By Kwangu Manda,
In recent years, a noticeable trend has emerged among political aspirants at both parliamentary and local government levels in Zambia. Men and women entering the political arena often display a keen obsession with the social prestige, titles, and trappings of the offices they seek—yet the public rarely sees a clear and credible roadmap for actual service delivery.
The prefix “Honourable” is traditionally reserved for members of the House of Commons. In Zambia’s context, this refers to members of the National Assembly. It is only upon successful election that one rightfully becomes an Honourable Member.
Whether some aspirants adopt the title prematurely as a symbolic gesture of assumed victory, or simply out of misunderstanding its proper use, is beside the point. The real issue is the widespread reluctance among candidates to engage seriously with pragmatic solutions for the constituencies they hope to represent.
Too many aspirants speak enthusiastically about what they want to do, but seldom explain how they plan to achieve it. They rarely address potential challenges, resource constraints, or realistic strategies for overcoming obstacles. Meanwhile, we—the radio listeners, social media followers, and voters—fail to demand more accountability. We do not press our aspirants hard enough for substance, even though we are the ones who will bear the consequences of a five-year term filled with unfulfilled promises and mismanagement.
Our understandable frustration with current office holders often blinds us to the competence—or lack thereof—of their would-be replacements. Too often, we allow hype, charisma, and slogans to serve as proxies for genuine ability and preparedness.
Public office exists to bridge the community and government—to carry the people’s concerns to the corridors of power and to bring responsive governance back to the grassroots. Sadly, the bar continues to be lowered. There is no shame in holding councillors and Members of Parliament to account.
The truly “honourable” leader is not the one who claims the title the loudest, but the one who delivers tangible results for the people.
Let us demand more. Let us reward substance over spectacle. Only then can we begin to restore real meaning to the word “Honourable.”
