Zambia not a failed State – Kabuswe

…says Zambia’s governance outlook has exponentially improved because of President Hichilema’s leadership qualities, accuses John Sangwa of lacking political acumen to denigrate the head of State
By BARNABAS ZULU
IT is reckless and irresponsible for John Sangwa to characterize Zambia as a failed State because the country’s governance outlook has greatly improved under President Hakainde Hichilema, Paul Kabuswe has said.
And Mr Kabuswe has projected that President Hichilema is destined for a landslide victory in the 2026 general election because the head of State have achieved remarkable results in the four years he has been in power to the extent that Zambians have no reason to experiment and change leadership.
Mr Kabuswe, the Mines and Mineral Development Minister has since debunked claims by new presidential aspirant State Counsel John Sangwa that Zambia was sliding into a failed state, stating that Zambia’s constitutional lawyer was misleading the nation.
Speaking in an interview, Mr Kabuswe dismissed Mr Sangwa’s assertions and questioned the basis of his argument when Zambia’s record on governance was a reflection of a nation that respected the rule of law and the expansion of democracy.
“Sangwa is saying Zambia is a failed state. First and foremost, I don’t know what kind of a lawyer he is. How can Zambia be sliding into a failed state when its economy is growing? How is a failed state showing positive growth?” Mr Kabuswe asked.He accused Mr Sangwa SC of applying academic thinking to the country’s politics governance, stating that such kind of analysis was not only politically jaundiced but inappropriate.
“The problem he wants to bring academic thinking into the running of a country. Zambia is not sliding into a failed state. Zambia is intact. It will never be a failed state under UPND and President Hichilema,” Mr Kabuswe said.The minister pointed to what he described as improvements in governance and international relations which he said had improved Zambia’s outlook to the international community.
“When you look where we are coming from and where we are going, even in terms of governance, even international agencies have rated us to be the best in terms of democratic space.
That is why he is able to talk anyhow and say what he wants,” he said, adding that the political climate today allowed freer speech than in previous regimes.
“If it was in the previous regime, he would have been followed and told all sorts of things and insulted. But here he is, he is talking freely, he has declared to be president.
He is welcome to the battlefield. He is welcome to the ground,” Mr Kabuswe said.
He rejected accusations of factionalism and repeated his assertion that the economy was improving under the ruling party.
“But Zambia is not sliding into a failed state. The economy is improving, so many things that we have done as UPND. The economy is growing. He (Mr Sangwa) is a very misguided politician. He doesn’t understand.
He has been a lawyer and doing all academics. Let him come into politics and understand how countries are run, not the way he is thinking. His thinking is queer. There is no cadreism. That is not a failed state,” Mr Kabuswe said.
He praised President Hichilema’s leadership and predicted a strong showing in 2026.
“Let’s applaud what President Hakainde Hichilema has done. President Hichilema will bounce back in 2026 because he is not only a handsome man but he has delivered. In fact he has raised the bar so high — such that the bar is so high,” Mr Kabuswe said.