The leader of Zambia’s opposition party, United Party for the National Development (UPND) party, says he aims to improve the way business is conducted in the country by removing bureaucracy and by seeking ways for government and business to partner for mutual gain.

In a keynote address at an Investment Opportunities in Zambia business meeting in Johannesburg earlier this month, UPND president Hakainde Hichilema said his party had consistently emphasised the value of partnerships with the private sector. “We want to dismantle the issue of demonising business and investment. Our aim is to make the business operating environment credible and create stable policies in various sectors for investors. I am not a politician. I am a businessperson and I made the decision to invest in Africa because it is the land of opportunity,” he said.

There were investment opportunities in the agroprocessing, mining, energy and hydro-generation sectors, he added.

Hichilema noted that Zambia was generating 3 000 MW of hydroelectric power, but had the potential to generate more than 25 000 MW.

While there were opportunities to invest in the energy sector, he warned, there were issues, such as political will, that prevented the exploitation of opportunities in the sector.

Opportunities were not turned into value for businesses because of the lack of high-quality political leadership, Hichilema noted, adding that 15-million Zambians were poor because of such leadership.

“I am one of those Africans who wants to bring a different approach to politics. Too many people in Africa want to stay in public office as a source of income. Why do we have so much poverty, high levels of unemployment and decreasing business opportunities if we have all these opportunities? It is because of social degradation, the high cost of living and high oil prices in Zambia,” he explained.

Africa needed a new breed of leadership that understood business and did not “demonise business relationships”, Hichilema stated, adding that the continent needed a paradigm shift, as well as democratic and good governance.

Hichilema explained that tackling employment in one country had a spill-over effect. Citing the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa as an example, he suggested that the solution was for people to take an interest in the events of neighbouring countries.

“Zambians that live in South Africa cannot be indifferent to what is going on in Zambia. Reinforcing borders is an underutilisation of taxpayers’ money, as the money can be used elsewhere. “We need each other but the solution is good economic management,” Hichilema said He suggested that it was in the self-interest of businesspeople to pay attention to the surrounding economies.