THE NORMALIZATION OF ECONOMIC HARDSHIP IN ZAMBIA!Have We Forgotten What NORMAL looks Like? HH Has Made Zambians Quietly ACCEPT Darkness, Poverty and Fake Promises as NORMAL – Joe Prince Makungu

THE NORMALIZATION OF ECONOMIC HARDSHIP IN ZAMBIA!
Have We Forgotten What NORMAL looks Like? HH Has Made Zambians Quietly ACCEPT Darkness, Poverty and Fake Promises as NORMAL

By Joe Prince Makungu – The VOICE

You can’t “double the economy” when you’re subjecting people’s businesses to persistent power cuts and unchecked inflation. LOAD SHEDDING kills productivity. From small barbershops to large factories, every hour without power is a BLOW to our GDP. Yet, President Hakainde Hichilema (HH) insists that his administration is on course to revamp the economy and double it’s GDP? How?

Since taking office in August 2021, HH has faced UNDENIABLE economic and energy challenges. While some stem from GLOBAL crises and PAST mismanagement, many Zambians believe the current administration has FAILED to deliver on key promises, resulting in a NORMALIZATION of economic hardship.

Under HH’s leadership, Zambians have become ACCUSTOMED to what should NEVER be normal  such as — persistent load shedding, skyrocketing food prices and an unsustainable COST of LIVING. What once felt like a NATIONAL CRISIS has now become a normal daily reality. But make no mistake — this is NOT progress. This is STAGNATION

HH’s government continues to push a political narrative that BLAMES past regimes (such as the PF), GLOBAL events like the WAR in Ukraine, or climate issues — yet offers FEW tangible solutions. Over time, citizens have ADJUSTED their expectations DOWNWARD, settling for 4–7 hours of power daily, and ACCEPTING food and fuel prices that seem to rise beyond logic or control.

This slow decline breeds a dangerous COMPLACENCY — a situation where people STOP demanding BETTER and start believing that “this is just the way it is, nothing can change.” But LEADERSHIP is NOT about excuses — it’s about delivering RESULTS. NORMALIZING failure erodes public accountability. And in SILENCE, people suffer.

LOAD SHEDDING AND RISING COST OF LIVING UNDER HH’S ADMINISTRATION

1. Load Shedding: In 2023–2024, low water levels at Kariba and Kafue dams led to extended electricity blackouts up to 17 hours a day, despite earlier UPND promises to end load shedding.

2. High Cost of Living: Mealie meal prices surged past K300. Fuel price hikes triggered cascading increases in transport, goods and services. Meanwhile, inflation kept rising, with minimal cushioning from the state.

3. Public Perception: According to the 2024 Afrobarometer survey, public trust in the UPND’s ability to manage the economy is in DECLINE. Yet many Zambians have internalized HARDSHIP, accepting it as the NEW NORMAL.

SUMMARY

The crisis is no longer just economic — it is PSYCHOLOGICAL. The most alarming issue today is NOT just the hardship itself, but the MINDSET shift among citizens: a dangerous ACCEPTANCE of suffering as PERMANENT. The real task ahead is to hold leadership ACCOUNTABLE — not just for their promises, but for the lived realities of ordinary Zambians.

President HH has presided over a period in which many Zambians have come to BELIEVE that load shedding and high prices are normal and a natural part of life. This NORMALIZATION is sustained by prolonged exposure, lack of clear alternatives, and political narratives that shift BLAME instead of taking ownership.

But let’s BE CLEAR: load shedding is NOT normal. High prices are NOT normal. Poverty is NOT normal.  Zambians must REJECT the idea that suffering is INEVITABLE or normal. We must demand BETTER — because we deserve better.

By:
Joe Prince Makungu – The VOICE

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