Dr. Elias Munshya

Changanamai!

THE HAKAINDE HICHILEMA THAT MOST ZAMBIANS HAVE NEVER MET

Over the years, many people have asked me one question: “Why have you not been as critical of President Hakainde Hichilema as you were of previous administrations?” Those who know my political journey know that I was never afraid to challenge those in authority. As Member of Parliament for Kasama Central under the Patriotic Front, and later as President of the United Progressive People (UPP), I spoke openly whenever I believed Zambia was heading in the wrong direction. I paid a personal price for that conviction, including detention, because I believed that public leaders must always be held accountable.

My first one-on-one meeting with President Hakainde Hichilema was in 2009 when I was still an MP. We spent over two hours talking. Many years later, after becoming President of UPP, I had another lengthy private meeting with him in February 2021. Those conversations, together with my observation of his leadership over the past five years, allowed me to see a side of the man that many Zambians may never have the opportunity to witness.

President Hichilema is exceptionally intelligent, but intelligence alone does not define him. What impressed me even more is his humility. He is an active listener. He allows people to speak without interruption, listens carefully, and absorbs every point being made. When he eventually responds, it becomes obvious that he has missed nothing. He takes notes, returns to specific issues one by one, and addresses them with remarkable precision. Very few leaders possess that level of discipline.

One characteristic that particularly stood out to me is his attention to detail. President Hichilema is a meticulous administrator. During one of our meetings when he was still in opposition, I watched him receive updates concerning investment projects. The level of detail in the instructions he gave was extraordinary. He wanted every aspect properly handled, every assignment followed through, and every responsibility clearly understood. It became evident that he does not believe in leaving important matters to chance. He follows through because he understands that national development depends on getting thousands of small decisions right every single day.

Some people interpret this careful approach as being slow. I see it differently. He is a perfectionist. He would rather spend additional time making the right decision than rush into one that creates bigger problems later. That is the difference between managing headlines and managing a country. His leadership is deliberate, methodical and grounded in facts rather than emotion.

Another quality I have come to admire is his work ethic. He is deeply committed to the task of governing. He studies issues thoroughly, prepares extensively, expects those around him to be equally prepared, and demands high standards. He values competence, discipline and ex*****on. In my interactions with him, I have seen a leader who is genuinely concerned with solving problems rather than creating political theatre.

Perhaps the quality that impressed me most is something that cannot easily be measured. President Hakainde Hichilema is a man who genuinely fears the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth. Genuine faith is not measured by how loudly one speaks about religion or how often one displays it publicly. It is reflected in humility, integrity, justice and consistency. From my personal interactions with him, I became convinced that his relationship with the Almighty is sincere and deeply personal. As someone who embraces the Jewish understanding of the absolute oneness of the Almighty, I have always believed that true faith is demonstrated by one’s conduct, not by using religion as a political instrument.

President Hichilema is also remarkably tolerant. In politics, criticism comes every day, yet I have observed a leader who remains focused on the larger mission of rebuilding Zambia rather than becoming consumed by personal attacks. That requires patience, emotional maturity and a deep love for one’s country.

As I observed the direction in which our country was moving, particularly from the second year of President Hichilema’s administration, I became convinced that Zambia was on the right strategic path. It would have been dishonest for me to say otherwise simply because I was leading an opposition political party.

No President is perfect. Every leader makes mistakes. President Hichilema is no exception. But leadership should never be judged on perfection. It should be judged on character, integrity, competence, discipline, patriotism and the willingness to make difficult decisions for the long-term benefit of the nation.

This is not a political endorsement born out of convenience. It is the conclusion I reached after years of observation, personal interaction and careful reflection.

This is the Hakainde Hichilema that I know. All patriotic and responsible Zambians must work together to ensure that he secures his second term for the good of the country.

Saviour Chishimba
President
United Progressive People (UPP)
UPND Alliance Partner

Abana ChangaNaMai.

🏃🏾‍♂️ 5:24. MY FASTEST PACE OF THE YEAR. AND IT WAS FOR MOTHERS.

Today, Saturday, 20 June 2026, I joined hundreds of runners in Luanda for a 10-kilometre run in support of fistula awareness and maternal health, organised in partnership with UNFPA Angola.

Several colleagues from the diplomatic community ran alongside me. There is something powerful about diplomats stepping out of suits and into running shoes for a cause that affects some of the most vulnerable among us.

