Rumors, Resilience, and a Rebound: How False Sickness Claims Strengthened President Hichilema's Standing
Rumors, Resilience, and a Rebound: How False Sickness Claims Strengthened President Hichilema’s Standing*
By Christopher Haambote
For the past week, Zambia has been inundated with a torrent of rumors and speculation on social media about the health of its 7th President, Hakainde Hichilema. The frenzy was fueled by Emmanuel Mwamba, a former senior government official, ex-diplomat to the African Union and Ethiopia, and a prominent member of the Patriotic Front (PF). Mwamba’s claims were amplified by an army of online trolls and Facebook pages, intensifying the spread of misinformation.
The speculation began after a dramatic evacuation at a high-profile military hospital in Lusaka. Dozens of patients were swiftly relocated following a fire alarm triggered by smoke detectors. Mwamba took to his Facebook page, alleging that the evacuation was a cover for secretly admitting a “VVIP” who had supposedly fallen ill—a term commonly used in Zambia to refer to the President.
The rumors gained momentum as rogue social media influencers linked to the PF, many of whom are allegedly controlled by Mwamba, flooded platforms with hourly updates claiming President Hichilema had suffered a stroke.
The situation threw the nation into a state of suspense, with Zambians recalling the tragic deaths of former serving Presidents, which had left lasting scars on the country’s collective psyche.
However, if the orchestrators of this misinformation aimed to destabilize the nation, their plan backfired. The false claims provoked widespread frustration and anxiety, with ordinary citizens across the country condemning the baseless rumors.
Those close to President Hichilema describe him as a health-conscious individual, known for his commitment to exercise and his abstinence from alcohol and tobacco, rooted in his Adventist faith. When he appeared at a Lusaka Air Force Base, en route to a scheduled international engagement in Tanzania, Zambians were relieved to see a healthy, vibrant President walking confidently toward his plane.
The baseless alarm raised by Emmanuel Mwamba and his associates appears to have unintentionally rallied public support for President Hichilema.
In a deeply Christian and conservative country like Zambia, such reckless rumors not only fail to achieve their intended effect but also strengthen the President’s standing.
For Mwamba, this episode represents a significant political misstep.
