The Editor Zambia
Liberating slaves was never easy. Neither was leading the Israelites out of Egypt. One of the greatest challenges Moses faced was not merely Pharaoh’s resistance but the difficulty of leading people who had lived under oppression for generations into a future they could hardly imagine.
When people live in bondage for too long, their understanding of freedom can become distorted. They may become accustomed to the conditions that oppressed them, fearful of change and suspicious of the very people trying to lead them towards a better future. 
Sometimes, the chains are no longer merely physical. They become psychological.
This is one of the greatest challenges facing President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND government as they seek to transform Zambia through the Grow Zambia Agenda.
When the old system becomes familiar
For years, many Zambians were subjected to Tantameni, a political approach that, in a way, encouraged dependence on immediate handouts rather than building sustainable economic opportunities.
A bag of mealie meal, a small financial favour or a temporary political benefit could become more important than the long-term question of how families would earn a decent living, how young people would find employment and how communities would escape poverty.
The problem with such a political culture is that it can condition citizens to measure leadership by what they receive today rather than by what the country is building for tomorrow.
When that mindset becomes entrenched, changing it is not simply a matter of explaining government policies. It requires a fundamental shift in how people understand development, opportunity, and their own economic potential.
A person accustomed to receiving a handout may struggle to appreciate a policy designed to create jobs, expand production, or support an enterprise that will generate income for years.
This is not because poor people are incapable of understanding development. Far from it. It is because prolonged economic hardship can make immediate survival more urgent than long-term investment. Politicians who exploit that vulnerability make the problem worse.
The challenge before President Hichilema
It should be understood that transforming Zambia’s economy and transforming the political mindset of its citizens are two connected but distinct responsibilities.
The Grow Zambia Agenda offers a different proposition: a Zambia that produces more, processes its raw materials, creates sustainable jobs, supports local businesses, empowers farmers and builds an economy in which citizens can improve their lives through productive activity.
The objective should not be to make citizens permanently dependent on government assistance. It should be to create conditions in which more families can stand on their own feet.
But a good vision does not sell itself.
People must see the benefits in their own lives. A farmer must earn a better return from production. A young person must see a credible pathway from skills to employment. A small business owner must find it easier to access finance, markets, and reliable electricity. A household must feel that economic progress is improving its standard of living.
Without these practical outcomes, the Grow Zambia Agenda risks remaining a political slogan rather than becoming a lived national experience.
And, this is where the government must do more.
You cannot liberate people through insults
Those who support President Hichilema must also recognise that insulting citizens who still prefer the old political order will not win their confidence. You cannot persuade people to embrace a new vision by treating their doubts as evidence of ignorance. Nor can you expect them to abandon familiar political loyalties simply because someone tells them that the alternative is better.
Persuasion requires patience, evidence, empathy, and consistent communication.
The government must explain its achievements in simple language, acknowledge where it has fallen short, and demonstrate how its policies will improve ordinary lives. Party members must take the message into communities, markets, compounds, farms, and workplaces, where citizens experience the realities of the economy.
More importantly, the government must listen.
When people complain about unemployment, the cost of living, delayed benefits, or unequal access to opportunities, those concerns must not be dismissed as political propaganda. They are real issues that demand practical solutions.
A government that wants to change public attitudes must first demonstrate that it understands public frustrations.
Freedom must be accompanied by results
There is an important lesson in the story of the Israelites: leaving Egypt was only the beginning. The journey towards a new life required leadership, sacrifice, patience, and a willingness to confront difficult realities.
Similarly, Zambia’s transition towards a more productive economy cannot be completed through political speeches alone. It requires institutions that work, public resources that are used responsibly, opportunities that reach ordinary citizens, and measurable improvements in living standards.
President Hichilema and his government must be judged by their ability to translate the Grow Zambia Agenda into tangible results.
The supporters of the President, in turn, must become more effective ambassadors of the vision. They must replace empty praise with facts, defensiveness with honest engagement, and political hostility with constructive persuasion.
The ultimate objective is not merely to convince people to support Hichilema. It is to convince them that a productive, self-reliant, and prosperous Zambia is possible—and that the policies being pursued can help make it a reality.
The real measure of liberation is not how loudly we declare people free but whether their lives are genuinely improving.
Zambia does not need a permanent cycle of political dependence. It needs citizens who can produce, earn, innovate, and prosper.
The task before President Hichilema is to make that future visible. The task before his supporters is to explain it convincingly. And, the task before every Zambian is to judge the competing political visions by their substance, their results, and their promise for the country’s future.
Changing a political mindset is difficult. But building a better country is worth the effort.
