The True Test of Leadership

 The True Test of Leadership is Not Controlling Voices of Dissent, but Protecting the Freedom to Dissent.

By Mark Chilongu

Lusaka, May 11,2026

There is a growing concern among many citizens that this government is slowly becoming intolerant to criticism and increasingly comfortable with controlling civic space. When a law proposes that even gatherings of three people require prior police notification, people are justified in asking whether we are strengthening democracy or quietly regulating freedom itself. The danger with such laws is not only how they are written, but how they can be selectively enforced against opposition voices, activists, students, journalists and ordinary citizens while those in authority remain exempt or protected. That is what creates fear, mistrust and the perception of a government becoming ruthless in the management of dissent.

Government must understand that democratic leadership is not tested when people agree with you, but when citizens criticize you, organize themselves and demand accountability. 

The promise made to Zambians in 2021 was one of expanded freedoms, open governance and a departure from oppressive tendencies associated with the past. Introducing laws that appear more restrictive than the very Public Order Act citizens complained about risks damaging that legacy. The advice to government is simple and direct: slow down, consult widely and stop governing through fear of criticism. 

A confident administration does not rush controversial laws months before elections or near dissolution of Parliament. History shows that once leaders normalize restricting freedoms for political convenience, those same laws eventually become weapons against everyone including those who created them.

Napita mukwai!