REMINDER TO PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA: LEADERSHIP REQUIRES CONSISTENCY, NOT DOUBLE STANDARDS
By Michael Zephaniah Phiri Political Activist_
A reminder must be placed before President Hakainde Hichilema: when in opposition, he fought the Patriotic Front and President Edgar Lungu with relentless energy. He mobilised citizens, challenged constitutional amendments, defended public protest, and promised that once in office, reforms would be “far better and cleaner” than those proposed under Bill 10.
Today, however, the same citizens who stood with him feel betrayed. The very people who believed in his promise of inclusive, people-driven constitutional change are now being told to “go to court” or “wait for Parliament.” This abrupt shift in tone has left many shocked—because it contradicts everything he once stood for.
The unresolved issue surrounding the late President Edgar Lungu has only added fuel to the national frustration. For months, dialogue has stalled, tension has grown, and yet on camera the President speaks strongly about “dialogue” and “national healing.” Many Zambians now ask: How do we amend a Constitution when we cannot even resolve a simple family-nation dispute with compassion and urgency?
If President Hichilema argues that he “cannot bury Bill 7 without process,” then citizens equally ask: How did the nation fail to settle the matter of ECL with the same seriousness? This inconsistency fuels accusations of double standards.
It must be remembered that President Hichilema himself once declared that if it were him in charge, he would “withdraw such a bill immediately and take it back to the public.” But today, he stands on the opposite side of his own words. Youths once protested Bill 10 openly including under leaders like Ackson Banda. Those protests were defended by the then-opposition. Today, young people fear the same civic space is shrinking.
Under the current leadership, many burdens lie on the President’s shoulders. Citizens expect engagement, not avoidance. Consensus building, not confrontation. Dialogue, not dismissal.
The Women’s Forum, civil society, and community leaders who met with the President expressed a simple expectation: *withdraw Bill 7, take it back to the people, and restart the process correctly through broad consultation, genuine consensus, and national participation.* That is how constitutional amendments should be handled. That is how trust is built. That is how leadership proves it is for the people, not for political survival.
The President himself reminded the room of Zambia’s history:
1964, 1973, 1991, 1996, 2016—each constitutional moment involved negotiation, listening, and compromise. Never force. Never arrogance. Never instruction without conversation.
If those lessons were true then, they remain true now.
This is not a moment for media fights or finger-pointing. It is a moment for honesty. The country does not want a return to street confrontations, political tension, or governance by fear. Zambia is trying to heal from the bitterness of the past. This healing requires fairness, humility, and sincerity from all leaders including the President.
FINAL REMINDER*
Mr. President, the people who stood with you in opposition are watching.
They remember your words.
They remember your promises.
And they expect you to uphold the same democratic principles you once demanded from others.
Leadership is not proven by power.
Leadership is proven by consistency, dialogue, and the courage to correct one’s own path.
The nation is calling for exactly that.