Choma Central Member of Parliament Cornelius Mweetwa has pledged his continued loyalty to President Hakainde Hichilema and the United Party for National Development (UPND) after being left out of the new Cabinet. The former Information and Media Minister said he remains firmly…

Choma Central Member of Parliament Cornelius Mweetwa has pledged his continued loyalty to President Hakainde Hichilema and the United Party for National Development (UPND) after being left out of the new Cabinet. The former Information and Media Minister said he remains firmly behind the President and his administration. He warned party supporters against propaganda aimed at sowing division within the ruling party. His statement follows the announcement of the new Cabinet, which left out several ministers who served between 2021 and 2026. That decision has fuelled speculation about rifts within the UPND.

“I remain solidly and resolutely behind and in support of President HH and his Cabinet and administration,” Mr Mweetwa said.

“I’m actually a disciple of HH, a believer of the leadership of President HH, we have come a long way together,” he said.

Mr Mweetwa said he was grateful to the President for the opportunity to serve in the previous Cabinet. He said he did not feel entitled to reappointment when so many qualified individuals were available to serve. He said all Cabinet ministers and other presidential appointees serve under the absolute and exclusive authority of the President, who alone decides on appointment and termination. He said he would support the new ministers the same way he was supported when he served in Cabinet. His remarks are among the clearest public endorsements of the new line-up from a minister who lost his seat at the table.

The former minister said the President was looking at the country’s future needs when he made his appointments. He said the new Cabinet should not be read as a judgement on past service.

“By constituting a new Cabinet, he is not just looking at what we have done together in the opposition, UPND or last Cabinet, he’s looking at what needs to be done going forward,” Mr Mweetwa said.

Mr Mweetwa urged UPND members to guard against propaganda which, he said, was meant to divide the party. He distanced himself from claims linking his exclusion to political figures or alliances outside the party. He told citizens to dismiss speculation that he intends to form a new political party with other former ministers. He described such claims as cheap political assertions with no basis.

“All genuine supporters of UPND should guard against propaganda calculated to plant a seed of disunity and disloyalty in government,” he said.

United Progressive Party (UPP) president Saviour Chishimba has also spoken out after facing attacks following the Cabinet announcement. Dr Chishimba said public service is not measured by appointments. He said he did not back the UPND Alliance in the August general election in exchange for a government position. He said he joined the alliance because he believed cooperation offered an opportunity to advance national development. He said he committed his time, resources and organisational capacity to the campaign as UPP president because of shared objectives.

“I did not do so because I had been promised a government position,” Dr Chishimba said.

Dr Chishimba said he respects the constitutional authority of President Hichilema to appoint those he considers suitable to serve in his administration. His position mirrors Mr Mweetwa’s argument that appointments are the President’s prerogative and should not be treated as rewards. Both men face supporters who expected their loyalty to be recognised with Cabinet posts. Both have chosen to publicly reaffirm support rather than express grievance. Their statements are likely to ease tension within the governing alliance as the new Cabinet settles in.

Meanwhile, Chingola West MP Chipoka Mulenga has congratulated those appointed to the new Cabinet. In a statement, Mr Mulenga said the men and women selected were equal to the task and deserved their appointments. He pledged his full support for the new ministers. He said the Grow Zambia Agenda is a massive undertaking that requires everyone to work together in their various capacities. Only collective effort, he said, would bring the agenda to fruition.

The statements by the three politicians come as the President begins his second term with a reshaped government. The number of ministries has grown from 24 to 30, with several portfolios split to give sharper focus to energy, trade and industry. Changes on that scale inevitably leave some senior figures outside the new structure. How those figures respond will shape party unity in the months ahead. For now, Mr Mweetwa has made his position plain: he is staying behind the President.