By Tobbius C Hamunkoyo-LLB
Africa-Press – Zambia. Fellow citizens, allow me first to recognize Dr. Chris Zumani Zimba. He is a learned man, a political scientist of high repute, and one who has contributed to Zambia’s democratic space through his writings and commentary. His academic achievements deserve respect, and i salute the discipline it took for him to attain that level of scholarship, very important.
But beyond the classroom and books, we must also face the truth, Dr. Zimba is the man who misled the late former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu and helped bury the Patriotic Front (PF) in 2021 with a crushing defeat of over one million votes by UPND and Hakainde Hichilema.
The Political Advisor Who Failed PF
As political advisor to ECL, Dr. Zimba’s responsibility was to guide PF with accurate analysis and foresight. Instead, under his watch, truth be told, PF ignored the cries of the people, silenced traditional leaders, allowed cadres to terrorize citizens, and presided over corruption that crippled the nation.
Dr. Zimba had the ear of the president, yet he could not tell him the truth. He failed to sense the hunger, the frustration, and the anger across Zambia. He assured ECL that all was well while the people were planning the biggest rejection in our democratic history.
That is why PF was not just defeated, but wiped out with a margin never seen before.
Chiefs Under PF vs. Chiefs Under UPND
Dr. Zimba now claims it is too late for UPND to motivate chiefs. But let us remind him, under PF, chiefs were ignored, sidelined, and often humiliated. They were seen as irrelevant to governance.
Under UPND and President Hakainde Hichilema, it is true that chiefs have regained their dignity. Their subsidies have been increased from K1 million to K30 million annually, Beautiful palaces are being constructed starting with Chief Chimese in Luapula, and their voices are included in national development. Chiefs today are treated as partners in governance, not as bystanders very important.
This is not desperation. This is not bribery. This is justice delayed finally being justice delivered.
Intellectual Dishonesty from Dr. Zimba
It is therefore intellectually dishonest for Dr. Zimba to suggest that it is too late for UPND to act. Development has no expiry date. Respect has no deadline. Chiefs deserve better today, tomorrow, and always.
If Dr. Zimba had used this same analytical sharpness when advising ECL, PF would not have been buried by over one million votes. He now tries to sound prophetic about 2026 Elections,, but where was this wisdom in 2021 when his own party was collapsing under his nose?
The Verdict of History
History has already written the verdict, Dr. Zimba was part of the reason PF fell. His miscalculations, his arrogance, and his blind loyalty cost PF dearly. Today, he has no moral ground to call UPND “late” when in fact it is UPND that has restored dignity to chiefs and freedoms to citizens.
Zambians are not “fed up” with UPND. They are relieved that PF is gone. And no amount of rewriting by Dr. Zimba will erase the truth, PF’s defeat came under his watch, and Hakainde Hichilema’s victory was built on the failures of the very people now pretending to advise the nation,who can trust them?
So yes, we respect Dr. Chris Zimani Zimba the scholar, but we must expose Dr. Zimba the failed political advisor. His academic titles cannot erase the fact that he was part of PF’s downfall. And his latest statements are nothing more than attempts to mislead Zambians once again.
But the people of Zambia are wiser. They know who respects them. They know who listens to chiefs. And in 2026, they will not be fooled by those who already failed once.
Source: zambianobserver
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