PF GOING AHEAD WITH CONVENTION NEXT MONTH DESPITE INTERNAL DIFFERENCES
By Nelson Zulu
Patriotic Front Deputy Secretary General for Administration, Celestine Mukandila says the party is moving forward with its convention scheduled for February 2026.
In an interview with Phoenix News, Mr. Mukandila has urged senior party officials to disregard comments from non-official spokespersons and to avoid actions that could sow confusion among party supporters.
He has explained that the Central Committee has set the conference date and that preparations are being guided by the party leadership.
Mr. Mukandila has stressed the importance of upholding governance principles such as collective responsibility and discipline, adding that the Central Committee’s direction should govern internal messaging and conduct.
He has warned that impatience and mixed messaging could undermine the party’s cohesion, adding that the convention is essential to maintaining unity and preparing the party for upcoming political contests.
Mr. Mukandila’s comments come amid signs of frustration and fatigue among some party supporters over delays in holding the convention.
The political landscape is shifting, and Brian Mundubile’s decision to march on with Tonse Alliance has sent shockwaves through the opposition. Meanwhile, Given Lubinda is tightening his grip on PF, seemingly positioning himself as the party’s presidential candidate. But is this a clever move or a recipe for disaster?
The delay in choosing a PF leader has been criticized, with some seeing it as a ploy to allow Lubinda to consolidate power. With multiple presidential candidates vying for attention, the opposition is left wondering who to align with. The Tonse Alliance, led by Dan Pule, is pushing forward, setting a tone of urgency and determination.
Mundubile’s move could be seen as brave, as it puts pressure on Lubinda and PF to make a move. If he succeeds, it could checkmate Lubinda’s ambitions and create an alternative for opposition parties to rally behind. However, it’s not without risks, as not all PF candidates may be able to contest on the Tonse ticket.
The real question is, will the opposition learn from this and put aside their differences to unite behind a single candidate? The presidential race is shaping up to be a two-horse race, and whoever doesn’t join forces risks being left behind. As Tonse marches on, the stakes are higher than ever.
Ibn Kafwanka Aspiring Parliamentary Candidate for Chienge constituency 2026
*CHRIS ZUMANI MUST SHUT UP AND KNOW THAT EAGLES DON’T TAKE FLYING LESSONS FROM CHICKENS.* =========================
Former political advisor to late sixth Republican *President Edgar Chagwa Lungu* ( Mhsriep ) *Mr. Chris Zumani* must just shut up for he is the last person to talk about wining a general election.
Citizens first national youth executive is concerned and extremely disturbed with constant attacks directed at *President Harry Kalaba* from toxic online media tabloids and individuals with a record of making seating presidents lose elections.
Let it be on record that it’s against our party policy to engage in politics of character assassination or political violence but that position must never be misconstrued as an act of cowardice cause when our leader is attacked we shall surely rise to the occasion and defend with all our mighty.
Lately we have noticed that the former political advisor to the sixth Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu in the name of Mr. Chris Zumani seem to have found a new hobby in attacking President Harry Kalaba.
We wish to state categorically that Mr. Zumani’s attacks towards CF and President Harry Kalaba is not a coincidence considering how he landed himself that position at state house was through a similar channel of attacks towards the former President a fact that is well known by PF faithfuls.
Its mind boggling to see Mr. Zumani talking about who can and cannot win August 2026 general elections when records are in public domain that whilst he was actively serving as special assistant political under the PF administration in 2021 the Party and President Edgar Chagwa Lungu lost terribly to upnd and President Hakainde Hichilema with an incredible difference of over a million votes.
With that said it’s imperatively important for Mr. Zumani to shut up his mouth for clearly he is the last person to talk about winning an election worse off giving President Harry Kalaba any political advise.
Should Zumani continue on that trajectory of disrespecting President Harry Kalaba for political expediency we shall be obliged to take him on head on and be glad to dance to the rhym of his music.
“From Fumigation and Extermination to Eradication”
…Zambia’s Tragic Theatre of Command
Amb. Anthony Mukwita writes-
23 Jan.26.
By now, I thought the PR machinery of the Zambia Army would have advised its Commander, Lt. General Zyele, to ‘keep it low’, because every time he opens his mouth he seems to put his foot in it.
From ‘fumigating and exterminating Zambians’ to now talking about eradicating them.
This is not the language of leadership but of sorrow, and worse still his PR machinery seems to have gone on holiday, leaving him to tell “Tales of the Commander-in-Chief” as if the President himself authorized extermination.
I refuse to think the President did but I could be wrong again.
