THE “HH ROAD”: HICHILEMA’S AWKWARD OBSESSION WITH HIMSELF
Mr Hakainde Hichilema was last Saturday at Mkaika, in Katete district of Eastern province attending the Kulamba traditional ceremony. And speaking at the ceremony, Mr Hichilema, who claimed to have silenced the people that doubted his capacity to deliver, promised to prioritize the construction of the Chadiza-Chipata road, which he has now named the “HH Road”.
Every country name infrastructure, spaces or places after its finest sons and daughters. And these are usually eminent individuals that are worthy of recognition because of their heroic acts, values, ideas or politics deserve remembrance, promotion and preservation for future generations not to forget their names.
The naming of public spaces is never a single leader’s private matter or decision. It is an act of gratitude for the individual’s service to their country. And it is society that decides in collaboration with its leaders to appreciate these individuals for what they have done to humanity. This is the dominant logic behind the naming of public spaces after celebrated individuals. And public spaces, buildings, roads or places are named after leaders when they are out of office, not when they are still serving.
Haven’t you wondered why, for all his great contributions to this country’s infrastructural changes and development, none of the public roads, buildings or infrastructure was named after Mr Michael Chilufya Sata whilst he was still in office? We are reliably informed that it was Mr Sata’s wish that no single infrastructure project be named after him whilst he was still president. Numerous suggestions to name public spaces, roads and buildings were made at the time, but the man flatly refused: “Are you normal? How do you name something when I am still here (in office)? Who do you want to impress?”. We are told this was Mr Sata’s common response to his lieutenants every time the issue of naming things before him came up.
In fact, on September 30, 2011, Mr Sata named the then newly constructed 40,100-seater stadium in Ndola as Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, in honour of Zambia’s third republican president, who clinched the deal with the Chinese government five years before the stadium opened its doors to the public. Mr. Mwanawasa never named the stadium after himself upon sealing the deal with Beijing for its construction. It took Mr Sata to come and bestow the honor on his departed colleague five years later. Naming places, roads and buildings is supposed to be an honor bestowed on an individual by other people; as opposed to doing it yourself. That is wide of the mark and too despotic!
Therefore, it is very awkward that Mr Hichilema, in his current capacity and for his own interest, can be going round naming government projects after himself, when he is using public money for these projects. Public office is for serving the people and not a personal branding voyage. If Mr Hichilema loves his name so much, why hasn’t he named his cattle ranches after it? Mr Hichilema knows that he is losing power hence this desperation. He knows that history will not be so kind on him, it won’t flatter him, as all his terrible deeds would be remembered well. That is why he is now urgently attempting to leave some traces of himself before 2026, but it’s too late.
Fred M’membe
President of the Socialist Party
Fred, what is the article to do with the development our minds want? A politician talks of ways and ideas to better develop a country. If you want to talk about HH talk about him in his own capacity as an individual. Please don’t involve us. You seem to have personal grudges against him. Go it your way alone..
What is wrong with Mr. Mmembe, is there anything wrong with naming something after president HH? Why does this man have such kind of hatred and jealousy for president HH? There are many public infrastructure which were named after living presidents and first ladies and just to mentioned a few, there is David Kaunda technical school, Hellen Kaunda secondary school, Vera Chiluba school to mention just a few. All these were infrastructure were named after living people. In fact, in Kitwe there is ECL mall and former president is still alive so what is Mr. Mmembe talking about? Instead of talking about policy statement and economic plans he has to improve the lives of Zambians, he is busy talking about irrelevant stuff?
It will be painful to you Fred to see how 2026 will reaffirm HH2031….. Bitterness and day dreaming are free enjoy them dear.
And we will push extension of his term to 2041so that we become a middle income nation like Egypt and RSA.
Hope now all can confirm this man talks through Matako you can tell from products of a cesspool coming out. Was DK Secondary named after 1991 or this s man has serious issues kumatako? So he wants a road to named after himself? Imagine ati “fuledi matako Boulevard”
Edgar Lungu Stem Technical Secondary School which was built by Zesco somewhere in Eastern Province was named after ECL during the time he was serving as Republican president. How about the residential area in Lusaka known as Kaunda Square? The name has been in existence way before KK left office in the latter part of 1991. Membe is a poor researcher.
With the poverty of the mind Fred has, surely can be make any good president. Awe I feel even in death I can not follow such a man for he has the potential to lead me into hell.
Join fuledi mmembe if you want to learn tribalism and hatrages however I don’t see any problem of naming the building or anything by the presidents name I have seen schools under levy mwanawasa ,kk , Edgar lungu and vela chiluba then even HH can do the same.The problem of fuledi mmembe formed that party out of jealous initially fuledi mmembe used to do business and vesseline no wonder Winter kabimba dumped him too much yukumbuyo.fuledi mmembe you can also name one building if you want,in the guesthouse were you go and do yakumbuyo very is names for chiefs .
Well for us he is an eminent personality deserving to be remembered and naming a road after him is the least we can do. We will name schools and clinics after him too. He is like Levy Patrick Mwanawasa and Kenneth Kaunda for us. The ONLY TWO OTHER DESERVING FORMER PRESIDENTS IN THE HISTORY OF ZAMBIA. ECL, CHILUBA, RB don’t belong there. We only name true patriots. You M’membe don’t even come 100 miles there. You are petty and too vindictive and egotistic to be even appointed minister. We need better people than you.
We shall rename that road.