JUDGE PRESIDENT HICHILEMA BY RESULTS, NOT PUBLIC APPEARANCES
The Editor Zambia
State House Chief Communications Specialist Clayson Hamasaka was right to make it clear that President Hakainde Hichilema is at home, busy working, amid questions from governance activist Brebner Changala about the President’s public appearances and the size of the Cabinet.
The statement, brief as it was, carries an important message: the work of the Presidency should not be reduced to a daily spectacle in which every absence from public view becomes an excuse for speculation, political attacks and insinuations about the Head of State’s ability to govern.
There is a legitimate place for public scrutiny in a democracy. Zambians have every right to ask questions about their President, government operations, and the implementation of national policies.
However, responsible scrutiny must be distinguished from politically motivated agitation that appears more interested in creating suspicion than establishing facts.
Notably, Brebner Changala and Emmanuel Chilekwa, together with those who seem eager to interpret every period away from the public eye as evidence of a crisis, must understand that a President does not have to appear before cameras every day to demonstrate that he is working.
As for Emmanuel Chilekwa, a failure in all aspects of personal development has become so petty to even join the social media insinuations of the President’s personal health.
If age means anything, Changala and Chilekwa should know that government business involves meetings, consultations, policy decisions, planning, and engagements that may not always attract media attention. The absence of a public event does not automatically mean the absence of presidential activity.
It is therefore unfair to suggest that President Hichilema is not working simply because some individuals want to see him making frequent public appearances.
Leadership must ultimately be judged by decisions, results, and the direction in which the country is moving, rather than by the number of photographs or television appearances a President makes.
What is particularly disturbing is the tendency by some political actors to appear almost eager to turn ordinary questions about presidential visibility into a national controversy.
Their approach creates the impression that any opportunity to portray the government negatively must be exploited, regardless of whether the available facts support their claims.
Such conduct raises questions about motive. Are these individuals genuinely concerned about governance, or are they hoping that persistent speculation will create public anxiety and undermine confidence in the Presidency?
Those who rejoice in bad news amplify unverified claims and rush to declare a crisis before establishing the facts do the country no favours.
President Hichilema has continued to undertake official responsibilities following his election victory on August 13, 2026.
He appointed four Cabinet ministers on September 14, hosted the Speaker’s approbation ceremony on October 2, and subsequently opened the First Session of the Fourteenth National Assembly, outlining legislative and development priorities for the new term.
The President is also expected to officially open the 2026 Zambia Mining and Investment Insaka at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka.
The gathering is expected to bring together investors, development partners, and regional representatives to discuss opportunities in the mining sector, including the ambition to raise annual copper production to three million tonnes by 2031.
The timing and composition of Cabinet appointments are matters constitutionally entrusted to the President, subject to the applicable legal requirements. Public debate should respect that constitutional framework while allowing legitimate scrutiny of executive performance.
Hamasaka’s response should, therefore, be understood in its proper context. State House has communicated that the President is working, and those making contrary insinuations should provide credible evidence rather than relying on speculation.