That is dangerous ground, because in power play it is never wise to invoke the king’s name—Thomas More under Henry VIII and Brutus under Caesar both discovered that when things go wrong, those closest to the throne are sacrificed first.
The Daily Nation Zambia
Mr. Zyele’s rhetoric about exterminating Zambians branded as illegal miners ignores the fact that Ghana legalized small-scale mining and generated $5 billion in revenue in 2024 in six month, creating jobs and sustaining livelihoods.
Likewise, countries that legalized marijuana have seen billions in tax revenue and employment opportunities, turning what was once criminalized into empowerment.
Instead of fumigating citizens, exterminating them or eradicating them, Zambia could harness its mining sector to reduce poverty, which still grips over 64% of the population living below $2.15 a day, with youth unemployment stubbornly high.
Smart Eagles
To speak of extermination in such a context is to mock the slogan “One Zambia, One Nation,” which was meant to unify, not divide.
History reminds us of the dangers of careless words: six million Jews exterminated by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime, nearly 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus slaughtered in Rwanda in just 100 days.
These are not abstract tragedies and numbers but warnings carved into humanity’s conscience.
Mr. Zyele resembles Icarus of Greek myth, flying too close to the sun with waxen wings of rhetoric, or Macbeth undone by his own ambition and words.
In both tales, hubris leads to downfall. Asian wisdom says, “If you find yourself on the wrong train, jump off quickly,” and Mr. Zyele should heed this counsel before his words derail the institution he leads.
It is never necessary for an Army Commander to invoke the President’s name in every utterance; doing so risks dragging the Head of State into personal blunders and weakening the dignity of the office
Better to speak with restraint, to lead with dignity, and to remember that armies defend nations—they do not fumigate them. “Quand on est sur le mauvais chemin, il faut savoir s’arrêter.” When one is on the wrong path, one must know how to stop.
We love our commander and our commander in chief but we are very afraid of extermination talk.
my memories of visiting Aushwitz in Poland are too fresh.
Why Last Place at Grade 9 Becomes First at Grade 12
Something strange is happening in Zambia’s education system, and the 2025 examination results have exposed a paradox that defies logic.
Eastern Province just claimed its fifth consecutive victory in Grade 12 examinations with a commanding 81.53% pass rate. Here’s the twist: the same province finished dead last at Grade 9 with just 45.39%.
How do the worst-performing junior secondary students in the country transform into the nation’s best just three years later?
The Rankings That Don’t Make Sense
Grade 12 Champions (2025): 1. Eastern Province – 81.53% 2. Central Province – 74.26% 3. Northern Province – 74.04%
— National Average – 70.26% — 8. Lusaka Province – 69.62% 9. Northwestern Province – 60.06% 10. Western Province – 56.05%
But at Grade 9 (same year): 1. Copperbelt Province – 61.44% 2. Lusaka Province – 60.15% — 9. Eastern Province – 45.39% ⚠️ 10. Southern Province – 45.37%
It gets stranger. Western Province sits comfortably at 5th place in Grade 9 (56.27%), then crashes to last place by Grade 12 (56.05%). The urban powerhouses Lusaka and Copperbelt lead at Grade 9 but fall below the national average by Grade 12.
The entire system appears to be running backwards.
The Eastern Province Secret: It’s Not Magic, It’s Selection
After five years of dominance, Eastern Province’s “secret” is finally
and it’s not what you’d expect.
The province isn’t transforming weak students into stars. It’s simply not letting weak students advance.
That brutal 45% Grade 9 pass rate? It’s a filter. Only the strongest, most capable students make it to senior secondary, where they encounter something most Zambian provinces lack: world-class technical education infrastructure.
Chizongwe Technical Secondary School in Chipata has built a reputation as one of the finest government schools in the country, specializing in STEM subjects with a laser focus on examination excellence.
But the real game-changer came in March 2019, when Edgar Lungu Technical Secondary School opened in Petauke. Built by ZESCO as “the most expensive technical school in Petauke,” this state-of-the-art STEM facility launched just before Eastern Province began its five-year winning streak in 2022.
Coincidence? Unlikely.
Add Impact Network’s 10 e-learning schools using innovative technology to overcome rural resource constraints, and you have a formula: ruthless selection + exceptional technical schools + STEM focus = five consecutive championships.
Eastern Province isn’t educating everyone well. It’s educating the select few exceptionally.
Western Province: The Collapse of a Former Champion
Western Province’s story breaks your heart. This was once a top-performing province. Today, it sits at the bottom, seemingly unable to climb out.
