President Hichilema Visits Livingstone for Tech Conference and Party Engagements

President Hakainde Hichilema arrived in Livingstone on Wednesday for a one-day working visit, greeted by large crowds of supporters as he touched down in the tourism capital ahead of a packed schedule.

The centrepiece of the official programme was the 2026 ICT Association of Zambia Tech Conference and Annual General Meeting, which the President officiated — an event designed to deepen collaboration across Zambia's growing technology sector. He was received at the airport by Southern Province Minister Credo Nanjuwa, Tourism Minister Rodney Sikumba, and Presidential Adviser Levy Ngoma, together with members of the Provincial Joint Operations Committee.

Official business ran alongside a series of party engagements that carried their own weight, coming five months before the August 13 election. Addressing UPND members — including youths, women, persons with disabilities, and senior citizens — President Hichilema called on the party to close ranks, warning that internal divisions risk undermining both effective governance and the development programmes millions of Zambians depend on.

The visit also produced a significant political moment: more than 600 members of the opposition Patriotic Front and other parties formally defected to the ruling UPND. Livingstone's PF District Treasurer Joyce Musokotwane pointed to government progress in education, health, and social services as her reason for switching allegiances.