When a Leader Surrounds Himself with Shadows
By Dr Mwelwa
A king is known by his court. A leader is judged by those he appoints. And yet, in Zambia today, we are witnessing a presidency surrounded not by the sharpest minds, but by placeholders, political loyalists, and professional cheerleaders who add no value to the governance of the country.
Laura Miti puts it bluntly—Zambia has seen a steady decline in the quality of leadership appointments since the MMD era. Back then, whether one agreed with their policies or not, Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, and presidential advisors were selected based on competence. Today, as Emmanuel Mwamba also notes, President Hichilema has built a system where silence and incompetence reign supreme, where ministers hide instead of defend, where MPs flee instead of debate, and where the Chief Government Spokesperson has no information worth speaking about.
A government that cannot answer the cries of its people is a government that has already lost its way. The high cost of living is the fire burning in every household, and yet those in power act as though discussing it is beneath them. Zambians ask why mealie meal is now beyond reach, but instead of answers, they get State House bloggers posting propaganda. Zambians ask why the Kwacha is collapsing, why fuel prices are unbearable, and why basic commodities have become luxuries—but instead of a national address, they get a government that walks out of Parliament. If leadership is about problem-solving, then what exactly is UPND solving?
A leader without a strong support system is like a lion leading a herd of goats. Ministers are supposed to be warriors, strategists, and defenders of government policy. But instead, Hichilema’s team is missing in action. Where are his sectoral ministers? Why are they not taking the lead in explaining the government’s policies? Why is Zambia being governed by faceless propaganda pages and self-proclaimed consultants instead of competent officials who can articulate policy and provide solutions?
Laura Miti is right to ask: how does a man with a corporate background get it so wrong when it comes to hiring and firing? How can a leader be so comfortable with incompetence? If loyalty is the only qualification for office, then failure is the only outcome for governance. A government that fears competence is a government that is afraid of accountability.
Emmanuel Mwamba mocks the UPND’s inability to outmaneuver a so-called dead PF, and rightfully so. What does it say about a ruling party that struggles to politically defeat an opposition it claimed was finished? What does it say about the government’s media team when it has no coherent strategy apart from insults and distractions?
The truth is simple: Hichilema is running a government where no one is in charge, where those in office are more concerned about protecting their jobs than fixing the country, and where incompetence has been institutionalized as a culture. The silence from his team is not by accident—it is because they have nothing of value to say.
A leader is only as strong as his team. And right now, Zambia has a president surrounded by shadows. If he does not wake up and clean house, the people will do it for him in 2026. The clock is ticking.