The problems are visceral and immediate:
Geography is destiny. The Barotse Floodplain dominates Western Province. From December to June, flooding isolates communities, closes schools, and fractures the academic calendar. Students walk impossible distances. Teachers commute from towns rather than live at rural schools, gaming the housing allowance system.
Visit a Western Province school and you’ll find dilapidated buildings, pit latrines that don’t function, students sitting on dirt floors because there aren’t enough desks, and classrooms with one textbook shared among seven children.
The province has an overall literacy rate of 61.6%—nearly 10 percentage points below the national average. With 86% of the population rural and scattered across Zambia’s largest province, the infrastructure simply cannot keep up.
Western Province doesn’t lack effort or talent. It lacks everything else.
The Urban Catastrophe: When Free Education Breaks the System
Here’s an irony that should alarm policymakers: Zambia’s richest, most developed provinces Lusaka and Copperbelt are performing below the national average at Grade 12.
Since 2021’s free education policy, two million additional children flooded into schools. Access soared. Quality collapsed.
In Lusaka schools, teacher-to-pupil ratios have hit 1:200 compared to the ideal 1:45. Teachers describe classrooms so packed that they “can’t manage them all.” Parents pull children back to private schools after watching them languish in overcrowded chaos.
Some Eastern Province classes have 100+ students sharing six textbooks. Urban schools face similar nightmares, except their students came expecting better.
Lusaka also has the country’s highest number of out-of-school children: 43,376. Free education didn’t solve poverty it just exposed how many families still can’t afford uniforms, materials, and transportation.
Urban provinces are drowning in their own success.
The Gender Earthquake
Buried in the statistics is a revolution: girls are now outperforming boys.
This represents a complete reversal of historical patterns. Reduced child marriage, better menstrual hygiene facilities, and programs like Girls2030 have kept girls in school and focused on achievement.
But what about the boys? They’re falling behind, disengaged, distracted, and increasingly seeing less value in academic credentials. If this trend continues, Zambia risks creating an educated female majority and an undereducated male underclass.
That’s a recipe for social instability.
The Questions No One Wants to Answer
Can Eastern Province’s model be replicated?
Yes and no. Building expensive technical schools takes money and political will. The Edgar Lungu Technical School cost far more than standard schools, but it produces results. Western Province needs similar investments but first, it needs basic infrastructure: desks, toilets, teacher housing, and roads that don’t flood.
Why does Western Province keep failing?
Because you can’t educate children who can’t reach school, sit in crumbling buildings, and learn from exhausted teachers who commute hours daily. Western’s problems aren’t pedagogical, they’re infrastructural and geographic.
Why are urban provinces underperforming?
Because free education without capacity expansion is a policy failure. You can’t pack 200 students in a room and expect quality outcomes. Lusaka and Copperbelt need hundreds of new schools, thousands of new teachers, and mass-produced furniture and materials.
The Uncomfortable Truth
Zambia doesn’t have one education system. It has ten different systems operating at wildly different levels of effectiveness.
Eastern Province has built a high-performing system through strategic investment and selective advancement. Western Province operates system hamstrung by geography and neglect. Urban provinces run systems overwhelmed by demand they cannot meet.
After five years of Eastern’s dominance, the lesson should be clear: infrastructure investment drives results. The Edgar Lungu Technical School opened in 2019; Eastern Province topped the nation by 2022. The causation is hard to miss.
Western Province needs that same commitment not to technical schools (yet), but to basic functionality: roads, housing, desks, toilets, and teacher retention.
Lusaka and Copperbelt need capacity expansion on an unprecedented scale or the shift system that doubles school usage.
The good news? Eastern Province proves that rural Zambia can outperform urban centers when properly resourced. The bad news? We’ve known this for five years and Western Province is still last.
The question isn’t whether Zambia knows how to fix education. It’s whether anyone will actually do it.
Battle Lines Drawn as Brian Mundubile officially crosses to the Illegal Tonse Alliance led by Dan Pule Mporokoso MP and Patriotic Front Presidential aspirant, Hon. Brian Mundubile has successfully filed in his nominations for the illegal Tonse Alliance faction conference led by Dr. Dan Pule and former State House for Politics, Zumani Zimba.
Earlier, Pule claimed that his faction has expelled the Patriotic Front from the Tonse Alliance led by Hon. Given Lubinda. Patriotic Front Acting President Hon. Given Lubinda had rejected the assertions and stated that the meeting that expelled the PF was irregularly called and did not have his authority as Acting Chairperson of Tonse.
