WHEN PRINCIPLES TRANSCEND POLITICS
David T. Zyambo | 13 June 2026
In American politics, there was a highly prominent Senator named John McCain, whose legacy is still revered long after his death. What defined McCain was not blind loyalty to his political brand, but his willingness to break ranks with his own party, the Republicans, and cross the aisle on critical issues of national importance.
McCain frequently reminded his colleagues: “If we get in the habit of bending the truth to suit political expediency or party orthodoxy, our democracy will not work.”
He acted on that conviction in July 2017. The Republican Party was united in its mission to repeal “Obamacare”—Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law—but McCain walked onto the Senate floor and cast the decisive vote to defeat his own party’s landmark bill. In doing so, he protected the legacy of the very man who had defeated him in a fiercely contested presidential election years prior. It was his democratic right, he exercised it, and he was not crucified for it.
I have great respect for Mr. Hakainde Hichilema as my President and Commander-in-Chief. I deeply revere the office he holds. However, publicly singling out and vilifying members of his own party for exercising their democratic rights is fundamentally undemocratic.
I was just watching his arrival address at Solwezi Airport, and the President openly went after his own people, declaring: “4 of our MPs didn’t vote for Bill 7 and I’ll name them, Gary Nkombo, Elijah Muchima, Newton Samakayi and Elias Mubanga.”
This public naming and shaming leaves me with this important question. What about the Members of Parliament who switched sides from the Patriotic Front and voted for Bill 7 with the UPND? Didn’t the President happily welcome them for doing the exact same thing to their party?
When PF members broke party lines or boycotted orders to give the ruling party the crucial two-thirds majority needed to pass Bill 7, they were quietly cheered on and embraced for “putting the nation first.” But the moment UPND’s own loyalists follow their own convictions, the standard changes.
It seems when an MP rebels against the opposition to join you, they are a hero of democracy. But when your own MPs vote with their conscience, they are labeled traitors.
President Hichilema needs to remember that some principles transcend politics, and certain values must always outlive party orthodoxy.
We must all accept the reality of who we are: a nation of 21 million opinionated, passionate, and vociferous individuals. We will argue, we will compete, and in the heat of raucous public debates, we might even turn bitter toward one another. But we have always had far more in common than we do in disagreement. At the end of the day, we are all Zambian.
Gary Nkombo, Elijah Muchima, Newton Samakayi, and Elias Mubanga should not be lined up for public reprimand. They should be respected for doing their jobs—keeping our democracy honest, balanced, and intact.
You miss the point. You have to look at the main objectives of Bill 7, particularly the provisions it intended to achieve. If you read what the President has said about those legal provisions, you will agree that it was for the common good. So, with that big picture, you cannot argue about personal principles overriding public good.