UPND LOYALTY TEST: YOU CANNOT BITE THE FINGER THAT FEEDS YOU
The dismissal of Elijah Muchima and Elias Mubanga from Cabinet should serve as a sobering lesson to all who hold office at the pleasure of the President.
In politics, as in life, one cannot bite the finger that feeds them and expect to remain at the table. Leadership demands loyalty, especially when one has been elevated to a ministerial position through the trust and confidence of a party and its leader. 
The two ministers found themselves on the wrong side of history after voting against Constitution Amendment Bill No. 7, a progressive piece of legislation backed by the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND). According to Government Deputy Chief Whip Likando Mufalali, there was no malfunction of gadgets during the voting process. All machines were tested and confirmed to be in proper working order. The explanation offered by Muchima that a faulty gadget affected his vote was dismissed as neither here nor there, as parliamentary procedure allows any member experiencing technical difficulty to immediately alert the Speaker.
In the aftermath of the vote, President Hakainde Hichilema acted decisively. The removal of Muchima and his counterpart at the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises Elias Mubanga from their ministerial portfolios was not an act of malice. It was a statement of principle. Cabinet solidarity is not a suggestion. It is the bedrock upon which effective governance rests. A minister cannot publicly enjoy the privileges of office while privately undermining the agenda of the administration.
The UPND did not rise from decades in opposition to the heights of power by tolerating indiscipline. Its long years in the wilderness were sustained by loyalty to a shared vision and steadfast support for its leader. Through electoral defeats, court battles, and political persecution, party members stood firm behind President Hichilema. That loyalty was rewarded when Zambians entrusted the party with national leadership. The victory was not accidental. It was built on unity, discipline, and collective sacrifice.
It is, therefore, baffling that individuals who benefitted from that hard-won victory would choose to distance themselves at a critical legislative moment. If indeed they voted against Bill 7, as sources indicate, then their dismissal was inevitable. One cannot serve in Cabinet while voting with the opposition on a flagship government Bill. Such conduct erodes public confidence and weakens the coherence of government.
The Julius Caesar lament Etu Brutus comes to mind. Betrayal from within often cuts deeper than opposition from without. Political parties expect resistance from their rivals. What they cannot afford are Judas Iscariots in their midst, individuals who enjoy the comforts of power complete with motorcades, security detail, and ministerial influence while dining with those who seek to derail the administration’s programme.
Muchima’s defence that his vote was affected by a faulty gadget raises more questions than answers. Parliamentary voting is a serious matter. If there was a technical glitch, why was the Speaker not immediately alerted? Why was there no contemporaneous objection? The Government Deputy Chief Whip has categorically stated that no gadget malfunctioned on the day of voting for Bill 7. In the absence of compelling evidence, the explanation appears convenient rather than convincing.
This episode should not be viewed through a narrow lens of personal grievance. It speaks to a larger principle about governance and accountability. Ministers are not independent contractors. They are members of a collective executive bound by shared responsibility. If one fundamentally disagrees with the direction of government, the honourable course is resignation, not subversion.
President Hichilema’s firm action also sends a message to the broader party structures. The UPND cannot afford complacency now that it is in power. The discipline that sustained it in opposition must continue in government, especially in an election year, with only 200 days away from August 13. Loyalty is not blind obedience, but it does require alignment on core policies and legislative priorities. Internal debate is healthy within party organs and cabinet meetings. Once a position is adopted, however, public unity is essential.
There will always be temptations in politics. The allure of positioning oneself as independent or courting favour with opposing forces can be strong. But leadership is about clarity of purpose. Zambians voted for a particular agenda. They expect those entrusted with ministerial authority to implement it faithfully.
The firing of Muchima and Mubanga is, therefore, less about punishment and more about principle. It reaffirms that holding office is a privilege, not an entitlement. It underscores that loyalty to the party and its elected leader is non-negotiable at the highest levels of government.
As the UPND navigates the complex terrain of governance, it must guard against internal fractures that could undermine its mandate. The lesson is clear. You cannot dine at the President’s table and simultaneously sharpen a knife beneath it. In politics, as in any organisation, trust once broken is difficult to restore. Those who are given the honour to serve must choose where they stand.
Muchima’s desperate clowning about his dismissal should be dismissed with the contempt attached to the masquerade. Maybe his colleague Mubanga understands why he was dismissed since he is not deafening the ears of Zambians with cries of foul play.