Hon. Lubinda had also called for a Council of Leaders of Tonse Alliance meeting to be held after the by-elections. On the other hand, Dr Pule and Zumani Zimba have proceeded with their illegal plans and announced candidates should pay K50,000 as nomination fee.
Zambia Must Prosper Party(ZMP) leader Kelvin Fube Bwalya has refused to be part of the illegalities in the Illegal Tonse and he has since not filed in any nominations.
Meanwhile PF Secretary General for Administration Celestine Mukandila has cautioned the PF members and all the party structures to ignore the illegal Tonse activities and advised them to keep away as it was illegal, warning that whoever will take part in this illegal process should consider themselves expelled from the Patriotic Front Party.
🇿🇲 WEEKEND DIGEST | Hichilema Returns to Lusaka, Ends Speculation, Resets the Political Calendar
President Hakainde Hichilema on Friday returned to the capital, Lusaka, concluding his stay in Choma, Southern Province, and drawing a firm line under weeks of opposition driven speculation about his health and absence from public view.
The Head of State arrived at Community House aboard the presidential helicopter, accompanied by First Lady Mutinta Hichilema. He was received by staff and a group of teachers who had come to pay a courtesy call, an arrival that carried both administrative and political symbolism as the country edges closer to the campaign season.
The return effectively collapses a narrative that had been gaining traction in opposition circles, where claims of illness, incapacity and even death had circulated online. Those claims had already been weakened earlier this month when the President appeared publicly in Choma and later addressed the nation live by phone.
His physical return to Lusaka now removes any remaining ambiguity.
From the Community House, the President chose education as his first public message. Writing on his official Facebook page, he framed learning as a core pillar of national development and pointed to measurable outcomes rather than rhetoric.
“Education is the heartbeat of our nation and a central pillar of our national development agenda,” the President wrote, noting that free education policies had contributed to a 70 percent national pass rate, the highest recorded in Zambia’s history. He described the outcome as the product of organised and systematic reforms, not chance.
That message was not accidental.
Since independence, Zambian presidents have often used moments of political pressure to pivot toward policy delivery. Kenneth Kaunda leaned on education as a nation building tool in the early republic. Frederick Chiluba expanded access during the transition to multiparty rule. The current administration has made free education one of its defining policy signatures, and the President’s emphasis on pass rates reflects an attempt to anchor political legitimacy in data rather than personality.
Politically, the timing matters.
Opposition figures had sought to turn the President’s stay in Southern Province into a campaign issue, arguing that leadership required constant physical presence in Lusaka. This argument now sits awkwardly alongside the reality that the President remained in command throughout, continued issuing directives, addressed national issues, and has returned without incident. The comparison drawn by government officials to past presidents who spent extended periods away from the capital has further diluted the opposition line.
The return to Lusaka also energises the ruling party’s support base, particularly in urban centres where visibility matters ahead of elections. For the UPND, the episode has become a case study in how misinformation can fill a vacuum when official communication is sparse, but also how quickly such narratives collapse when confronted with facts.
For now, the immediate political consequence is clear. The sickness narrative has ended. Attention shifts back to policy delivery, economic pressures, farmer payments, security operations in mining zones, and the broader contest for votes as August approaches.
Within politics, absence creates stories. Presence ends them.
This weekend, the President’s return did exactly that.
🇿🇲 VIEWPOINT | Inside Zambia’s Most Aggressive Security Operation Against Illegal Mining
The images coming out of North Western Province this week tell a story before any official statement does. Trucks packed with young men and women. Long queues boarding buses. Makeshift camps abandoned. Gold rush sites that were teeming with life days ago now thinning out at speed.
Prime TV footage from Mufumbwe and Kikonge captures a mass exodus underway. Illegal mining zones are emptying. And they are emptying fast.
This is not panic. It is calculation.
At the centre of this operation is Geoffrey Choongo Zyeele, the Zambia Army Commander whose presence on the Copperbelt and North Western axis has triggered the most decisive security response the mining sector has seen in years. His message to troops, provincial leadership and communities has been consistent. Illegal mining is no longer a policing matter. It is a national security threat.
The facts emerging from his briefings are sobering.
According to intelligence assessments shared by the Army, Zambia’s mineral zones have been penetrated by foreign backed networks operating through Zambian fronts. Kikonge, the commander told officials, had been “swamped by foreigners” and now hosts a Swahili market, a clear indicator of organised settlement rather than temporary movement. These are not isolated migrants. They are nodes in a wider regional system.
