from ARNOLD MULENGA in Lusaka, Zambia
Zambia Bureau
LUSAKA, (CAJ News) – ZAMBIAN President Hakainde Hichilema has come under heavy fire across Southern Africa and the wider continent for welcoming Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Lusaka — a move widely condemned as a betrayal of Africa’s long-standing solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine.
Critics have branded Hichilema the “sole sellout” in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for aligning with what many describe as a “genocidal, apartheid regime” responsible for mass civilian deaths in Gaza.
The outrage erupted after the Israeli Embassy in Pretoria boasted on social media that “Nations of Southern Africa embrace Israel,” citing Herzog’s “historic” visit to Zambia — the first ever by an Israeli head of state.
The statement backfired instantly.
Pan-African journalists, activists, and citizens across SADC accused Israel of deliberate misinformation and condemned Hichilema for undermining Africa’s moral position against colonialism and oppression.
Award-winning Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono swiftly dismissed Israel’s claims, posting: “No! Only Zambia — which has abandoned any ethical foreign policy — not Southern Africa! Stop spreading lies.”
Zambian lawyer and human rights activist Joseph Kalimbwe echoed that sentiment: “Kaunda’s non-alignment foreign policy is on hold. We are the only country in SADC rolling out a red carpet for a state that murders innocent men, women and children in Palestine.”
Zambia’s founding president, Kenneth Kaunda, was renowned for his principled opposition to apartheid and imperialism — values many now accuse Hichilema of discarding for short-term political gain.
Inside Zambia, frustration with Hichilema’s leadership is boiling over. In recent weeks, the president has faced angry crowds pelting him with stones at public rallies — a vivid symbol of the disillusionment gripping the nation.
Many citizens accuse him of failing to deliver on his 2021 election promises of job creation, economic relief, and unity.
Social media users mocked the Israeli visit as evidence of misplaced priorities.
“Why embrace a country (Israel) with so much blood on its hands? Our leaders are too money-hungry — Israel must have dangled a few coins,” wrote one Zambian commentator.
Another added: “Hichilema has always been a sellout. Hosting a butcher from Gaza just proves it.”
Political analyst Antonio Mwanza warned that Zambia’s “proud legacy of non-alignment and solidarity with oppressed peoples must be upheld,” urging that “peace and justice, not convenience, should guide diplomacy.”
Israel’s government has drawn unprecedented global condemnation following its months-long military onslaught on Gaza, which has left tens of thousands of Palestinians — including children, women, and the elderly — dead or missing under the rubble.
Entire neighborhoods have been flattened, hospitals destroyed, and essential supplies blocked, prompting accusations of genocide and crimes against humanity from human rights organizations and international jurists.
Across the world, Israel faces growing isolation, mass protests in major cities from London to Johannesburg demanding sanctions and justice for Gaza.
UN resolutions and legal experts decried Israel’s collective punishment of civilians, faith leaders and civil society groups condemned what they call the “dehumanization of Palestinians while this widespread outrage was rooted in Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territories, its expansion of illegal settlements, and its systematic denial of Palestinian self-determination — acts critics compare to South Africa’s apartheid system.
Hichilema, once celebrated as a reformist who rose from humble beginnings to defeat the long-ruling Patriotic Front in 2021, is now facing mounting anger at home.
His government’s perceived alignment with Western and now Israeli interests has alienated many young Zambians who once saw him as a symbol of renewal.
Public confidence has eroded amid rising living costs, youth unemployment, and claims of arrogance within his administration.
The recent stone-throwing incidents reflect not just public anger over foreign policy, but deep frustration over unfulfilled promises.
Across Africa, leaders and citizens alike have demanded unity in condemning atrocities in Gaza. South Africa, Namibia, and Algeria have been among the most vocal in calling for Israel to be held accountable at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
By contrast, Hichilema’s red-carpet reception for Herzog has left Zambia increasingly isolated within the SADC regional bloc, raising fears that the country may be drifting away from Africa’s historic stance of standing with the oppressed.
“Zambia once stood tall against apartheid,” said one political observer in Lusaka. “Now it appears ready to shake hands with it.”
– CAJ News