13/10/2025
Mizinga Macha writes...
LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY, MR. HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA
Your Excellency,
I am writing to you today not as a critic, but as a concerned citizen and a steadfast supporter who has keenly followed your leadership and the UPND administration's journey. It is from this place of deep investment in the success of your legacy that I feel compelled to share my candid observations on a critical issue that threatens to undermine the remarkable work you have done: the profound failure in strategic communication and publicity.
I was moved, and frankly, concerned, by your recent public lamentation in Munkala, where you once again had to personally question the narrative that things are worse under your leadership. This is not the first time you have had to step into the fray to rebut falsehoods and defend your administration’s record. While your personal engagement is commendable, it highlights a distressing vacuum that should be filled by a robust, proactive, and competent communications machinery.
Your Excellency, you have correctly identified that the "difficult part of composing the lyrics has been done." You have navigated a complex economic recovery, restored international partnerships, and implemented policies like the local content strategy you just signed. Yet, as you aptly noted, "there is no one to do the singing." This silence is deafening and is being filled by the opposition's noise.
My lamentation is this: You have become a lone spokesperson, marketer, and defender of your own government. While you are tirelessly explaining, debunking propaganda, and selling your policies, the very officials entrusted with these duties appear passive, complacent, and seemingly afraid of the public arena. The talent within your party and parliament remains largely untapped for media engagements, while the official responses from the Statehouse, Ministry of Information, and party media are often incoherent, confusing, and lack the fire needed to capture the public's imagination.
This is not merely an operational failure; it is a strategic crisis. It creates the perception of a government that is either hiding something or is disconnected from the people it serves. It allows the opposition to pour water on every achievement, no matter how significant.
Therefore, my warning is this: Complacency in your communication team is as damaging as the dishonesty of your critics. A once-a-month interview and millions given to churches, while noble, cannot replace a relentless, aggressive, and well-coordinated media campaign that takes your message directly to the people. You cannot shield the very people who should be shielding and defending your legacy.
My advice and recommendations are offered with the utmost respect:
1. Crack the Whip, Mr. President: This is a moment for firm leadership, not just gentle nudges. It is time for accountability within your appointees. The positions you have gifted come with a responsibility to perform, not to enjoy the perks while you carry the burden alone.
2. Convene an Emergency Communication Summit: Immediately call for a meeting with all your information and communication teams from Statehouse, the Ministry of Information and Media, and the UPND party. The agenda must be singular: to chart a new, aggressive, and unified communication strategy.
3. Utilize Internal Talent: Mandate your capable MPs and officials to be visible on TV, radio, and social media. Create a rapid response unit and a schedule of engagements to ensure the UPND narrative is constant and compelling.
4. Empower, Don't Just Delegate: Give clear, unambiguous instructions and demand results. The time for friendship is secondary to the urgent work of safeguarding the legacy of your administration and, by extension, the future of Zambia.
Your Excellency, you and your government have done exceptionally well amidst inherited challenges. But a great work left unheard is a work half-done. The Zambian people need to hear the story of your success, not from you alone, but from a chorus of confident, competent voices you have appointed.
Please, act decisively before it is too late.
A Passionate and Concerned Citizen