'Politics must never become more important than our countries,' Ruto tells African leaders

Political contests should not undermine unity, stability and development of nations, President William Ruto has said.

The President explained that Africa cannot develop if every election becomes a moment of national uncertainty, while businesses cannot thrive where the future is uncertain.

Similarly, he noted that capital will not flow where institutions cannot be trusted, and prosperity cannot take root if politics repeatedly threatens the foundations on which it depends.

"For all of us who seek political leadership in Africa, the responsibility is clear. We must compete vigorously without becoming enemies. We must disagree without destroying anything. And we must seek victory without excluding. Our politics must never become more important than our countries,” he said.

The President was speaking during the inauguration ceremony of President Hakainde Hichilema and Vice-President Mutale Nalumango at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka, Zambia, on Tuesday.

Also present were Presidents Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia, Duma Boko (Botswana), Emmerson Mnangagwa (Zimbabwe) and Samia Suluhu Hassan (Tanzania).

Others were Lesotho Prime Minister Sam Matekane and Kingdom of Eswatini Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla.

President Ruto noted that democratic elections are designed to settle who governs the country, not who belongs to it.

He pointed out that the ultimate test of democracy is not when people agree, but when they disagree.

“Elections will produce winners and losers. Some will celebrate, others will be disappointed. But when the contest is over, the nation must remain united,” he said.

He congratulated President Hichilema as he assumed a second term in office.

“I wish you wisdom and strength in the service of the people of Zambia. May this new chapter strengthen the unity of this nation, enlarge opportunity for every Zambian, and advance our larger African journey,” he said.

He pointed out that President Hichilema would serve all Zambians, those who voted for him and those who did not, those who support the government and those who do not.

“They all belong equally to Zambia and they must all have a place in the future of the country,” he said.

At the same time, President Ruto called on African nations to utilise the continent’s vast untapped resources to champion Africa's economic freedom.

The President explained that Africa has enough land to feed itself and others, the energy to power transformation and the minerals that industries require.

“The challenge before us, therefore, is not absence of resources. It is how we use these resources to create opportunity and to create wealth,” he said.

For too long, President Ruto said, Africa has helped to industrialise others while exporting jobs that could be generated at home.

“With courageous leadership, that must change. Through the African Continental Free Trade Area, we have the opportunity to turn fragmented national markets into one powerful African economic community," he said.

The President stated that Africans must build an Africa capable of feeding itself, powering itself, trading with itself, adding value to its own resources, and creating prosperity for its own people.

He called on leaders and peoples of the continent to build an Africa in which democracy endures because citizens experience its dividends and transforms its own resources into African prosperity.

The President added that Africa must build a continent whose young people see their future at home and not somewhere else.

He added: “An Africa that takes its rightful place in the world with confidence, dignity, and strength."

President Ruto's sentiments were echoed by President Hichilema, who said: "Political differences are an inevitable part of a democracy."

The Zambian leader said the pursuit of political power must never come at the expense of peace, security, and stability in the country.

“To our political competitors and their supporters, we say: You remain an important part of our democracy, and we respect your choices. We disagree as political competitors, not as enemies," he pointed out.

President Hichilema extended an olive branch to his political competitors.

"We extend our hand to those who opposed us, not as a gesture of political convenience, but as an expression of our conviction that this republic belongs equally to all of us. Where you have good ideas, we will listen. Where you offer constructive criticism, we will hear you. Where national interests call upon us to work together, we should do so without hesitation,” he said.

He committed to growing and diversifying Zambia's mining, agriculture and tourism sectors, among others.

“We will accelerate infrastructure development and industrial transformation by reforming institutions that have stood in the way of the country's growth for too many years,” he said.