By Frazer Bwalya Musonda 

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema recently made a public plea to potential Chinese investors, stating: “We’ve suffered, we need your ideas.”. While the statement may have been intended as a gesture of diplomatic humility, especially in light of the country’s worsening energy crisis, it raises troubling questions about leadership, consistency, and the future of self-reliance in Africa.

Zambia is currently facing one of its worst episodes of load shedding in recent history. The devastating impact of successive droughts has compromised hydroelectric power generation, affecting households and small businesses alike. But beyond the technical root of the problem lies a deeper political irony, one that has not gone unnoticed by keen observers.

Only a few years ago, when then-President Edgar Lungu faced similar energy challenges due to drought, then opposition leader Hichilema was relentless in his criticism. He dismissed expert explanations attributing load shedding to poor rainfall and instead declared the crisis as proof of incompetence and failed leadership. At the time, he mocked the idea that weather could be used as a scapegoat, pointing to Middle Eastern countries with scant rainfall yet uninterrupted power supply. By that logic, President Hichilema effectively pledged to deliver an energy-secure Zambia regardless of the volatility of climate.

Fast forward to today, and the shoe is firmly on the other foot. The same man who rubbished climate excuses is now not only citing drought as the culprit but appealing to Chinese investors to help solve the very problem he once claimed had a simple solution. It is political amnesia of the highest order, a complete reversal of his past stance.

Even more evident is his failure to admit to the Zambian people that the situation has worsened. Instead of leveling with citizens and admitting that his government, like previous ones, is vulnerable to the same challenges, President Hichilema continues to pat himself on the back. In interviews and international forums, he boasts that he has done in a few years what others failed to accomplish in decades. He once asked journalists during an interview whether they still experience load shedding in their homes, claiming that under his good leadership, the problem had been resolved. That was before the full force of the drought laid bare the fragility of our power generation infrastructure.

This self-congratulatory style not only ignores the contributions of previous administrations but also borders on mockery when compared to the foundational achievements of Zambia’s first president, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda. President Kaunda laid the groundwork for Zambia’s education, health, and industrial sectors under far more difficult circumstances without the benefit of the global digital era. President Hichilema’s attempt to diminish past leaders while standing on their shoulders is not only disingenuous, it is politically reckless.

Let us consider the facts. After decades of underinvestment in power generation infrastructure, it was the previous Patriotic Front (PF) government that invested in additional generation capacity. Yet, in the early days of his presidency, President Hichilema was quick to claim credit for the reduction in load shedding, attributing it to his own leadership rather than inherited projects. This kind of revisionism is unhelpful at best, and dishonest at worst.

When the president went to the United States, he told an American audience that “they want me to help other countries achieve what I have done for Zambia.”. It remains unclear what exactly he was referring to. The economy is still grappling with a depreciating currency, rising cost of living, and now, worsening power cuts. Apart from free education and the restoration of meal allowances for university students on government sponsorship, few tangible achievements can be listed.

Even these educational reforms, commendable as they are, benefit only a subset of the population. The vast majority of Zambians still face challenges in accessing quality education, jobs, and basic infrastructure. Meanwhile, the democratic space in Zambia appears to be narrowing. Opposition figures have faced questionable legal charges, and dissenting voices are often silenced, a far cry from the open democracy many hoped would flourish under President Hichilema’s presidency.

And now, with the country desperate for energy solutions, the president pleads for foreign ideas. But what kind of ideas are we really looking for? Should we not, instead, be negotiating from a position of mutual benefit, requesting not just foreign investment but the transfer of technology and skills that will empower Zambians to solve our own problems?

Asking for help is not inherently wrong. But there is a stark difference between strategic cooperation and desperate dependence. We should be learning how to build solar power plants, how to design and maintain wind turbines, how to innovate our own off-grid systems. We should be investing in research and development and leveraging our university engineering departments and tech-savvy youth to build homegrown solutions.

True leadership means planning ahead, investing in resilience, and being honest with your people. It means admitting when things go wrong and inviting everyone to be part of the solution. It does not mean shifting blame when convenient and taking undue credit when things temporarily improve.

President Hichilema’s statement to Chinese investors may go down in history not as a diplomatic invitation, but as a symbol of inconsistency and missed opportunity. Zambia does not need to be asking for foreign ideas as though it were bankrupt of its own. What Zambia needs is strategic partnerships that promote technological sovereignty. What Zambia needs is leadership that values truth over optics, humility over pride, and long-term empowerment over short-term applause.

As we reflect on this moment, let us hope that the call for “ideas” evolves into a broader conversation, not just about surviving the drought, but about reimagining a Zambia that stands tall on the strength of its own innovation, guided by leaders who are consistent, honest, and forward-thinking.