Africa-Press – Zambia. ambia has marked four years of President Hakainde Hichilema’s leadership under the United Party for National Development (UPND), a period that has been defined by turning long-standing challenges into opportunities for growth, equity, and prosperity.
Education: Restoring Equality and Hope
For over three decades, education in Zambia was a privilege reserved for those who could afford it. Many children dropped out of school due to lack of fees, with countless young people forced into early marriages and pregnancies. The previous regime went as far as scrapping meal allowances, a lifeline for poor students.
President Hichilema, recognizing education as the greatest weapon to transform lives, reversed this trend. His government introduced free education from primary to secondary level, reinstated meal allowances, abolished exploitative registration fees, expanded student loan allocations to more universities, and invested in school infrastructure. Through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), young people who had dropped out of school are now accessing skills training, ensuring that no child sits on the floor of a classroom again.
Health: Restoring Dignity to Communities
Zambia’s healthcare system was once plagued by long distances to facilities, high maternal mortality, and massive drug pilferage. President Hichilema pronounced that every health facility must have a maternity annex, giving expectant mothers dignity and reducing mortality rates.
His government commissioned an independent audit by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, which exposed widespread theft in the Ministry of Health. This bold step led to arrests and the closure of unscrupulous pharmacies. Today, medicine availability in hospitals has risen from 24% under the previous regime to over 85%, a milestone in service delivery.
Economic Growth: From Contraction to Expansion
For nearly three decades, Zambia’s economy was stifled by weak industrial growth, massive debt, and mine closures. Economic growth collapsed to -2.5%, while investor confidence evaporated.
Under President Hichilema, growth has rebounded, with the economy projected to expand by 6.5% in 2025. Mining, once on the verge of collapse, has been revitalized. In 2021, only two mines were operational; by 2024, eight mines were running, with seven more in advanced stages of reopening. Notably, Shaft 28 abandoned for 38 years is set to restart, promising thousands of jobs.
Within just four years, Zambia has begun producing transformers, fertilizer (for both local use and export), lithium batteries, seeds, and oxygen plants turning the country into a hub of industrial activity.
Agriculture: Breaking Records Despite Drought
Despite the severe droughts of 2023 and 2024, Zambia recorded a historic bumper harvest of 3.6 million metric tonnes of maize. President Hichilema’s interventions have restored agriculture’s value, making it once again a driver of economic resilience and rural livelihoods.
Tourism: From 200,000 to 2.3 Million Visitors
Peace, stability, and good governance have placed Zambia among Africa’s top tourist destinations. Tourist arrivals have soared from 200,000 in 2021 to over 2.3 million in 2024, creating jobs for youths and boosting the hospitality industry.
Debt Restructuring: Breathing Space for Growth
In November 2020, Zambia under the Patriotic Front (PF) became the first African country to default on its debt, with then Finance Minister Dr. Bwalya Ng’andu admitting that restructuring was “too difficult.” The debt crisis choked investment and economic growth.
President Hichilema’s administration, however, succeeded where others failed. In 2023, Zambia reached a landmark debt restructuring agreement with official creditors, including China and the Paris Club. This breakthrough restored investor confidence, created fiscal space, and put Zambia back on the path to growth.
Energy: From Load-Shedding to Energy Mix
With rising demand and drought-induced reductions in hydro power, load-shedding became unbearable. But the Hichilema government has launched a robust energy diversification program.
The country commissioned its first-ever 100MW photovoltaic solar plant, revived Maamba coal power (300MW), and is expanding generation capacity to ensure energy security. These measures are laying the foundation for a resilient energy mix to support industrial growth.
In just four years, President Hakainde Hichilema has shown that what once seemed like insurmountable challenges can be turned into opportunities. From free education to debt restructuring, from restoring healthcare dignity to reviving mining and agriculture, his leadership continues to reshape Zambia’s future.
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