Macpherson Mutale writes
PRESIDENT HH IS A POLITICAL GENIUS OF OUR TIME
For any student of politics, President Hakainde Hichilema is a case study in resilience, tenacity, purpose-driven leadership, focus, and discipline. He did not enter politics to play small; he entered it to pave his own path and leave a lasting legacy on Zambian politics.
While most people do not fully appreciate what it takes to build and sustain a political party, HH managed to take over a political organization that could easily have collapsed had he not been disciplined and strategic.
At the time Anderson Mazoka passed away, there were many qualified and more well-known political heavyweights within the United Party for National Development (UPND), including Patrick Chisanga, Sakwiba Sikota, Given Lubinda, Emmanuel Hachipuka, and Jack Mwiimbu, among others, who at the time possessed more political experience than HH.
Over the years, he has navigated some of the most intricate political maneuvers of our time and has proven to be remarkably resilient. Despite losing elections in 2008, 2011, 2015, and 2016, he never gave up or became desperate. Like a political strategist, he learned and adapted after each defeat.
When other political parties were disintegrating due to a lack of discipline, HH remained steadfast. He never allowed party disloyalty and indiscipline to creep into the UPND. When figures such as Kapita, Chisanga, Sikota, and even Edgar Lungu left the UPND, HH remained calm and resolute.
When opportunists like Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) and Chishimba Kambwili joined him and attempted to bring a culture of lawlessness into the UPND, he remained firmly in charge. Eventually, they became frustrated and left on their own. This is a man who knew exactly what he wanted—a politician with a clear goal who focused solely on achieving it.
Despite numerous detentions and arrests, HH did not falter. He kept moving forward, consistent with the slogan of his party. When Michael Sata entered into an alliance with him, Sata quickly realized that this was not a man interested in quick or convenient fixes. Sata eventually abandoned the alliance and pursued his own path.
Throughout this period, HH learned continuously. He mastered the factors that cause political parties to lose power. He understood what makes politicians lose focus. He studied and refined the art of partisan politics. He knew that if he was to govern this country, he had to be resilient and intentional.
When one reflects on the experiences of the United National Independence Party (UNIP), the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD), and the Patriotic Front (PF), it becomes evident that they lost power largely due to a lack of discipline and inadequate succession planning. HH learned from their mistakes. He understood that a political party that fails to enforce discipline quickly descends into chaos. Both the MMD and the PF have demonstrated how rapidly instability can take hold.
HH has maintained discipline within his party. No one is likely to become unruly while he is president. He will serve his ten years and then allow someone else to take over. He has a firm grip on power and understands, much like Machiavelli suggested, that politics is fundamentally about control and authority.
President HH has also managed to outmaneuver his competitors. While they quarrel among themselves, he quietly works to dismantle their structures by attracting their members to his party. With the new Constitution in place ahead of the 2026 elections and delimitation underway, one can reasonably conclude that his victory is highly likely.
President HH is a political genius. Hate him or love him, he understands politics. Politics is not about sentimentality; it is about achieving results, and HH knows how to close deals.
Through free education, the increased and expanded Constituency Development Fund (CDF), Social Cash Transfers, Cash for Work programs, and Food Security Parks, HH has won the support of the majority who ultimately determine electoral outcomes.
With the 2025 amended Constitution, the ongoing delimitation exercise, and the disarray within the opposition, it appears that HH is well-positioned for victory in 2026. In my view, there is currently no political party or alliance capable of dislodging President HH.
The opposition, in my opinion, lost this election the day mass national mobile registration began, the day mass voter registration commenced, and the day Bill 7 became the amended Constitution of Zambia. HH has proven himself to be a political tactician of our time—a man who knows how to achieve his objectives.
For a student of politics like myself, he represents an existential case study in political mastery. He has his flaws—we all do—but he remains, in my view, a political genius. If he wished, HH could potentially rule beyond his ten-year constitutional mandate. He could amend the Constitution to extend his tenure by two or three years and possibly succeed in doing so.
However, he is not naïve. He is focused on legacy. By the end of his ten years, I believe the world will recognize that a political and economic strategist governed Zambia for a decade. He has no intention of prolonging his stay; rather, he seeks to leave behind a legacy that future students of politics will study.
I have deliberately refrained from discussing his economic management skills; I will provide a comprehensive analysis of that in due course. However, when one considers all the leaders who have governed our country, it becomes apparent that he is the only non-circumstantial president. He intended to lead—and he did. Only Michael Sata comes close in terms of the sheer determination to govern this country.
Disclaimer: This is purely my opinion, and you are entitled to your own.This analysis is based purely on my personal opinion and my experience observing Zambian politics, and on how I have come to understand what truly matters within our political system.