Outgoing UN Chief Credits HH With Steering Zambia Through Debt, Drought

Outgoing United Nations Resident Coordinator Beatrice Mutali said Zambia is on the path to economic recovery and a resilient future under President Hakainde Hichilema, crediting his administration with navigating the country through debt restructuring, drought and disease…

Outgoing United Nations Resident Coordinator Beatrice Mutali said Zambia is on the path to economic recovery and a resilient future under President Hakainde Hichilema, crediting his administration with navigating the country through debt restructuring, drought and disease during her four-year tour of duty.

Ms Mutali made the remarks when she paid a farewell courtesy call on the President at State House in Lusaka, marking the end of a posting that began in May 2022. She also congratulated Mr Hichilema on his re-election and inauguration following last month’s general elections.

The UN envoy said she had closely followed the Head of State’s work over the four years, during which the country overcame a series of challenges.

“Over the last four years, I saw Zambia overcome a number of challenges; there was the debt crisis which your Government found a way out of through debt restructuring, then there was the cholera outbreak and the worst drought in 50 years as well as global uncertainty,” Ms Mutali said.

“What also stood out for me was the resilience of the Zambian people and a nation committed to moving forward. Your Government has also taken essential steps to build better resilience and preparedness to deal with climate shocks.”

She said Mr Hichilema’s new five-year mandate provided an opportunity for his administration to steer Zambia to greater prosperity and a democratic future. The UN, she said, would continue to support investments in people and resilience, including advancing gender equality and consolidating democratic gains.

Ms Mutali called for strengthened resilience and preparedness to protect vulnerable communities from climate shocks, which she said are becoming more frequent. “As I am leaving, I am pleased to see that Government and all partners have taken this on board. We see that as we anticipate the El Niño, there’s already a plan in place,” she said.

She also hailed the President’s push for African countries to trade with one another under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and to deepen South-South cooperation. “I also wish to thank you, Mr President, for your support to the UN family in Zambia,” she said, wishing him every success in his second term.

Mr Hichilema said Zambia and the UN were one family, and that their joint work had been instrumental in moving the country from stabilisation to growth.

He said the country went through a very difficult period after the 2021 general elections because it was riddled in debt and the economy was regressing. “We encountered the worst drought in living memory. We also had external pressures but the UN worked with us, we achieved the Zambia debt restructuring project,” the President said.

He said the UN also stood with Zambia on food distribution during the drought. “All this is something every Zambian should be saying thank you to,” he said.

He said Zambia remains committed to a rules-based international order in which every country is treated equitably, and that his administration would deepen cooperation with African countries through investment under the Grow Zambia Agenda. “We need to trade more with each other and make Africa more attractive for investment,” he said.

“Given the geo-politics, the UN is needed now more than ever,” Mr Hichilema added. He commended Ms Mutali for creating cohesion among all UN agencies in Zambia and urged her to remain the country’s goodwill ambassador in her new role.

The farewell came as Zambia prepares for next week’s 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in the United States.

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Mulambo Haimbe said in Lusaka that he will represent President Hichilema at the assembly and deliver a statement on the Head of State’s behalf.

Mr Haimbe said Zambia’s participation presents an opportunity to showcase its position on the multilateral agenda towards a rules-based global order. The statement, he said, will highlight opportunities for the global community to participate in the Grow Zambia Agenda.

The minister will lead the delegation to New York next week, carrying the Grow Zambia message to the General Assembly on the President’s behalf.