President Hakainde Hichilema has come under fire following a rally held at Woodlands Stadium yesterday, which critics say failed to address the core concerns of Zambia’s youth.
According to Sconel Lusambo, the National Youth Deputy Spokesperson for the Socialist Party, the President “once again missed a golden opportunity” to connect meaningfully with young Zambians and speak to their ongoing economic and social hardships.
Mr. Lusambo stated that, at a time when the nation’s youth are grappling with unemployment, limited access to education, and a lack of economic empowerment, President Hichilema chose to focus on spectacle rather than substance.
He disclosed that the rally venue was not even filled to capacity, saying the empty seats were a more powerful statement than the President’s speech.
Instead of using the platform to address the daily struggles of young people—many of whom, Lusambo said, are surviving on just one meal a day—the President chose to praise a handful of artists aligned with the ruling UPND, some of whom have themselves publicly complained of being overlooked by the government.
What should have been an opportunity for genuine engagement, Lusambo argued, turned into what he described as a shallow performance aimed at creating “an illusion of care.”
He accused the government of being more concerned with political positioning ahead of the 2026 elections than with tackling the real problems facing the country in 2025.
“The people came expecting solutions and direction,” he said, “but were met instead with campaign slogans and political rhetoric.”
He further stated that the President’s focus on outmaneuvering the political opposition has caused him to overlook the more pressing opposition—namely, the hunger, unemployment, and hopelessness experienced by millions of Zambians.
Mr. Lusambo emphasized that the main opposition facing the country is not a rival party, but the suffering of its citizens.
He stated that young attendees at the rally had shown up not for entertainment, but with hopes of finding answers to their pressing challenges.
“If President Hichilema continues down this path of disconnection and denial,” Lusambo warned, “he risks losing the very people who gave him the mandate to lead.”
He concluded by saying that Zambia’s youth are now awake and are seeking real action—not symbolic gestures or applause.
