An Appeal for Unity: Your Gloves Wont Divide Us
By the Independent Correspondent
The continued use of divisive language by President Hakainde Hichilema is not only disappointing, it is dangerous for a nation that has long prided itself on peace, tolerance, and unity. Zambia does not belong to one tribe, one region, or one political party. It belongs to all its people. Any leader who truly understands the weight of the office he occupies must rise above narrow interests and instead speak the language of national cohesion.
The President must be reminded that scare tactics will not change how citizens feel about his leadership. Fear has never built trust, and intimidation has never persuaded a nation. The stones that were once thrown at him in Chingola will soon translate into nation-wide electoral stones at the ballot box, and no amount of scaremongering will alter that reality. Zambians are politically mature; they can see desperation when it presents itself.
It is increasingly clear to many citizens that the President is attempting to weaponize tribe—particularly by trying to compel the Tonga people to vote for him by hook or by crook. This is not leadership; it is manipulation. More troubling is the fact that many Tonga’s today see Mr. Hichilema not as their protector, but as an existential threat—precisely because he seeks to drag all the Tonga speaking people into his tribal political battleground.
His repeated claims that Tonga speaking people will be killed once UPND is voted out are not just baseless but highly reckless, especially coming from a leader, late alone a president. To date, he has failed to name a single individual who was stopped or killed for wanting to travel to Lusaka prior to him taking over as president. Such statements do nothing but inflame tensions and sow fear where none should exist. As Chabota Mweetwa rightly observed, this is an attempt to use the Tonga people as a vehicle for peddling tribalism. The truth is simple: it is the President himself who is being tribal, and he must not drag the entire Tonga tribe into his divisive politics of tribalism.
Any well-meaning Tonga, and indeed any well-meaning Zambian, must ask themselves whether this path serves the nation. Zambia’s strength has always been its unity in diversity. President Kenneth Kaunda warned us of the dangers of tribal factionalism especially if Mr. Hichilema was elected president. We clearly ignored that warning and today we are paying the price and if we do not stop him at the ballot this August, we risk opening wounds that may take generations to heal if ever.
Beyond divisiveness, the President has also demonstrated worrying autocratic tendencies. There is growing concern that, if not checked, he may begin pushing for an extension of his stay in office—an agenda reportedly being floated by former Vice President Enoch Kavindele, with others likely to follow. History teaches us that when power is centralized around one individual, democracy suffers. Zambia cannot afford to walk that road again.
The UPND leadership has also perfected the art of half-truths and convenient promises. Today, they speak of restoring power supply and caring for citizens’ welfare because it is an election year. But where were they when small and medium enterprises were suffocating under prolonged power outages? Where were they when citizens pleaded for just eight hours of electricity to keep their businesses alive? The sudden concern rings hollow.
Stop the autocratic whispers. The Tonga people, and all Zambians, believe in unity. They cannot and will not be used as pawns in a divisive game by a leader in white gloves—a symbol that itself speaks of a disconnect from the authentic, grounded culture of the people you seek to rule. Tonga people believe in unity, dignity, and community. They will not be used to divide Zambia. The image of “white gloves” politics—detached, elitist, and dismissive of cultural norms—only reinforces the perception of a leadership that has no touch with the people.
In the remaining few months of his leadership, he must seek to change his ways, focus on a legacy built on tangible achievements for all, on respectful and truthful dialogue, and on healing the wounds that he has opened. The alternative is a historical judgment that will be far less forgiving than the ballot box this August.
Zambia needs healing, not fear. It needs unity, not division and more importantly, Zambians needs to Reset by retiring Mr. Hichilema and the UPND.
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