Workers Cannot Forget

Hikaumba reminds workers of PF-era pay freeze, says Mundubile was part of administration with a history of salary and wage freezes

By Francis Maingaila

Lusaka, Zambia24 — 27-07-2026 - Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Vice President Leonard Hikaumba has urged public service workers not to forget what he described as the painful experience of salary and wage freezes under the former Patriotic Front (PF) administration, accusing opposition leader Brian Mundubile of attempting to rewrite history through campaign promises.

Mr Hikaumba, who is also a former president of the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), said it was difficult for Mr Mundubile to present himself as a champion of workers’ welfare after serving in a government that subjected public service workers to a brutal two-year salary increment freeze.

He said Mr Mundubile’s recent promise of a 30 percent salary increment to public service workers was an attempt to win support from workers who had suffered under policies implemented by the administration in which he served.

“Workers cannot forget where we are coming from. We are just emerging from a dark period where public servants endured a two-year salary increment freeze while the cost of living continued to rise,” Mr Hikaumba said.

He said teachers, nurses, police officers and other government workers experienced financial difficulties during the period because their incomes remained stagnant despite increasing economic pressures.

Mr Hikaumba said Mr Mundubile, as a senior member of the PF administration, was part of the government that presided over decisions affecting workers’ conditions of service and could not now distance himself from that record.

“Who was part of that government? Mr Brian Mundubile. He sat in the corridors of power when salaries were frozen and did little to defend the interests of ordinary workers,” he said.

The MDC vice-president further accused the former administration of introducing an employment freeze, which he said affected thousands of young Zambians who completed their studies but struggled to find opportunities in the public sector.

He said Mr Mundubile could not erase the experiences of workers by making new promises during the campaign period.

Mr Hikaumba described Mr Mundubile’s salary pledge as an attempt to cover up his past record, saying the promise was like an odege — a cheap wrapper meant to hide what was underneath.

“An odege is worn to deceive the onlooker into thinking there is something valuable underneath, but beneath Mundubile’s odege lies the same cold, anti-worker agenda that workers suffered under for years,” he said.

He advised public service workers to judge political leaders based on their actions while in office rather than campaign promises.

“A leopard does not change its spots. If a person can threaten workers with dismissal today and promise salary increases tomorrow, workers must question the sincerity behind those promises,” Mr Hikaumba said.

Mr Hikaumba contrasted the PF record with what he described as the commitment of President Hakainde Hichilema and the United Party for National Development (UPND) government towards improving workers’ welfare.

He said the UPND administration had restored salary increment negotiations and implemented adjustments aimed at improving conditions of service for public workers after inheriting a difficult economic situation.

“When the UPND speaks about workers, it does not hide behind an odege of promises. It has demonstrated through action that improving the welfare of workers is central to building a better Zambia,” he said.

Mr Hikaumba called on public servants, union members and citizens to remain vigilant ahead of the elections and reject what he termed political opportunism.

He urged workers to support leaders who have demonstrated commitment to protecting their livelihoods and dignity.

Leonard Hikaumba is the Vice President of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and former President of the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU).