Editorial: Economic Realities Must Guide Diplomacy
President Hakainde Hichilema's presence at President Samia Suluhu Hassan's inauguration in Tanzania today will not sit comfortably with many Zambians. These concerns are valid. Reports of opposition leader suppression, restricted campaign freedoms, and questions surrounding the credibility of Tanzania's electoral process have continued to emerge, casting a shadow over the legitimacy of this Tanzania’s election.
For a president who himself endured arrests, persecution, and politically motivated charges before finally winning office through a free and fair vote; attending the inauguration of a leader whose democratic mandate is disputed appears inconsistent.
But when it comes to nations whose economies are fundamentally economically intertwined, national interest must guide our foreign policy decisions.
Zambia does not simply trade with Tanzania, our economy depends on Tanzanian infrastructure in ways that affect every citizen's daily life.
The TAZARA railway moves goods between our landlocked nation and the sea. The TAZAMA Pipeline delivers fuel that powers our transport, industry, and homes. The Port of Dar es Salaam provides access to international markets that keep our businesses competitive and our shops stocked.
When these systems face disruptions, whether from political instability or diplomatic tensions, the consequences are severe. Fuel, transport and commodity prices spike. And it is not presidents, ministers or diplomats who bear these costs, it is ordinary Zambian families.
The recently signed $1.4 billion TAZARA revitalisation project is not a political gesture but an economic necessity. The railway will move Zambian copper, facilitate trade, and create jobs. Walking away from these partnerships hurts ordinary Zambians far more than it affects regional politics.
President Hichilema’s attendance at President Samia’s inauguration is not an endorsement of specific aspects of Tanzania’s electoral process, nor does it constitute any sort of tacit approval about how that leader remained in power. It is diplomatic protocol and an opportunity to safeguard Zambian interests through constructive engagement.
These sort of protocols exist so that leaders can separate economic necessities from the approval of governance failures. President Hichilema’s attendance signals Zambia’s intention to maintain economic ties with Tanzania regardless of who occupies State House in Dar es Salaam.
President Hichilema's democratic credentials are well established. He championed free and fair elections in opposition, endured imprisonment under his predecessor, and ultimately delivered the kind of peaceful, credible transition of power that Tanzania has failed to achieve. His commitment to these principles has not wavered.
Zambia's foreign policy rightly emphasises non-interference in the domestic affairs of sovereign nations. We would reject any external pressure or interference in our own processes, and we do not impose it on our neighbours.
But non-interference should not be confused with indifference. Tanzania's flawed electoral process, and the suppression of dissent are concerning, but where governance failures exist in the region, the answer is not to sever the infrastructural ties upon which millions of Zambians depend. Our government’s priority must be advancing cooperation that benefits Zambian citizens.
Our most powerful contribution to the region is demonstrating what democratic governance achieves, not lecturing from the sidelines. Our 2021 election stands as a powerful example to the region of what the peaceful transfer of power looks like.
Our subsequent economic recovery and commitment to transparency speak louder about our government’s priorities than a diplomatic boycott of President Samia’s inauguration. Zambia serves democracy better by being a successful example than by being an isolated critic.
Where concerns about governance exist, actions that would disrupt the trade and infrastructure upon which millions of Zambians depend are not the way to address them.
Ultimately President Hichilema has a duty to the people or Zambia. Ensuring stable fuel supplies, functioning trade routes, continued economic recovery, and prosperity for every Zambian.
These are not things achieved by diplomatic posturing, but by maintaining the practical relationships that keep keep goods moving, prices stable, and businesses operating.
There is no contradiction between upholding democratic values and maintaining economic cooperation with neighbours whose governance falls short of those standards. Zambia can, and must, do both. That is not abandoning principles. It is protecting the people who depend on their government to make decisions grounded in economic reality and national interest.
Tanzania's electoral process deserves scrutiny and criticism. But that criticism is best delivered through appropriate channels and backed by Zambia's own example of democratic success, not through economic self-harm that would hurt ordinary Zambians while doing little to democratic reform in Dar es Salaam.