One individual currently in custody, presented during a military briefing, is a foreign national with a military background. His permit, authorised by the Ministry of Home Affairs, expired in March 2023. He remained in Zambia, operating illegally in mining zones. On his phone, officers recovered images of what the commander described as “precious stocks” of minerals already extracted and staged for movement. His interrogation is ongoing, with a clear objective. Identify which countries dominate illegal mining management and how minerals exit Zambia.
Weapons recovered during operations point to a deeper danger. Intelligence confirms the presence of firearms above 7.62 millimetres, beyond standard AK-47 capability. A sophisticated drone has been seized, equipment the Army says requires training well beyond civilian use. Boxes of ammunition. Explosives. These are not tools of survival mining. They are instruments of force.
This is why elite units have been deployed.
The Army has framed the operation as a strategic requirement to secure the Copperbelt and North Western mineral zones, areas described internally as economic centres of gravity. The commander has been explicit. Any individual who points a gun at soldiers will be neutralised. Not as punishment, but as rules of engagement in a live threat environment.
The scale of illegality is wider than Mufumbwe and Kikonge. In Mumbwa, Central Province, security agencies estimate more than 700 illegal foreign operators, many linked to East African business networks, are involved in gold processing. Zambians are being used to handle mercury based extraction, exposing communities to slow poisoning while profits move offshore. This is environmental crime layered onto economic sabotage.
As enforcement tightened this week, the reaction from entrenched groups was immediate.
Old gangs such as Jerabos, long associated with intimidation and political violence, have openly threatened to decampaign government and engineer regime change ahead of August elections. These threats are not abstract. Intelligence links some of these groups to illegal mining protection rackets and cross border smuggling routes. Their anger is not ideological. It is financial.
The commander described parts of the Copperbelt and North Western Province as hubs of impunity. Letters demanding money. Threats to loot. Stones thrown at leaders, including the incident in Chingola where the Commander in Chief was targeted last year. Security agencies trace that confrontation directly to resistance against enforcement in illegal mining zones.
This context explains why January matters.
Gold rushes do not wait for election calendars. They metastasize. Across Africa, from eastern Congo to Sudan, resource conflicts began with tolerated illegality and ended with militias. Zambia’s security chiefs believe the country was approaching that line. The decision now is to break the network before it hardens.
Opposition figures have responded with outrage. Calls have been made for the Army Commander’s dismissal. Others argue the operation is politically timed to influence Copperbelt voting patterns. The Army’s counter argument is blunt. Criminal networks do not pause for campaigns. Sovereignty does not go on leave.
What is unfolding on the ground suggests enforcement is working.
Illegal miners are leaving without force. Gold rush sites are thinning. Trucks are moving out. The Zambia Army says this phase is about clearing space for lawful mining so the Ministry of Mines can restore order, licensing and revenue flow. The operation will move beyond the Copperbelt and North Western Province into other mineral zones flagged by intelligence.
Zambia is not at war. But it is confronting a threat that grows quietly until it explodes.
The Zyeele wave is not theatre. It is pre-emptive containment. And the speed of the exodus suggests the networks understand the message clearly.
THE ASSASSINATION OF PAUL TEMBO: HOW A KEY WITNESS WAS SILENCED AND A TRUTH BURIED
Paul Tembo occupies a unique and troubling place in Zambia’s political history. Trained as a lawyer and gifted with a sharp, confrontational intellect, Tembo rose to prominence in the 1990s as a Member of Parliament and later Deputy Minister under the Movement for Multiparty Democracy. In the early years of the MMD government, he was regarded as part of the new democratic elite that had defeated one-party rule. Over time, however, he evolved into something far more dangerous to those in power: an insider who refused to remain silent.
By the late 1990s, Tembo had fallen out with the leadership of his own party. He accused senior figures in government of corruption and abuse of office, and unlike many politicians who trade outrage for survival, Tembo persisted.
Tembo started his journey to speak only the truth between June 15 and 18 2001, Paul Tembo took quick steps out of politics of deceit to join the ranks that had broken away from the MMD to defend the country’s democracy and constitution.
He apologized to the nation over the mistakes he made while in MMD. Announcing his resignation from the MMD to join the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD), at a press conference at the Mulungushi village in Lusaka, Tembo said:
“To the church, especially through the three mother bodies: the ZEC, CCZ and EFZ, to the labour movement and civil society at large. To all, I seek your forgiveness and kind understanding for what I may have wrongly done and failed to do in the course of my duty.” (The Post, No. 1756-Monday June 18, 200, Paul Tembo asks for forgiveness)
Among the reasons he gave for his resignation was that the “MMD was finished beyond redemption as it had destroyed the very fundamental values on which it was founded and in its present form was moving down a dead road that can lead to national disaster.”
