ZAMBIA: IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION BUT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE space. After all, his electoral victory was a break from the historical stranglehold on power by leaders with liberation struggle credentials. By Thomas Zulu INTRODUCTION F ROM the moment that Haikande Hichilema was elected as head of state in 2021, there have been high expectations from him. Citizens envisaged President Hichilema would get them out of the quagmire of corruption, a steadily declining economy, high inflation, worsening human rights and contracting civic During former President Edgar Lungu’s term, the media freedom landscape was characterised by the closure or suspension of private media outlets not amenable to government control, the denial of government advertising revenue to these outlets; the absence of coverage of the opposition in state-controlled media; and the alleged enforced early retirement or transfer of government employees based on perceived party or tribal affiliations, as outlined in a research report by Action Aid.(1) While President Hichilema may have overstated what he is able to accomplish, he has “ushered in a new style which is not only distinct from his predecessor but also sets him apart” from his regional counterparts.(2) He is decisively reducing excessive public expenditure, has made himself accessible to the public, is working on curbing corruption and has thrown open the political space, which was largely shut off to the opposition. From the onset, he also reached out to the 61