VIEWS FROM ROME
It’s time M’membe, Lubinda and Kalaba sat down together
THERE is no denying that the political atmosphere in the country today feels like a season of raining ambition. Almost everyone, it seems, wants to be President of Zambia. In such a climate, it becomes necessary to pause and have a candid conversation about ambition itself, its value, its limits, and the dangers that arise when it becomes unchecked.
Let us be clear from the outset. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with ambition. Wanting to succeed, to rise, and to make something meaningful of one’s life or career is normal. In fact, ambition is often the driving force behind hard work, innovation and progress. We all desire success and rightly so. That is why we work towards the attainment of our dreams.
However, how ambition is pursued is what ultimately determines whether it leads to success or destruction.
Nobody wants us to be failures. Certainly not. But in the pursuit of success, especially leadership, as is the case in Zambia today, ambition must be well thought out, disciplined and clearly understood, both by those who seek power and by the people they seek to lead.
Political success is not, and has never been, a one-day achievement. It is not accidental, nor is it something one simply declares. It is earned over time. People work their way up, learn the ropes, make sacrifices, build trust, and are eventually rewarded, not merely with titles, but with legitimacy and credibility.
History, including biblical history, offers us powerful lessons in this regard.
Abraham worked diligently and became a wealthy man. Job prospered through integrity and faithfulness. Joseph’s journey is particularly instructive, from a slave and prisoner, he rose through character, patience, and competence, to become Prime Minister of Egypt during one of the greatest crises of that period.
What did these men have in common? Was it sheer luck? Raw talent or personal drive?
Without doubt, talent, hard work, and perseverance played a role. But above all, they shared commitment to God, service to people and a clear understanding that their gifts and influence were not for self-glorification, but for a higher purpose. They understood that leadership is stewardship.
The Bible captures this principle concisely: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23).
In essence, it is about putting God first, and then His people. Ambition that is purely self-driven, detached from service, humility and moral grounding, is almost always bound to fail.
These are the questions many ambitious opposition politicians must honestly confront today: Have they truly worked their way up to deserve the roles they now seek? Have they sacrificed enough for this country and its people to merit the highest office in the land? What depth of character, experience, or vision do they carry that justifies such loud and unrestrained ambition?
Being vocal, shrewd, or confrontational is not the same as being prepared to lead. Noise is not competence. Neither is confidence capacity.
We must also confront the real dangers of unbridled ambition. When ambition is unchecked and when it is driven by ego, greed, or self-interest, it becomes toxic. As we are increasingly witnessing, it can lead to pride, ethical compromise, and a disturbing disregard for the collective good.
We have noticed that instead of using their talents and experience, where they exist, to uplift others, some have become consumed by self-aggrandizement. Public service has given way to personal advancement. National interest has been replaced by private gain. The people have become mere instruments in the pursuit of power.
It must be mentioned that unbridled ambition often leads to burnout, unethical behavior, alienation and a distorted sense of self. It causes individuals to sacrifice morals, relationships, and long-term stability in exchange for fleeting authority or recognition. It erodes empathy, fosters greed, and reduces human beings to means rather than ends. History, both political and business, is littered with examples of leaders whose unchecked ambition led to personal collapse, institutional failure, and national ruin.
Ambition, therefore, is not the enemy but unrestrained ambition is the real enemy.
As a nation, we must encourage ambition that is grounded in service, experience, humility, and moral responsibility. Leadership should be a calling proven over time, not a sudden craving for power. Zambia deserves leaders who have been tested, who understand sacrifice, and who place the people above themselves.
Anything less is not ambition, it is danger.
Opposition politics, by its very nature, demands compromise, patience, and a willingness to subordinate personal ambition to a greater cause. History shows that successful political movements are not built around many egos competing for the same crown, but around shared vision, agreed leadership, and disciplined unity. Yet today, unity remains elusive because too many within the opposition are unwilling to step aside, wait for their turn, or play a supporting role.
Unfortunately, much of today’s opposition leadership in the country appears driven by impatience rather than preparation.
What many opposition politicians have failed to grasp is that leadership is not seized, it is entrusted.
The refusal to unite behind a single opposition figure is therefore not merely a strategic failure. It is a moral and logical one. It raises uncomfortable but necessary questions. Have these leaders truly worked their way up enough to command national consensus? Have they sacrificed sufficiently for the people they now seek to govern? Or is their ambition driven more by ego, visibility, and self-importance than by readiness to serve?
Instead of building coalitions, we see fragmentation. Instead of maturity, we see competition. Instead of long-term strategy, we see short-term calculations. Each individual believes they are indispensable, yet together they remain ineffective.
Unbridled ambition thrives on self-aggrandizement. It resists compromise, distrusts collective leadership, and treats politics as a personal contest rather than a national responsibility. In such an environment, unity becomes impossible, not because it is unwise, but because it demands humility.
In this scenario, the consequences are predictable. A divided opposition weakens its own credibility, confuses the electorate, and ultimately reinforces the very power structures it seeks to challenge. When ambition overrides discipline and purpose, the opposition ceases to be an alternative and becomes a spectacle.
True leadership requires knowing when to lead and when to follow. It requires the courage to support another when the moment calls for unity rather than personal elevation. Until opposition leaders in Zambia confront the dangers of unrestrained ambition and embrace sacrifice over self-interest, their failure to unite behind one candidate will remain their greatest undoing.
Ambition, when disciplined, builds nations. Ambition, when unchecked, dismantles movements.
It is time for the leadership of the Patriotic Front (PF), the Socialist Party, and Citizens First to sit together, rise above personal ambition, and rally behind a single presidential candidate. These three formations are the only opposition parties with real presence on the ground, measurable influence, and functional political structures across the country.
The rest, much as they may enjoy media attention, remain largely talking shops and political gamblers, loud in rhetoric but absent in organisation, numbers, and electoral reach. They neither command serious grassroots loyalty nor possess the machinery required to mount a credible national challenge.
Politics is not won by noise or wishful thinking. It is won by structure, discipline, and unity of purpose. Without convergence around one candidate from among these three serious players, the opposition will continue to fragment its own strength and hand victory to its opponents by default.
The moment calls for maturity, sacrifice, and strategic clarity. History is unforgiving to leaders who place ego above national interest and ambition above unity. If the opposition is truly committed to offering Zambians a viable alternative, then the path is clear: consolidate, compromise, and present one formidable candidate backed by strong, nationwide structures.
Author: Albrecht Chinyama is a Zambian based in Rome, Italy.
