The Women Empowerment Agency delivered a pointed message to President Hakainde Hichilema regarding his proposal for free DNA testing in Zambia. Their statement, while laced with humor, carried a serious undercurrent: “Don’t open Pandora’s box by making DNA tests free, unless you want mass divorces and fatherless homes!”
Agency Director Martha Tembo, speaking in Lusaka, issued a sharp rebuke, warning the President that such a policy could be politically disastrous. “Your Excellency, if you make DNA testing free, forget 2026. You’ll be the first president in Zambia to lose an election because of paternity scandals!” she stated.
Ms. Tembo argued that the proposal undermines the unspoken societal agreement—the ‘it’s-your-child-whether-it-looks-like-you-or-not’ principle—that underpins many Zambian families. She painted a stark picture of potential consequences: “Let’s not pretend,” she continued. “Statistics and aunties at kitchen parties confirm what many fear: about 40% of married women have engaged in extramarital affairs. Now imagine every man rushing for a free DNA test like it’s Black Friday. It’ll be chaos. Marriages will collapse, children will be abandoned, and the courts won’t even have time to breathe!”
As an alternative, Ms. Tembo suggested Zambia adopt a similar approach to Tanzania’s legal system: “Over there, if a man is married to a woman, all children born in that marriage are legally his no questions asked, no swabs needed. That’s the African way. That’s how we preserve unity, sanity, and Sunday family lunch.”
Concluding with a forceful threat, she declared: “If the UPND doesn’t reverse course, we’ll mobilize every married woman in this country to vote them out. Mark my words no government survives when angry wives unite.”
The reaction of President HH to this “comedic yet cautionary” warning remains uncertain. However, one thing seems clear: the approval of free DNA testing would inject a significant dose of dramatic upheaval into Zambian society.