“The new culture has now degenerated into a culture of manipulation, trickery, deceit, hatred, mistrust and credibility of the ruling party.”
His legal background made him methodical, and his parliamentary experience made him credible. When a tribunal was established to investigate corruption involving senior ministers, Tembo was expected to testify. Those who knew the political climate of the time understood what that meant. His evidence was anticipated to be direct, informed, and potentially devastating.
On the night of 6 July 2001, Paul Tembo was killed in his own home in Lusaka. The manner of his death immediately set it apart from ordinary crime. Armed men entered the house, ordered Tembo and his wife to lie down, and shot him execution-style in the back of the head. Nothing was stolen. There was no sign of panic, no struggle for valuables, and no attempt to disguise the purpose of the visit. The killers came for one man and one outcome. Tembo was eliminated.
The government moved quickly to deny political involvement, describing the murder as criminal rather than political. Yet the official explanation struggled to convince the public. Tembo’s death occurred at a moment of intense political tension, with elections approaching and corruption investigations threatening to expose powerful figures. The killing removed a central witness and sent a chilling message to others who might have considered speaking out. In Zambia’s political culture, such timing has never been regarded as coincidence.
Months later, police announced that an ex-convict had confessed to killing Tembo. The confession was presented as evidence that the case was being solved, but it raised more questions than it answered. The public never saw a detailed trial that fully tested the confession, and no widely documented final conviction emerged that conclusively closed the case. Even more striking was the absence of any serious judicial pursuit of those who might have ordered the killing. Responsibility appeared to stop at the level of alleged gunmen, leaving the political context untouched.
It is at this point that the Tembo case takes on an even darker dimension. Over the years, claims have circulated that key suspects or witnesses connected to the murder later died in a road accident while in police custody or under police escort. According to these accounts, the deaths occurred before the suspects could testify in court, effectively terminating the case. These stories are deeply unsettling, not only because of what they suggest, but because of the silence that surrounds them. Major contemporary news outlets did not thoroughly document such an accident, and accessible official records are thin. The result is a fog of uncertainty in which allegations cannot be conclusively proved, but also cannot be dismissed.
This absence of clarity is precisely what keeps the Tembo assassination alive in Zambia’s political memory. A man about to testify against powerful interests is killed in a targeted execution. The investigation produces a confession but no transparent legal closure. Allegations then emerge that potential witnesses or suspects die before the truth can be established. Whether each of these elements is fully accurate is almost secondary to the larger issue they expose: the failure of the system to provide answers.
More than two decades later, Paul Tembo’s murder remains officially unresolved in the public mind. No court judgment has laid out the full chain of responsibility. No authoritative account has explained who ordered the killing, why the investigation stalled, or what truly happened to those allegedly connected to the crime. In that vacuum, suspicion thrives.
Paul Tembo did not die because he was an ordinary politician. He died because he was a witness, a dissenter, and a threat to entrenched power. Until Zambia confronts his assassination with full transparency, his case will remain a symbol of how truth can be silenced not only by a bullet, but by decades of unanswered questions. #tztpost 🇿🇲
*VOTE KWENYU FOR CONTINUITY” — TREVOR MWIINDE URGES ZAMBIANS TO BACK PRESIDENT HICHILEMA FOR SECOND TERM*
23rd January,2026.
By WEREM SHAKWAMBA.
Munzuma Constituency-United Party for National Development (UPND) Deputy National Youth Chairperson for Politics and Mobilisation, Mr. Trevor Mwiinde, has called on Zambians to rally behind President Hakainde Hichilema and grant him a second five-year term in office, citing unity, stability, and national development as key reasons.
Addressing residents of Munzuma Constituency, Mr. Mwiinde said President Hichilema’s administration has delivered tangible results since assuming office in 2021, with free education standing out as one of the most impactful achievements of the UPND government.
He noted that the policy has enabled millions of children to return to school, restoring hope and opportunity for families that previously struggled to afford education.
Mr. Mwiinde further highlighted the introduction of the school feeding programme, which provides free meals to learners, saying the initiative has significantly improved school attendance and learning outcomes.
According to Mr. Mwiinde, the education reforms reflect the UPND government’s commitment to investing in the country’s future and should be safeguarded through continuity in leadership.
Speaking in his dual capacity as UPND Deputy National Youth Chairperson and 2026 Munzuma Parliamentary Aspirant, Mr. Mwiinde urged residents of Munzuma Constituency to continue supporting the ruling party under President Hichilema’s leadership.
