02/11/2026
Sir Ian Khama was right: Hakainde Hichilema Is Undeniably Africa’s Newest Dictator
By Thandiwe Ketiš Ngoma
When His Excellency Lieutenant General Dr. Seretse Khama Ian Khama—a respected statesman and former President of Botswana—boldly publicly declared Hakainde Hichilema (HH) to be "Africa’s newest dictator," he did not mince words. He gave formal regional voice to the painful reality millions of Zambians live through every single day.
I fully and unequivocally agree with Sir Ian Khama’s damning assessment.
Hichilema’s trajectory is a textbook study in modern autocratic subversion: he used the democratic process to ascend to power in 2021 on promises of legal reform, human rights, and constitutionalism, only to methodically dismantle the nation's democratic pillars once inside State House. The illusion of his "reformer" persona has vanished, replaced by an authoritarian regime that governs through police intimidation, institutional corruption, and open state violence.
Part I: The Anatomy of Governance Under HH — Dictatorship Behind a Facade
Sir Ian Khama’s label of "dictator" is not an exaggeration; it is an accurate description of how Hichilema has governed Zambia. His administration has operated on a strategy of legalistic tyranny—using state machinery to crush political opposition while attempting to project a polished image to foreign investors.
1. Weaponization of the State Security and Anti-Corruption Machinery
Rather than building impartial public bodies, Hichilema transformed agencies like the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), and the Zambia Police Service into personal political enforcement squads. Under the guise of "accountability," key opposition leaders, critical journalists, and civic activists face relentless, arbitrary arrests, endless detentions without bail, and state surveillance designed to systematically paralyze opposition politics.
2. Selective Suppression of Fundamental Freedoms
While promising to repeal or reform the repressive Public Order Act, HH enforced it with unprecedented harshness. Rallies, press briefings, and peaceful assemblies organized by opposition coalitions have been routinely banned or violently dispersed by militarized police. Meanwhile, cadres from the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) operate with absolute state impunity.
3. Subjugation of Democratic Institutions
From parliamentary oversight committees to judicial appointments, the executive branch has systematically centralizing power. Institutional checks and balances have been intentionally gutted, ensuring that when the state apparatus is called upon to enforce executive directives, no independent body remains to challenge them.
Part II: The Evidence of a Heist — How Hakainde Hichilema Stole the 2026 Elections
The 2026 General Elections were not a standard democratic contest; they represented a coordinated state takeover executed through compromised institutions and armed forces. Hichilema did not win the mandate of the Zambian people—he hijacked it through six undeniable acts of state-sponsored electoral theft:
1.Stolen Ballot Papers and Enforced Impunity
In polling stations across the country—most notably in Mandevu Constituency—UPND cadres, including individuals like Kalufyanya, forcibly snatched marked ballot papers while armed police personnel stood by without intervening. Stolen ballots were later found discarded in sewage lines and waste sites, blatantly disenfranchising thousands of citizens.
2. Tear Gas Fired into Active Counting Facilities
In Kabwe, security forces fired tear gas directly inside an active, enclosed counting facility. The chaotic attack scattered accredited observers, party agents, and electoral workers in panic, leaving ballot boxes unguarded and vulnerable to physical tampering during tabulation.
3 . The Unconstitutional Results Blackout
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) executed an abrupt, six-hour operational blackout, freezing the declaration of presidential results nationwide without any legal justification. This sudden freeze severed the chain of custody for vote tallies across provincial centers at a decisive moment in the count.
4. Physical Violence against Opposition Stakeholders
When official tally announcements resumed featuring massive discrepancies against certified local Gen 20 forms, Mr. Enock Roosevelt Tonga—representing main opposition presidential candidate Brian Mundubile under the NRPUP/Tonse Alliance banner—raised a formal point of order. Instead of answering, the Commission ordered state commandos and cadres to physically assault Mr. Tonga on the tally floor, dragging him away into unlawful detention without charge.
5. Fatal State Operations: The Kabulonga Raid and Cover-Up
The post-election crackdown reached a violent climax with a Joint Task Force raid on the Kabulonga residence of President Brian Mundubile. During the siege, state security forces opened fire, fatally wounding former Transport Minister and Lunte MP Hon. Mutotwe Kafwaya.
For nearly five days, the state explicitly denied the casualty, attempting to cover up the extrajudicial killing until a High Court habeas corpus application filed by his spouse compelled the government to admit Kafwaya had died from gunshot wounds. To justify the fatal operation, the state manufactured treason charges against Brian Mundubile, Makebi Zulu, and 16 other opposition leaders, falsely labeling them as an "armed militia".
6. The Judicial Lockout
When the opposition prepared to challenge the election results within the constitutional 7-day window under Article 105, Chief Justice Dr. Mumba Malila ordered the physical closure of all court premises citing "security concerns." Armed police barricaded the Constitutional, Supreme, and High Courts across Lusaka, Ndola, Livingstone, and Chipata, locking the doors and physically barring citizens and legal representatives from seeking judicial redress.
Conclusion: An Illegitimate Occupier of Power
Given the overwhelming weight of this evidence, Hakainde Hichilema’s presidency lacks all moral, constitutional, and democratic legitimacy. A leader who relies on voter disenfranchisement, police impunity, state-sanctioned violence, extrajudicial killings, and the physical closure of the courts cannot claim to hold a valid mandate from the Zambian people.
Sir Ian Khama spoke the absolute truth: HH sits in State House not by sovereign consent, but through an institutional heist.
No amount of official lectures on "moving on," hollow democratic rhetoric in Parliament, or attempts to hoodwink the international community can sanitize a presidency built on stolen ballots and spilled blood. Zambians do not owe allegiance to an usurped office. Until true democratic accountability is restored, political prisoners are freed, and an independent international investigation is launched into the killing of Hon. Mutotwe Kafwaya, Hakainde Hichilema will be remembered not as a democratically elected leader, but as an illegitimate occupier of power and Africa’s newest dictator.
