PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA IS THE BEST PRESIDENT SINCE INDEPENDENCE AND HERE IS WHY- Saviour Chishimba
PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA IS THE BEST PRESIDENT SINCE INDEPENDENCE AND HERE IS WHY
Before you offer your opinion, kindly answer one question. Which President inherited the weakest economy in Zambia’s history since independence and what did he do with it? If we judge Presidents not by emotions, but by what they inherited and what they left behind, the answer may surprise you.
Every President inherits a different Zambia. Some inherit overflowing coffers. Others inherit empty coffers. Some begin their presidency with international goodwill and abundant resources. Others begin with debt, economic distress and declining public confidence. That is why the true measure of leadership is not where a President starts, but where he takes the nation.
President Kenneth Kaunda inherited one of Africa’s strongest economies at independence. Zambia possessed substantial foreign exchange reserves, a strong mining sector and a currency that ranked among the strongest in the region. He deserves lasting honour for Zambia’s immense contribution to the liberation of Southern Africa. He spent our national resources to free Southern Africa. Domestically, however, the economy gradually weakened as state control expanded, productive efficiency declined and the country became increasingly burdened by economic challenges
President Frederick Chiluba inherited an economy under severe strain and a heavy debt burden. His administration introduced important market reforms and benefited from significant support from cooperating partners, who financed major programmes such as the construction of thousands of schools, road infrastructure and other development initiatives. By the end of his tenure, fiscal discipline had weakened and public finances again came under considerable pressure.
President Levy Mwanawasa inherited another difficult economy. Through firm fiscal discipline, anti corruption measures, economic reforms and international debt relief initiatives, Zambia gradually regained stability. The first years were painful for many households, but those reforms eventually produced results. During his administration, Zambia attained middle income status for the first time since independence, a remarkable national achievement that deserves recognition.
The period from 2011 to 2021 saw another sharp deterioration. Public debt rose rapidly, investor confidence weakened, macroeconomic stability deteriorated, inflation accelerated, the Kwacha depreciated significantly, and Zambia became the first African country to default on its sovereign debt in 2020. Ordinary families experienced an unprecedented rise in the cost of living.
President Hakainde Hichilema inherited perhaps the most difficult economic situation any Zambian President has faced since independence. He inherited depleted fiscal space, unsustainable debt, low foreign exchange reserves, damaged investor confidence and an economy under severe stress. Within 4 years and 10 months, Zambia has restored macroeconomic stability, concluded a complex debt restructuring process, rebuilt international confidence, bought back the Eurobond, strengthened foreign exchange reserves, reduced inflation substantially, stabilised the Kwacha compared with the crisis years, returned the economy to positive growth, expanded free education, increased social protection and created a platform upon which private investment can grow.
The most important point is that sustainable prosperity is never built by printing money or accumulating unsustainable debt. It is built by restoring confidence, encouraging production, attracting investment and creating the conditions for businesses, farmers and entrepreneurs to succeed. That foundation is exactly what is being rebuilt today.
President Mwanawasa’s reforms were unpopular in their early years, yet they later transformed Zambia’s economy. President Hakainde Hichilema is following a similar path. First stabilise the foundations, then expand production, create jobs and raise household incomes. Those who dismiss stability as meaningless misunderstand how every successful economy in the world has been built.
In my assessment, when the full story is written. not only by today’s politics but by tomorrow’s historians, President Hakainde Hichilema will stand among Zambia’s greatest leaders because he inherited one of the country’s deepest economic crises and chose the difficult path of rebuilding rather than the easy path of short term political popularity.
Zambia Forward, TOGETHER in UNITY. 
Saviour Chishimba
President
United Progressive People (UPP)
UPND Alliance Partner
You are straight to the point Sir.President Hichilema is on the right path to grow the economy and to make the life of an ordinary Zambians better.He is a good leader.
Yes on economy you are 100% correct, and that is a very important measure but not the only measure, tohugh dollars matter but other things matter. Voting with the US for genocidal Israel, voting against Russia on Ukraine, allowing AFRICOM in neither KK nor LPM would have allowed.
Forget international political maneuvering. HH remains the best president Zambia has and will ever have.
Whether he is friends with the east or west does not matter… the purpose for his alliances is for the good of the nation.
Kaunda messed up by being father Christmas in southern africa, Chiluba went to buy clothes and steal wives, Levy was the only other one who did the right thing but he lacked a fame grip on economics and died too early to drive us farther up.
Rupiah was a reckless thief who killed the economy by forcefully minting money and raising inflation to unprecedented levels.
Michael Sata over borrowed and worsened what Rupiah had started. Lungu was the biggest thief in Zambia’s history and the most careless almost giving the nation to uneducated cadres…luckily for us he died before Kalimanshi became president.
Finally, HH got us out of the debt hole. We expect him to improve domestic micro economics in his second mandate.
@Ba Saviour Chishimba you are 100% right. HH is destined for greatness indeed.
Ballyni Bally.
President Hichilema is well on his way to becoming Zambia’s best president so far, that is if he doesnot make the fatal mistake to go for a third term after his two terms expire in 2031. It is too early to call. We can only make a final verdict after he leaves office in 2031.
In my view, Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda, fondly known as “Super Ken” leads the pack among former presidents. He invested heavily in the education sector, including introducing free education up to University level and expanding the industrial base by starting a number of state companies such as Livingstone Motor Assembly which used to assemble Fiat cars, an Italian car brand.
He run a disciplined government and corruption was unheard of. He had the Leadership Code in place which barred government officials and their families and close associates doing business with the government, unlike the current practice where Mr. Mundubile was in government and was allowed to do business with the government, a clear conflict of interest.
However, Super Ken’s introduction of the One Party Participatory Democracy in 1978(?) was his fall from grace though it was a necessary evil to successfully prosecute the liberation war in Angola, South West Africa (Namibia), Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), South Africa and Mozambique. The war of liberation would have been very difficult to execute under a multiparty system of government. By 1991, when UNIP exited power, the country was economically devastated.
It is not correct to state that Mr. Hichilema inherited the worst economy. That distinction belongs to Mr. Chiluba. He inherited an economy that was ravaged by shortages of every essential commodity from salt, sugar soap, cooking oil, bread to mealie meal not to mention the lofty idea of owning a vehicle. We did not witness such shortages even under the notorious PF regime.
Mr. Chiluba started well in the first five years but he lost it in his second term. His second term marked the genesis of grand corruption as we know it which was perfected by PF under Mr. Lungu, the worst president Zambia has ever had. This is a no contest. He ruined the economy, took away our rights, vulgar language became a currency which opened the way to the corridors of power, violence was the governing philosophy and grand corruption became the de facto policy of the PF and its government (uubomba mwibala alya mwibala).
To his credit Mr. Chiluba solved the transport nightmare that we experienced under UNIP. He successfully ended smuggling which had become endemic during UNIP days. He laid the foundation for an active liberalised economy and debt relief which Mr. Mwanawasa and Mr. Magande built on. This we cannot take away from Mr. Chiluba. Without this firm foundation, it would have been very difficult for Mr. Mwanawasa to achieve what he did. Mr. Hichilema is doing exactly what Mr. Chiluba did, laying a firm foundation for economic prosperity and the fruit of his diligence will be seen after he leaves office in 2031.
So, yes Mr. Hichilema is well on his way to achieving the best President ever title, but we must wait until he leaves office before crowning him. He has done well so far considering the way PF wrecked everything.
