believes in the power of engagement and the rule of law, rejecting the previous government’s often heavy-handed approach to dissent.
By choosing dialogue as the primary tool for conflict resolution, Hichilema is making a calculated bet on mature, democratic politics, asserting that a nation’s strength is measured not by its ability to suppress its citizens, but by its capacity to listen to them. This fosters a political environment where progress is achieved through consensus rather than confrontation.
Furthermore, the President’s emphasis on increased investor confidence is a direct indictment of the economic mismanagement that characterized the previous era. He correctly identifies that the threat to this hard-won progress is not merely economic but also political, emanating from “thugs and violent behavior” that seek to destabilize the nation for selfish gains.
This is a bold political move to isolate and de-legitimize factions, whether in the opposition or within his own party that want to profit from chaos and uncertainty. By directly linking national security to economic prosperity, President Hichilema is arguing that true sovereignty is achieved through a stable, job-creating economy, not through empty nationalist posturing.
The overarching political statement from this engagement is that Mr. Hichilema’s administration is consciously trading the short-term, populist tactics of the past for the sustainable, if sometimes difficult, work of long-term nation-building. The unity he preaches is the bedrock for investment and the stability he demands is the prerequisite for growth.
This philosophy represents a significant shift in Zambian governance, one that places its faith in the collective patience and intelligence of the Zambian people to support a methodical and inclusive path to development, firmly rejecting the politics of fear and division that have long held the nation back.
Oliver Mumbuna Amutike -Mongu Central MP
UPND Media