Need for action-oriented Cabinet

The first five years provided the administration with an opportunity to understand the complexities of running Government, identify institutional weaknesses and assess which approaches worked and which did not.

There should therefore be little justification for repeating the same mistakes.

The President’s choice of Cabinet will be particularly important because ministers are the people expected to turn presidential directives and national policies into practical programmes.

The country needs ministers who can take responsibility for their portfolios, make decisions, solve problems and, most importantly, demonstrate measurable progress.

Political loyalty alone should not be the determining factor.

Competence must matter as well as experience, integrity and the ability to deliver.

This is because the expectations of citizens extend beyond political rhetoric.

Families want better economic opportunities.

Young people want jobs and meaningful avenues to earn a living.

Farmers want predictable support and markets. Meanwhile, businesses want an environment in which they can grow.

Communities want better public services and infrastructure.

These expectations cannot be addressed by Government pronouncements alone.

The second term therefore offers President Hichilema an opportunity to match his administration’s ambitions with a team capable of executing them.

Where ministers performed well during the first term, their experience can be valuable.

Where performance fell short, there should be courage to make changes.

Most importantly, the Government should embrace accountability.

Zambians should be able to see progress and understand what their Government is doing to improve their lives.

The success of the second term should ultimately be measured not by the number of policies announced, but by the number of lives positively changed.

Mr Kabimba’s intervention should therefore be viewed constructively.

It is a reminder that a renewed mandate is also a renewed responsibility.

President Hichilema now has five more years to turn promises into outcomes.