President Hichilema Wins Africa Leader of the Year
A UK-based media agency has named Zambian President Hichilema as the African Political Leader of the Year 2022.
The agency, Africa Media Agency, determines the winner each year through an online vote. Attracting 15,000 responses via their website and email, the poll has become the continent’s premium vote-based leadership award.
The award is set to be presented in February, during the annual African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year Award ceremony which is set to be held in Port Louis, Mauritius.
UPND Secretary General Batuke Imenda expressed his gratitude for Hichilema’s leadership and noted the award was a welcome recognition of the international community’s confidence in the country’s president.
President Hichilema bested competition from Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan. Tanzania’s first female president has recently announced the cancelling of the country’s independence day celebrations this year in order to redistribute crucial funds to build dormitories for children with special needs.
Sierra Leone’s President, Dr Julius Maada Bio was voted African of the Year whilst the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngoi Okonjo Iweala emerged as the African Female Leader of the Year.
The UPND Secretary General Batuke Imenda praised Hichilema for championing democracy in the country. Recently, international diplomats praised the economic development and increasing transparency in Zambia. The American Ambassador to Zambia in particular praised the “excellent strategies and policies” being implemented by Hichilema.
“If the government is going to continue implementing these strategies, the country will go far in terms of development. And I would love the government to continue engaging the private sector who are good partners for development”, Gonzales commented.
Since coming to office, Zambia’s inflation rate has dropped from 24.4% to below 10%. Further, the Zambian Kwacha became the world’s best performing currency when compared to the U.S. Dollar whilst billions have been pledged in investment in order to drive the government’s eighth national development plan.
From the lows of the Lungu administration, during which time the country defaulted on its international debts, Zambia is aiming to become a middle income country by 2030.
Additionally, while former President Lungu was removed for corrupt practices, HH’s administration has repeatedly committed to respecting rule of law & combatting corruption. February 2022 saw K65,330,000 recovered from crime and reallocated to the Ministry of Finance and National Planning. High Profile Arrests have included former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Malanji, and former Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba for corrupt practices involving $33m USD