President Hakainde Hichilema has appealed to Zambians to grant his administration a second mandate, warning that a return to past governance models would plunge the country back into economic stagnation.

In a special broadcast interview, the Head of State acknowledged the hardships citizens have endured, offering an unprecedented apology on behalf of past political leaders. “We found a complete mess, but we worked through it… I am sorry. Because of poor decisions in the past, our economy suffered immensely. But we have turned a corner,” he said.

President Hichilema pointed to debt restructuring and the Eurobond buyback as the cornerstone of recovery, enabling capital investment and stabilizing the economy. He cited economic growth peaks of 7.8 percent, falling inflation, and savings which have facilitated  free education for all learners as evidence of progress.

Looking ahead, he set ambitious targets of expanding energy generation to 10,000 MW, doubling maize output to 10 million tonnes, scaling copper production to 3 million tonnes, and boosting tourism arrivals to 5 million annually.

At grassroots level, he reaffirmed the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) as the engine for infrastructure and skills training, pledging a skill development centre in every district.

President Hichilema noted that mealie meal prices are easing and that soon, other benefits will be felt by citizens. He promised continued support for smallholder farmers, small scale entrepreneurs, and vulnerable households.

The President urged voters to back UPND candidates at all levels of leadership, assuring citizens of peaceful and transparent elections.

Concluding the interview, President Hichilema called on Zambians to protect the gains the country has made: “Judge us by what we have done. Let us refuse to take three steps backward.”

© 2026 The State House, Zambia.