By Given Mutinta
PRESIDENT HICHILEMA’S TONGA VICTIM CARD
President Hakainde Hichilema stated during his news conference at State House that he is the target of criticism or hatred due to his Tonga or Southern heritage.
This is not the first time he has used the Tonga victim card. He also used it when he was visited by civil society organisations in June 2025 during the height of the standoff over Edgar Lungu’s burial arrangements, demonstrating a habit of deflecting legitimate scrutiny.
Every time he faces scrutiny over policy failures or executive decisions, he asserts that public dissatisfaction stems from ethnic prejudice, specifically due to his Tonga heritage or origin from the Southern Province.
This is not only misleading; it is also dishonest and represents tribalism itself.
Criticism directed at a government, regardless of the President’s origin, is a standard feature of robust democracy.
Kenneth Kaunda faced criticism for failures in state diversification; Frederick Chiluba was criticised for pains arising from privatisation; Levy Mwanawasa was criticised for unresolved structural issues; Rupiah Banda was criticised for prioritising short-term stability at the expense of long-term planning; Michael Sata and Edgar Lungu were criticised for fiscal deterioration; however, they never claimed that such criticisms or animosity were due to their ethnic background or region of origin, which would have constituted playing the tribal card.
When citizens or civil society organisations question President Hichilema’s failed economic policies, escalating cost of living, concerns about the illegal constitutional amendments that are not people-driven, or lying in parliament that 92% of debt has been restructured when only 42% has been restructured, or failure to end load shedding nearly five years after promising to do so within a year of taking office, these are policy issues, not ethnic slights.
To suggest that criticism of these areas is rooted solely in hatred because President Hichilema is Tonga misrepresents the nature of democratic engagement.
Accountability requires leaders to justify their actions based on their performance, not their immutable or ethnic characteristics.
When President Hichilema claims that he is criticised or hated because he is Tonga or Southerner, this is a misattribution of tribalism, a phenomenon in which a person believes they are being criticised because of their tribe, when in fact they are criticised as an individual for their poor leadership style, which has nothing to do with ethnic identity or region.
His tribal victim card undermines the democratic expectation that the highest office is answerable to all citizens irrespective of geography or tribe.
President Hichilema’s continuous invocation of tribal victimhood is inherently divisive and poses a significant threat to Zambia’s delicate social fabric.
National cohesiveness is based on the fact that President Hichilema represents the whole Zambian population, which is why in 2021, more than 100,000 votes were cast for him outside of the Southern province. If he was despised for being Tonga or a Southerner, he would never have received such votes beyond his home territory.
The President’s implied ethnic motivation for opposition or dissatisfaction validates and exacerbates pre-existing tribal fault lines.
This political tactic is particularly dangerous because it provides ammunition to actual tribal chauvinists who might use President Hichilema’s own framing to justify more extreme, identity-based political mobilisation as we go towards the 2026 elections.
His cyclical reinforcement of ethnic division clouds substantive political debate. Instead of addressing tangible issues such as genuine participation in the constitutional reforms or late payment of farmers, the political discourse becomes bogged down in defending or attacking ethnic identity.
President Hichilema must know better that democracy functions optimally when leaders willingly subject themselves to critique. When a President pre-emptively labels critique as tribal hatred, they signal an intolerance for the democratic process itself.
Accountability is not an act of malice; it is the mechanism by which the electorate ensures that the presidency serves the nation’s interests rather than the president’s personal or factional or party agenda.
Thus, President Hichilema’s tendency to attribute criticism of his governance to tribal prejudice is a counterproductive political manoeuvre. It obscures necessary conversations about policy efficacy and constitutional integrity. While recognising the existence of tribal politics in Zambia is crucial, weaponising this history to deflect accountability for present-day performance is strategically dishonest and democratically corrosive. True leadership demands confronting policy critiques head-on, demonstrating competence, and fostering a political climate where performance, not ethnicity or origin, dictates public assessment.
For the sake of Zambia’s long-term stability and democratic maturity, President Hichilema must stop the divisive practice of playing the tribal victim card and instead embrace the full weight of democratic accountability.
You may talk what ever you wish this is a fact HH is not like right from the time he was whorn in as President. Even a one month old child can see this. While you hate him he is delivering. There is no President so far in Zambia who has delivered far much better like this one. Truth be told.
ou can say wmhatever you want, but the truth remains: from the very day HH was sworn in, some people chose not to like him—this is so obvious that even a one-month-old child could see it. Yet, despite all the negativity and resistance, he continues to deliver for this country. And if we are being honest, Zambia has not had a President who has delivered at this scale, with this consistency, and with such clarity of purpose. That is the simple truth.