Obstetric fistula remains one of the world’s most devastating yet preventable maternal health conditions. It disproportionately affects women with limited access to quality healthcare, often leaving them isolated when what they need most is treatment, dignity, and support.

My pace today was 5:24 per kilometre—the fastest I have run all year. Perhaps that is what happens when you run for something bigger than yourself.

Maternal health is not an abstract policy discussion. It is about whether a woman survives childbirth with her dignity intact. It is about whether our health systems reach those who need them most. Today’s run was a small but meaningful contribution to keeping that conversation alive in Angola and across our region.

I am grateful to UNFPA Angola for organising this important initiative and for its continued commitment to maternal and reproductive health. I am equally grateful to every runner, diplomat, health worker, and Luandan who showed up in support of this cause.

Here’s to healthier mothers, stronger health systems, and perhaps a few faster paces along the way. 🇦🇴🇿🇲💚

-Rev. Dr. Elias Munshya
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Zambia to the Republic of Angola

Mammoth Rally in Kitwe today.

Three gradients: 1. the line of rail. 2. East of the line of rail3. West of the line of rail. An analysis…coming soon by the Rev. Dr. Elias Munshya.

Of Crowds and Clowns

By Rev. Dr. Elias MUNSHYA

HH is winning this election. All indicators point to that fact. There is nothing on the ground that shows opposition strength capable of unseating such a popular incumbent.

But of course there is this thing of crowds.

It is laughable. And honestly, it is regrettable.

The UPND today appears confident, humble, and measured. The Koloboi Alliance appears overly confident. Confirming that it is Aiminina tente kwa shala Uku Lusa. In the proverbial David versus Goliath contest, the Koloboi has cast itself as Goliath. As if they were the incumbents. The confidence. The show off. The PF arrogance. And above all, the dependence on the crowds they claim to pull.

This focus on crowds is a problem. Let me explain why.

First. These are not “mammoth” or “mega” crowds.

Each of the four opposition leaders who actually won the Zambian presidency pulled far larger crowds than what Mr. Koloboi is pulling today. Kaunda in the 1960s. Chiluba in the 1990s. Sata in the 2010s. HH in the 2020s. Every one of them outdrew what we are seeing now.

And remember. The voters were fewer then. The population was smaller. Yet when those men visited Kitwe, Kaunda Square, later baptised Freedom Square, was literally an ocean of people. And Kitwe came to a literal halt!

I am not saying Koloboi has no crowds. I am saying Koloboi's crowds are small. Small by the standard of every opposition leader who ever won the presidency.

Second. And ironically. The PF Koloboi Alliance has placed undue reliance on crowds.

This strategy quietly benefits HH.

Incumbents have a historical tendency to muster larger crowds. They can compete with and outcompete the opposition on optics alone. So when an opposition movement stakes its claim on crowds, it is fighting the incumbent on the very ground where the incumbent is strongest.

The opposition must depend on something more than crowds. Or it must at least carry the humility of David trying to unseat a Goliath.

But the Koloboi alliance has done the opposite. They have whipped themselves into a corner where they elevate crowds and cast themselves as Goliath, while imagining they are fighting a weaker incumbent.

This is delusional at best.

HH will garner far larger crowds than the Koloboi alliance. If crowds are the chosen battlefield, the incumbent wins that battle too.

Third. The ground game tells the real story.

If the ground game is to predict anything clearly, the incumbent HH has it.

HH has fielded councillors and members of parliament in almost all vacant seats across 225 constituencies, 116 districts, and all the thousands of wards. The Koloboi alliance does not have candidates in almost half of these.

Right now, as we speak, the UPND has full steam campaigns running by their candidates, and I mean their candidates, in Kaputa and Shangombo. In Luena and Chipata. In Maramba and Nkundalila. Everywhere. In every corner. On every road.

A strong ground operation is what will deliver this election. Not photographs. Not drone shots. Boots in the wards. Hands shaking hands. Names on ballots. And certainly not AI.

And as for the crowds? HH will win those optics too.

As for the UPND, Do not fall into the temptation of complacency.

If we are to borrow the Koloboi framing, then let us be clear about who is who. It is Koloboi who imagines himself the Goliath. HH is the David. And David did not win by underestimation. David won because he stayed focused, stayed humble, and struck with precision, ward by ward.

So grind this thing out. Street by Street. Ward by ward. Village by village. Vote by vote.

Crowds fade by sunset. Votes are counted at dawn.

- Rev. Dr. Elias MUNSHYA

Free Education for All Zambian children.