Nearly 38 years ago, Hakainde Hichilema stood in the square at the University of Zambia (UNZA), proudly receiving his first degree—a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business Administration. Today, he returned to the same hallowed ground, this time to accept an honorary Doctorate of Business Administration (Hon. D.B.A.), a recognition that has stirred deep memories of his time as a young student.
Reflecting on that momentous occasion years ago, President Hichilema recalled the pride of shaking hands with Zambia’s First President and then-Chancellor of the University, Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to UNZA for bestowing such a significant honor upon him, underscoring the emotional resonance of receiving this award where his academic journey began.
UNZA, a venerable institution, holds a special place in the history of Zambia and beyond. It has produced four graduates and one lecturer who went on to become Presidents of their respective nations. Among its distinguished alumni are the late President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, immediate past President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, and President Hichilema himself. Additionally, the late President of Namibia, Dr. Hage Geingob, once served as a lecturer at this prestigious institution.
In his acceptance speech, President Hichilema dedicated the honorary doctorate to the cause of advancing graduate employability, inclusive development, and the fight against social inequalities, unemployment, and poverty. He urged the private sector and UNZA alumni to collaborate with the government in delivering quality higher education in Zambia, emphasizing the importance of public universities adapting to changing circumstances to ensure effective governance and continued excellence.
The ceremony was not just a moment of personal reflection for President Hichilema, but also a call to action for the entire nation to invest in the future of its youth and the quality of its higher education system.
The University Principal is just a Lumbani madoda praise singer….this is Fraud and HH should be ashamed of himself
No wonder you are anonymous. Synonymous with your name. Just work hard and get one. It’s not difficult.
Get a life my dear and learn to appreciate.
The purpose of us going to UNZA was not to elicit the envy and hatred of other Zambians. The purpose was to get the education to teach others what we had learned so that they could go and start universities that would produce the engineers and scientists that Zambia needs. In that regard, UNZA has been sensationally successful because we now have more than 50 universities in our country teaching everything all the way up to PhD
He is right this Anonymous
Wow, looks like he has convinced students that he has nothing to do with loadshedding, a colossal failure of strategic planning.
@Mayo What is loadshedding? What we are experiencing in Zambia isnt loadshedding. We simply have completely no power
I watched it live. I think there was a real camaraderie between HH and the students, He spoke their language and they seemed to love it. And also, he had a good story to tell about ba Monko, na Moma. the basilica, ku Chimunzi and so on. Very engaged!
Not Monko, but Monk… The reason is that there 5 times as many men as there were women, which itself was a legacy of colonialism in which the little education that was there did not cater to women.
Five presidents from one university! Which other varsity has done this? Makerere? Pyong Yang university? Pasani Goma lakes ulemu
Make that 6! KK, from whose hand I received my degree, was one of us, even if he did not take the exams. UNZA was his baby, and not matter what the year was, each and every person who graduated from the university, got his degree from his hand
What’s with politicians and honorary degrees?
You can ask that again.
They want to use “Dr” in front of the names! African loves titles, while in the west people do not even use titles. Only medical doctors use Dr. Titles are only used when they go to present papers amongst their peers. Africans love intimidating each other with the titles. At the end of the day, no work is done because the titles holders are academics!
@Maria Zambia has people calling themselves Engineer yet they have never even constructed a bamboo bridge or a typewriter or a bicycle
This is what hunger can do…..UNZA students operate via mob psychology….no wonder we don’t have electricity because UNZA only produces dunderhead engineers…..if someone offers them K50 then they will start jumping up and down…..and if Lungu offers them K50 each they will still do the same thing….60 years and we can’t find a solution to address Electricity crisis….useless University
Doctorate does not mean anything if Zambians
Are not happy with New dawn management
Of the country.Let Bally find solutions to the
Many problems it is facing.load shedding tops
The list.
In any case this doesn’t change anything.
HH should be given a PHD in lying and corruption…i wish we had serious opposition in Zambia because the current crop of opposition Politicians are just clowns
Yet he and his mind can’t craft effective economic programs/ plan for each province. Meaningless award.
Ministers
A great business mogul that can’t be profiled, and one that has failed to declare his assets. Like Mobutu Guguwetu Wazabanga his wealth is likely not to be inherited by his family. It’s hidden in a maze of shadowy investments
HONOURABLE kainde, best president ever, the economy is fine, pipo have jobs, there is no loadshedding … kikikiki. He keeps on bugging degrees. Kwena amangalo yabi sana.
Geological Mapping…..can an African come to America or Europe and start Geological Mapping…..when i tell you that HH is busy giving away our minerals for free….unfortunately we don’t have independent Judiciary otherwise HH is a very good candidate for Prison
Which prison? Chimbokaila? Mukobeko? Ibex Hill? House arrest?
“Honorary doctorate” indeed. Inferiority complex is a very dangerous situation. He has really managed to plant stooges everywhere in Zambian institutions. What is there to celebrate his honorary doctorate? Three years of ruining the economy?. With a cadre as a vice chancellor that is what you expect. And hired masses Kaya??
Please remove the Police check point at Manyumbi on Great north road, that ATM is just causing serious congestion. No sense of urgency thereby affecting the country’s productivity
Loadsheding increased to 17 hours per day….and we have time and resources to keep on arresting opposition leaders wasting tax payers money….just arresting them with no conviction ..whats the point?…..You spend K500000 to mobilize Police officers with heavy armored vehicles for a Politician to spend 3 days in Police custody ….and after that he goes back home and the case dies….and you go for another Politician same thing…..looks like the inspector General is busy chewing the money
Last month they announced that they imported electricity from Eskom…and i told you guys that they imported “air”….someone chewed US$ 5 million….easy money and soon loadsheding will be 24 hours…
Congratulations my presido
The journalistic rules for a caption is that it must identify the people in the picture but imwe ba LT you have joined the one eyed ruling party praise singers who can only see HH in Zambia. Do some basic journalism please!
“President Hichilema receiving an honorary Doctorate of Business Administration”-but who is the other guy in the picture???
The entire story quotes and focuses only on one man HH. It’s like it was written by a DeadNBC reporter
Unza is slowly becoming useless.how do you reward someone who is failing the econony?
If anything HH deserves this honorary doctorate for NOT being corrupt unlike his predecessor Edgar Lungu.