KK in the first decade of independence delivered more than any president, including HH. For those who were born or grew up after independence, they may disagree. I was in grade 3 when we got our independence in 1964. Most of the major infrastructure you see were built by Super Ken. ZIT, UNZA, Nortec, Tazara, Indeni, Nitrogen Chemicals. The list is endless. Then there was free quality edecation.
Super Ken stands head and shoulders above the rest. He delivered more than any other president, including HH and his predecessor, ECL. Unfortunately, he became a dictator after the advent of the one party state and things took a downward spin from.then on.
At what cost ba JMC? The queues that we were subject to? We sacrificed from our neighbours? How many have come to our help? How many even remember our sacrifice?
If ZCCM was such an achievement why was it privitised?
Unmusk yourself and we will tell you exactly why you say what you say.
While the rest of us were suffering you were eating Chocolates and being chauffered around in Mercedes Benzs at what cost? You preached humanism while just to get on bus we had to queue for hours? What you call an achievement was not sustainable and that is why most of it no where to be seen.
In this vein when HH directs 2megawatt plants to be placed in every constituency. The concept may seem viable and good. But is ut sustainable? Lets look at the numbers he is looking at. Lets have details of how this would work. This country has many experts that should look at this critically. And why should banks underwrite this when CDF is said to be there? As they say the devil is in the details.
Lets see those details, these are public resources that are being directed (with all the due respect) a white wash policy directive needs the insight of the Ministerof Finance who seems was put on the spot yesterday.
I totally agree with Matty what I see here is total hatred let us just face the reality not just beating about the bush sometimes the truth hates.
Even a baby who was born yesterday is able to see it. Imagin even after stabilizing the economy these same people cannot see it, unless it’s their own then it’s okay. Why wasting our time writing all this bullshit when you know the truth here grow up man!
This Given Mutinta is just another wrong chap who wants to show that she or he thinks a lot.These are the same characters who have regrouped with intent to bring down HH.They use language that has lies and serious falsehoods.The constitution amendment process is just fine,the technical committee was all over the country and people came out in masses to give their submissions, and many more used electronic technology to participate.You must come to the table with issue based facts not this hate you are exhibiting.President Hichilema is not against criticism no, but false narratives, he is actually politically tolerant that’s the reason you are able to speak lungs out.If it was in the days of PF you wouldn’t drive through town without being scratched with your crude language.You want to test your freedoms and rights through executive abuse, that is rubbish my friend.HH has been a victim of tribe from the time he was in opposition.Some people even brought falsehoods that he would bring animals in Cairo road, some words like “kachema” cattleman were used.He is now President and you still want to continue abusing him and when you are reminded about your filthy actions you deny.He is a human being he can feel bad about that.He has a thick skin he can at least tolerate that to some extent.You try to join your words smartly sounding so eloquent but with no logic at all.We can just see hate.Even the names you are using don’t sound the character you show.I can even guess who you are.
Well said…sociopath…saying the Catholic Church has better intelligence that the state security? Si nkani yamuboba? These articles that are published with one iota of credibility seem to be the order of the day….Seems Elon Musk and Trumpian ideas have found a home here.
IT IS A WRONG APPROACH TO ALWAYS FRONT THE TRIBAL TICKET EACH TIME PEOPLE DISAGREE WITH YOU, BECAUSE THAT IS IN ITSELF REVERSE TRIBALISM. LOOK AT THE ISSUE PEOPLE ARE AGAINST WITHOUT TYING IT TO TRIBE. IF PEOPLE ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT BILL 7, LOOK AT IT AS BILL 7 AND DO NOT ATTACH IT TO TRIBE AND SAY THEY ARE REFUSING BECAUSE I AM TONGA, NO, WHEN YOU DO THAT YOU ARE DOING REVERSE TRIBALISM BECAUSE YOU ARE APPEALING TO A GROUPING TO SAY THEY ARE DOING THIS BECAUSE OF MY TRIBE AND THAT IS NOT CORRECT. OF ALL PEOPLE YOU NEED TO KNOW BETTER.
What’s wrong with Bill 7?
Your answer will be -wrong timing or shot time. 1991, 1996, 2016 constitutional amendments were done in election years. PF was just 7 months before voting. You didn’t make this silly noise. Sata delimitated and created new districts and provinces. You clapped. To day in UPND even Church to go on street…why?
