Don’t take going to the toilet for granted — UPP president
Don’t take going to the toilet for granted — UPP president
UPND Alliance member and United Progressive People (UPP) president Saviour Chishimba says all politicians are job seekers, arguing that there is no shame in seeking public office because leadership is essentially work and responsibility.
Chishimba says politicians should stop claiming that they are not looking for jobs when they form political parties or contest for public office.
“There is a fashionable statement among politicians, ‘I am not looking for a job.’ Let us stop fooling ourselves. If you form a political party because you want to govern, you are seeking a job. If you contest the presidency, parliament or council, you are seeking a job,” he says.
Chishimba says every public office has duties, responsibilities and a job description, including the presidency, whose responsibilities are prescribed by the Constitution.
He says his understanding of public responsibility is influenced by Jewish thought, which teaches gratitude for life and the importance of recognising that every new day comes with purpose and responsibility.
“Every morning that the Almighty allows you to open your eyes means that you still have work to do,” Chishimba says.
He says Jewish tradition begins the day with gratitude to the Almighty for restoring the soul, followed by morning routines that recognise the importance of the human body and life itself.
Chishimba says people should not take basic bodily functions, including going to the toilet, for granted.
“Don’t take going to the toilet for granted. If you take this for granted, go to the hospital and see patients with catheters,” he says.
He says Judaism teaches gratitude for things people often take for granted, including life, strength, freedom, clothing, the ground beneath their feet and the ability to stand and walk.
Chishimba says the Torah contains 613 mitzvot, or commandments, while what are commonly referred to as the Ten Commandments are known in Hebrew as the Aseret Hadibrot, or Ten Statements.
He says the broader principle is that life comes with obligations and that waking up each morning should be viewed as the beginning of another assignment.
“That is how I understand public responsibility. If you accept an assignment in government, parliament, a council, a company, a political party or anywhere else, take it seriously. Be loyal to the assignment. Do the work with integrity. Do not behave as though you are doing somebody a favour,” he says.
Chishimba says there is no shame in seeking responsibility, adding that the important issue is what a person intends to do once entrusted with a position.
He says public service should be approached as work that must be carried out with integrity and a sense of responsibility.
“So yes, we are all job seekers. The farmer has a job. The entrepreneur has a job. The teacher has a job. The President has a job. The minister has a job. The permanent secretary has a job. The member of Parliament has a job. The councillor has a job. Even when you employ yourself, you have given yourself a job,” Chishimba says.
He says Zambia’s collective responsibility is to build and grow the country and serve its people.
“Our collective job now is clear. Let us build Zambia, grow Zambia and serve its people. That is the tone President Hakainde Hichilema has set. Let us therefore stop speaking to citizens as though seeking public office somehow means we are above seeking work. Leadership is work. Public office is work. Service is work,” he says.
Chishimba says the only people who no longer have work to do in this world are those whose earthly assignment has ended.
-TV Yatu | Noel Iyombwa | September 17, 2026.