There’s More to Politics than the Presidency

The political spotlight in Zambia often shines exclusively on the presidency, overshadowing other roles. Many citizens feel that their lives revolve around a single day in August every five years, and during this time, nothing else seems to matter. Opposition leaders concentrate on expanding their voter base and relentlessly criticise the incumbent. People who previously were divided come together, either continuing their support for their chosen candidates, or expressing their disappointment by issuing threats like, ‘Just you wait, we will sort you out in August.’

Consider the unfortunate position of an elected president; yes, I meant unfortunate. The pressure of life at the top is immense and for five years, day and night, the rumour mill grinds relentlessly. Every policy, every local or international movement, faces criticism. The scrutiny extends not only to the president but to those closest to them as well – an unbearable burden, I imagine. However, amid this challenging existence, there are moments of joy. Allow me to share a memory from my time as a young civil servant during President Chiluba’s reign......

We were tasked with measuring the State House kitchen for remodelling and, as I moved around, I stumbled upon a walk-in chiller stocked with fresh juice boxes in various flavours. This was a time when even Coca-Cola was a luxury in Zambia, let alone fresh juice. Seeing those boxes filled me with envy. I envisioned the president requesting apple juice one day and mango juice the next – perhaps even sending back the mango juice because he actually meant grape juice. It wasn’t the grandeur of State House that impressed me; it was the simple pleasure of having juice on tap. Perhaps, for the president, those twenty-four-hour critiques were softened by such small comforts.

Then, there’s the rest of us; we move through this five-year cycle like zombies. Occasionally, a citizen becomes vocal. If their voice supports the government, they’re labelled as job seekers; if they oppose the government, they’re seen as bitter and disgruntled individuals who simply wanted a government position but failed to secure one. Essentially, the outspoken citizens engage in a zero-sum game, everyone loses. Then there’s the group that remains silent, secretly vowing to use their ballots wisely. They prefer to live day by day without causing any waves, sometimes out of fear of political targeting (especially for business owners) and sometimes due to sheer indifference.