He emphasized that sustained leadership is critical to maintaining and expanding key social programmes such as free education and school feeding initiatives.
Mr. Mwiinde called on Zambians to remain united ahead of the 13th August General Elections, encouraging voters to cast their ballots in favour of President Hichilema and the UPND administration.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has declared that the strongest opposition to the ruling UPND government is not rival political parties but the Zambian electorate itself.
Speaking in a press statement, DPP spokesperson Wilson Banda argued that governments are ultimately removed through democratic means and not through political drama or slogans.
He said that the ballot remains the most powerful tool in a democracy, adding that citizens would express their will during the August 2026 general elections.
Mr. Banda stated that Zambians were not opposed to leadership but to dishonesty and arrogance in governance.
He emphasized that political authority belongs to the people, not those in office, noting that politicians are merely entrusted with power.
He warned that such power could be withdrawn peacefully and constitutionally through voting.
Referring to recent developments in Chawama Constituency, Mr. Banda described the outcome as proof of people’s power, saying that attempts to intimidate or manipulate voters had failed.
He noted that the constituency’s results should serve as a warning to those in power and not be dismissed as a coincidence.
Looking ahead to the 2026 elections, the DPP spokesperson said voters would reject excuses and instead choose truth, accountability, and leadership that respects citizens.
He cautioned the current leadership to prepare for accountability rather than praise, stressing that the people’s decision would be final and impossible to spin.
“The greatest opposition to the UPND government today is the Zambian voter,” Mr. Banda said.
He added that “governments are not removed by noise or political theatrics, but by the people through the ballot.”
Citing Chawama as an example, he said it had shown that “the will of the people cannot be rigged, bullied, or silenced.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Banda warned those in authority that “when the people decide, there will be no spin strong enough to rewrite their verdict.”
GRADE TWELVE RESULTS SHOW EDUCATION REFORMS WORKING – HH
President Hakainde Hichilema says the recent 70% pass rate at Grade Twelve level shows that Zambia’s education reforms are delivering results.
Speaking when meeting teachers and education stakeholders who paid a courtesy call on him at Community House, President Hichilema said education should be treated as an investment rather than a cost, as it produces the skills needed to drive national development.
He praised both teachers and learners for their dedication, saying success in education depends on cooperation between those who teach and those who learn.
President Hichilema said free education has brought more than 2.5 million children back into school, describing it as one of the most significant policies of his administration.
He disclosed that government will soon move to legislate free education in order to safeguard the policy from future reversal.
The President further pointed to the recruitment of more than 45,000 teachers, the payment of examination fees, and the introduction of a competency-based curriculum as measures contributing to improved learning outcomes.
ISHOWSPEED HOLDS SACRED PYTHONS AT ANCIENT BENIN TEMPLE
The internet superstar just did what most people would never dare and Africa is going WILD!
IShowSpeed is not playing around with his Africa tour! After his explosive visit to Nigeria, Speed has landed in Benin Republic and went straight to one of West Africa’s most mystical locations the legendary Temple of Pythons in Ouidah.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED:
The sacred temple, home to royal pythons considered holy by the Vodun religion, allowed Speed to interact with these revered serpents.
These aren’t just any snakes they’re considered sacred guardians, symbols of ancient African spirituality and power.
WHY THIS MATTERS:
For centuries, these pythons have been protected and worshipped. The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a pilgrimage destination. Speed being welcomed to handle them shows the deep respect and cultural exchange happening on this tour.
THE CULTURE IS ALIVE:
This is what happens when you show up to Africa with genuine curiosity and respect.
Speed isn’t just visiting he’s experiencing, learning, and sharing our rich heritage with the world. From Nigeria’s energy to Benin’s ancient traditions, he’s showing millions of fans that Africa is NOT what Western media portrays.
AFRICA IS NOT A MONOLITH IT’S MAGIC.
This is our history. Our spirituality. Our heritage. And the world is finally paying attention.
CHAMISA STORMS BACK, ‘AGENDA 2026’ SET TO SHAKE ZIMBABWE
Opposition firebrand Nelson Chamisa is back on the political dance floor and he says no one dared take his place. After nearly two years in the wilderness, the former Citizens Coalition for Change leader has launched Agenda 2026, a bold citizens’ movement he claims will end President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule and reset Zimbabwe’s future.
Addressing journalists on Wednesday, Chamisa declared Zimbabwe “broken”, citing disputed elections, economic ruin and collapsing institutions. He said his return was driven by the absence of credible leadership during his hiatus.