Yes, HH is lamenting about hatred for Tongas is not a cry of no basis BUT reality. We seen and hear it. Don’t pretend you are not one of them because your script says it all. STOP THIS HATRED. TELL YOUR CATHOLIC BISHOPS we know they harbor the same hatred as you. If they go on street for the first time they will meet the law. Bill 7 should go ahead. We want large constituencies delimitated to steer development. Can you imagine the development here in Shiwang’andu if it was delimitated and getting 80m? The new constituency gets: New hospital. New Secondary school. New road infrastructur and that amenities that go with a constituency. Surely, how bad is this?
100% can state exactly what is wrong with Bill 7? Concisely….not these generalised statements that dont tell us exactly what the bill says that they find wrong.
We still have giants like you samlindo. Zambia shall return to oneness with brethren like samlindo once again!!
Given Mutinta can only take the donkey to the river,it’s up to the donkey to drink from the river!! People like Muleta et.al fitting the bill.
This Mutinta character.
I don’t know if this chap lives in Zambia or among those shouting from diaspora.
We have openly heard these hatred comments directed at HH being Tonga and “THEY” don’t want a Tonga in State House. Some even teased him that if he became a President he will bring Cattle on Cairo Road, we saw cartoons of cattle on Cairo road. ECL said “NOT THIS TONGA to be the President. Even what we are seeing from the Catholic Bishops/OASIS/NGOs (look at the origin of the organizers) is to make sure that HH is out of State House in 2026 and replaced by someone from their region. Kano nga ebo syndrome. Even the President said it in his news address-anyone can be President of Zambia. He isn’t just speaking from space. I am not being tribal but saying things as they are. Not burying my head in sand. Hasn’t this Mutinta seen many new political parties from one region, it is not for the love of Zambia but to remove HH. They even say our agenda is “TO REMOVE HH from power”. All this is because of hatred.
Write about real issues because we see and hear maybe better than him.
The president is right. There is no president in Zambia who has suffered more abuse than HH. It started when he was in opposition. When he was in opposition, he was abused both by the PF in power and fellow opposition leaders. Instead of attacking the party in power they they teamed up to attack HH. Now tell me, which policies were they attacking him for while in opposition?
And this is why they say the Press conference was about him?
Is that all they got from the Press conference?
From Chelewa and Laura. They have a weird of giving a synopsis on an issue.
Is this all HH spoke to? Where are the adults cause if these are the kind of adults we have we are at loss and these two are lining up to join the group of demagogues that do the rounds.
Some people are pushing this hate thing too much, including some Catholic leaders ( I hope Rome is seeing this) and other Civil Society pundits. One thing to know is that the man they hate so much also has a multitude of people who love him dearly. Hating him is hating them too. Lets be reasonable for once and be civil. We can differ in a respectful way as a civilized people. Don’t take us backwards, please don’t. Know when enough is enough. Please stop the nonsense now.
Playing the Tonga Hatred Card like what Hakainde is doing is Tribalism. And any one buying into this narrative is equally practicing Tribalism.
To the Tonga speaking people, the majority who are bloggers on this platform, don’t allow Hakainde to abuse the Tonga Tribe.
We have had Presidents in Zambia, and no one has raised Ethnicity to such a level like what Hakainde is doing.
Through the Tribal scheme Hakainde has embarked on, it will become very difficult for Zambians to vote for another Tonga to rule this country. Who would want to have a President,who when he is Criticized, he attributes the criticism to Ethnicity?
And to the Tonga Tribe, If Hakainde is wrong on Policies, governance, or any issue, please criticize him. Through this you are building him..And he will see the world in it’s correct perspective.
No man is perfect. We are all fallible and bound to err. This philosophy of a “Tonga can’t criticize a Tonga ” is Tribalism..and self destructive. This is what has blinded Hakainde because he only sees Criticism from people coming from other tribes..and erroneously attributes it to Tonga Hate.
We are going to have Presidential Elections next year. If Hakainde is allowed to go with his Tribal Card into Elections, and the Tongas Swallow this useless Scam, we are entering dangerous waters. If he loses , he already has his Fall Back – Tonga Hatred.
This is how Countries disintegrate. The Scam Hakainde has embarked on is wrong. He should be called out.
Thank you.
Given Your spirit to contribute on this matter b have fallen far short of it. Have you started smoking ganja now or someone is paying you?I know you as a sobber boy when at Mukasa Minor. Yes we are Catholics but lets not mislead people. I can see that you hate HH for sure.You want to show people that you know it all when you don’t. W have MBAs as well but we chose to analyze issue before we write.HH is the one cleaning up the mess left by the people who defaulted paying the money they borrowed to tantamika the cadres and give them for consumption.They hate HH cause he has stopped them looting or benefiting from public resources