PARLIAMENT grounds were this morning transformed into a theatre of colour, music, and energy as President Hakainde Hichilema delivered his last address of the fifth session of the 13th National Assembly in his first term.
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From the moment his motorcade rolled in, escorted by horses draped in our country’s national colours, the atmosphere shifted.
Supporters lined the grounds, waving their regalia and chanting “Kwenyu! Kwenyu!” as they saw the President from afar.
First Lady Mutinta Hichilema turned heads in a striking white and black custom tailored silky floral dress, paired with a matching Panama style hat and a simple black shopper bag.
Beside her, the President in his blue suit, white shirt and maroon tie stepped out looking calm and deliberate.
The ceremony itself was a spectacle. Service chiefs in red ceremonial wear marched down the carpet with their boots hitting the ground with military precision.
The Zambia Army’s brass band filled the air with a mix of solemn marches and an instrumental performance of a Catholic hymn “Abeni Ngabamyendela, mubabike mubwananina iye mayo, bamiletela insansa ukufuma kumyabo yeh, (When you receive visitors, embrace them because they bring you joy).”
The Zambia Air Force roared with their fly past to honour the Commander in Chief.
Then came the thunderous 21 gun salute, which sent vibrations through the ground and momentarily startled the crowds and onlookers, making everyone tremble with mixed feelings of fear and awe.
The presidential salute boomed through the air, sending tremors through the ground and catching the crowd by surprise each time it popped out.
It even left some women screaming and holding on to strangers for comfort and men also flinched while trying to stay composed.
Even some officials seemed not to have been used with the sounds despite hearing it almost every month as they were seen trembling each time the guns were on.
The sound was as thunderous as the La Niña as it shook the earth beneath the feet.
Inside parliament, the mood sombered as the President began by honouring late former president Edgar Lungu.
President Hichilema then moved to the elephant in the room, the load shedding and high cost of living.
“We feel the pain and frustration of power outages faced by our citizens which include our families, friends and loved ones. No one has been spared.”
“To address the power deficit, numerous electricity projects are underway across the country,” he told the chamber, promising an extra 1,000 megawatts soon.
President Hichilema listed the wins: a 5.2 percent economic growth rate last year, 92 percent of external debt restructured, and Zambia, in his words, “back in the champions league” of global economies.
He spoke of agriculture’s record maize harvest, the mining sector’s revival with Mopani and KCM, tourism hitting 2.2 million international arrivals, free education, putting two million children back in school and thousands of new health workers and facilities.
He also addressed the corruption issue warning that there will be no sacred cows.
“Stay away from crime and no one will touch you,” warned President Hichilema.
“No one is being targeted in the current fight against corruption. If you didn’t steal, how can you be arrested?”
By Catherine Pule
Picture by Chella Tukuta
Kalemba, September 12, 2025
