ON 24 August, UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema took the oath of office as Zambia’s seventh president after inflicting a comprehensive election defeat on then-incumbent, Edgar Lungu. He inherited a country with a major debt crisis coupled with economic decline. So what has he achieved in his first 100 days? How do ordinary Zambians see the first 100 days of their new president? As knowledgeable observers of the country’s political landscape are acutely aware it is characteristic of mixed reactions. On governance, the newly-elected president has restored the rule of law and allowed free speech. Formerly banned privately-owned radio and television stations are now operating. He also issued an early announcement that required the police to remove party cadres/activists from bus stations and markets to prevent them from extorting money. This was initially a major change from the previous era.Yet oblivious to UPND top leaders, most grassroots diehard vigilante groups have vehemently vowed to defy their presidential directives […]
100 DAYS OF UPND AND THE PRICE OF REGIME CHANGE
