We Are Not Free Anymore — But We Will Be Again
By Thandiwe Ketiš Ngoma
On the eve of our 61st Independence anniversary, my heart is heavy.
Tomorrow, we will raise our flag, but beneath its colors, our nation is bleeding. This was meant to be a time of celebration, a moment to honor the courage of those who fought to break the chains of colonial rule. Yet today, instead of pride, I feel sorrow, because in truth, we are right back where we started.
Only this time, the chains are not made of iron. They are made of power, fear, corruption, and silence.
We have leaders who behave like masters, and citizens who are treated like subjects. Our institutions no longer serve the people; they serve those in power. The same intimidation our forefathers faced under colonial administrators now comes from our own government, armed not with whips, but with laws, commissions, and regulations that muzzle truth and silence dissent.
Our media is being hunted.
Our journalists are being summoned.
Our voices are being tamed by fear.
We fought the empire, but now we have become our own colonisers. The oppression we once resisted has been repackaged in local accents and national colors.
So, as the flag rises tomorrow, I will stand in respect, but I will also bow my head in mourning, because sixty-one years later, Zambia is not truly free.
Independence was never meant to be a holiday; it was meant to be a promise, and that promise has been broken.
Yet even as I grieve, I do not despair, because the spirit of 1964 still burns within us. The courage of our ancestors still whispers in our hearts, reminding us that freedom is never granted; it is claimed.
We are ripe for our Second Independence Struggle, and this time it will not be a struggle of guns or blood, but of truth, courage, and conscience.
Come 2026, the people of Zambia must rise again, not in violence, but in unity, to reclaim our voice, to reclaim our dignity, and to reclaim the Republic our heroes envisioned.
The chains have changed, but the fight remains the same, and this time we will not stop until every Zambian is truly free.
Thanks to UPND, we are free at last after departure of Panga wilding PF thug who could go to police station attacking officers at will and go unpunished. Now the police are back again in charge of internal security of the citizens. Only criminals are crying foul. They were used to breaking the law and go unpunished. Now things are different. Only the guilt are afraid. Just discuss issues within the confines of the law and no one will arrest you. Look, Hurry Kalaba is all over the country and free to interact with citizens without being harassed. Every game has rules. If you fail to play clean politics, maybe try another constructive game like farming. No one will arrest you. You will instead make clean money.
The HH govt is anchored on the rule of law, and on the premises that you break the law, you are on your own.What a prostitute full of hatred.You dont stay in Zambia yet you are talking about not being free.You write not nonsense everyday people take you as a mad person.Ask those in in Zambia if they are not free.Your boyfriends are not coming back anytime soon.Eurobond money you were receiving is finished
Yes you and your like -minded PF zealots are no longer free to eat stolen public funds. I pray that you will never be free to thrive in that mischief again.
Madame, just speak for yourself, may be you are the only one who is not free. Me I am free, more than I was under PF. I also don’t understand when you say we are no longer free, free to do what or from what? This time we have even forgotten how tear gas smells or how blood looks like, something which was a common occurrence under the previous administration.
It’s only now that I have learnt that “freedom” is a relative term.
Comparing what we went through under PF and what we are currently experiencing, I personally believe people are more free now than under the previous regime.
– Teargassing
– no wearing of any political regalia other than the green
– Regionalism and tribalism, leading so being unceremoniously fired or not getting employment
– High annual budget for teargas and other anti-riot gear to mime the innocent
– Kamugodi
– Looting coffers from bus stops and markets
– The list is endless
Now we here there is no freedom, hey!
Yes you and your like -minded PF zealots are no longer free to eat stolen public funds. I pray that you will never be free to thrive in that mischief again.
For real only thieves are not free and just a reminder please speak for yourself. All the opposition are busy campaigning nobody is harassing them like your PF used to. People like you who thrive on lies are very dangerous to the society. If indeed you’re a lady in real life you must be very deceitful. I have never come across a lady who can tell such blatant lies in daylight and darkness. You lack logic thinking in all your discourses.
Thandiwe ketis Ngoma sometime if you have nothing to post, kindly keep quiet. Tell us how many media houses were shut down by pf compared to upnd. How many media houses were interrupted by pf cadres during ecl rule. Your journalism should be questioned because ur not informing people correctly. Stop using pf glasses when articulating national issues
Thandiwe please save us from your everyday rubbish. What freedom are you referring to. Are you normal or you are bewitched ? A woman like you was supposed to upright. Don’t they tell you that you are now a nuisance ?