Let’s ask the questions that truly matter.
When a neighbour elects a new President, a partner in trade, energy, security, and regional integration, should Zambia fold its arms and sulk over internal squabbles, or should it show up and reaffirm its regional ties?
Should national pride take a back seat to political pettiness? 
Those who shout that Zambia should not have attended Tanzania’s presidential inauguration, do they understand what Tanzania means to Zambia’s economy? Or is it easier to rant about optics than to think about strategy?
Let’s be blunt. Tanzania is not just another country on the map. It is Zambia’s lifeline to the sea, through the Tazara Railway, the Tazama Pipeline, and the Port of Dar es Salaam. The very arteries that keep Zambia’s fuel, exports, and imports flow.
Should a serious government gamble with such a relationship just to please critics?
What exactly do these opposition figures propose? To boycott regional diplomacy until 2026? To isolate Zambia from its neighbours for political headlines?
Would they themselves skip such an event if they sat in State House, or would they suddenly discover the wisdom of international relations?
Every responsible government understands that foreign policy is not suspended by domestic politics.
Zambia’s presence in Tanzania was not a vacation. It was a calculated signal of friendship, continuity, and stability.
President Hakainde Hichilema was not attending for himself; he was representing a country that depends on cross-border cooperation in trade, transport, and peacekeeping.
Do critics want a government that only looks inward, or one that keeps Zambia visible, respected, and engaged in the region’s power dynamics?
Because absence speaks louder than words. If Zambia had ignored that inauguration, what message would that have sent? Arrogance? Disinterest? Weak diplomacy?
In the end, politics fades, but strategic relationships endure.
When Tanzania opens its ports to Zambia’s goods or keeps fuel flowing through Tazama, will anyone care who attended what event? Or will they thank those who kept the bridge strong when noise was loudest?
Let us ask the final question: When leadership calls for showing up for the sake of Zambia’s long-term interests, is it wiser to stand aside in protest or to stand tall in partnership?
Citizens First leader Harry Kalaba is displaying the highest levels of ignorance when it comes to international relations and diplomacy.
One cannot shudder to wonder how a person who once served Zambia as a foreign affairs minister can think so low and condemn the sitting president for the sake of gaining political score.
For the fugitive and unpatriotic former Zambian Ambassador, who, for convenience’s sake, identifies himself as Emmanuel Mwamba, it would be understood because the man is lost in the wilderness.
The opposition is learning the hard way. President Hichilema has raised the bar, and it is becoming harder for the opposition to catch with him. Many thought President Hichilema would stay away from the inauguration event in Tanzania because of the violent protests that erupted.
President Hichilema is an intelligent man, and he knew exactly what he needed to do when he was invited to attend the inauguration of that country’s president.
Except Zambians do not pay attention to detail, but rather, dwell too much in empty criticism.
If one dared to listen to the President, Hichilema’s speech, one would understand why he attended the inauguration event. In his speech, President Hichilema came out as a peace builder. He urged his counterpart to immediately embrace all Tanzanians, including those who did not vote for her. Equally, he appealed to the opposition to learn to accept defeat, even when they suspected cheating in the voting process… this is a mark of true patriot, a leader who cherishes peace, unity, and stability. A leader who believes in amicable resolution of disputes.
For Kalaba and his fellow birds, theirs is to critise… so long it is Hakainde Hichilema who is doing it! This kind of politicking is shameful!
Kalaba, you can do better.