“I stepped aside hoping others would rise. The floor stayed empty,” he said.
Chamisa insisted Agenda 2026 is not a political party but a mass movement, likening it to the liberation struggle and rejecting elite-driven politics. He promised unity beyond party, tribe or class, with Zimbabweans at home and in the diaspora forming the backbone of change.
However, critics warn his loosely defined approach risks repeating past mistakes. Undeterred, Chamisa says the next six months will focus on grassroots mobilisation laying foundations for what he calls a “new great Zimbabwe.”
Kabanana man divorces wife for saying he has small manhood
A-44-YEAR-OLD man of Lusaka’s Maichola, Kabanana Compound has couriered his wife to court for repeatedly saying he has a small manhood while spiting Nkana sewerage language on him every time the couple quarreled in the presence of their children.
Cletus Sambondu told the Matero Local Court that his wife of four years was not only the “Why Me” of the household, but also a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) “Undertaker,” who would unleash her WrestleMania skills on him whenever they had a misunderstanding.
Sambondu married 35 year old Anna Tembo in 2022 after paying about K4,000 as dowry.
According to him, when he just married Tembo, she was as peaceful as a dove and she would allow him to enjoy her sugary baby producing calabash every day.
However, things changed just within a year of their marriage when Tembo abruptly started denying him entrance into her warm moisturised tunnel of sweetness, saying that his manhood was not big enough to stretch her lower lips located below her waist.
He complained that his wife would also turn violent whenever he requested for bedroom intimacy, claiming that his instrument of power was as smelly as a Soweto Market dumpsite.
“We married in 2022 and everything was going well. In early 2023, she started refusing to sleep with me. She would beat and insult me in the presence of my stepchildren. Whenever I called people to help reconcile us, she would beat me after they left. There has never been peace at home. Her love has been on and off. We involved our families, but nothing came out of it. She beats me a lot; at one point I even reported her to the police,” Sambondu lamented.
He added that sometimes his stepchildren would also join their mother in physically abusing him whenever the couple had a boxing match.
“For my safety, I have decided to leave this marriage. Her three children have stopped respecting me. At one point, she even accused me of being a thief in my own house,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tembo told the court that she turned into a “boxing champion” after catching her husband playing with his manhood while watching blue movies on several occasions.
She admitted to denying him conjugal rights after repeatedly finding him pleasuring himself.
“I started teaching him a lesson after I found him playing with himself while I was sleeping beside him. Another time I found him doing it in the toilet, then in the kitchen. I would find sperms on the bedsheet even when we hadn’t met at night. One day, I found him using Vaseline and releasing on a towel,” she explained.
“The first time I caught him, I slapped him. He spends all his time on the phone. We never talk. When he enters the bedroom, all he does is watch blue movies. There is no time to discuss anything,” she said.
Tembo further told the court that her husband was a drunkard who drank recklessly every day and would miss work for three to four months at a time.
Despite Tembo informing Magistrate Harriet Mulenga that she still wanted to continue with the marriage, the court granted the couple a divorce, stating that the wife had no respect for her husband.
After listening to an audio recording in which Tembo was heard insulting Sambondu, Magistrate Mulenga ruled that the wife was the bigger problem.
“There is no respect in this marriage. No matter what, you cannot cooperate. We have heard of marriages where women beat men. If you respected him, he would not have resorted to masturbation. It was also wrong for you to slap your husband. There is no way you can tell your husband that he has a small manhood and expect him to have confidence with you. That is why he plays with himself, he has lost confidence. Respect is cardinal in marriage. How many times will you get married?” said Magistrate Mulenga.
The magistrate ordered Sambondu to pay K500 monthly maintenance for the couple’s one-year-seven-month-old child.
She also ordered that household goods be shared equally and ruled that no compensation be paid to either party.
“I’ve Already Done What He’s Doing” Yo Maps Draws the Line
During a 33-minute interview on Power House Media, EDNA Tha’Peoples Bae pushed Yo Maps on one of the most debated topics in the Zambian music space the constant comparisons between him and Chile One.
Yo Maps didn’t shy away.
He calmly dismissed the comparisons, describing them as unnecessary and more of a gimmick than a genuine discussion about music or growth. According to Yo Maps, he’s not in a space where those comparisons even apply anymore. Taking it a step further, the singer added that if competition must be mentioned, his peers should be artists operating on a continental level naming Diamond Platnumz and Stonebwoy as the kind of artists he sees himself alongside, not Chile One.
The statement wasn’t about disrespect. It was about perspective. Yo Maps emphasized experience, longevity, and milestones already achieved, making it clear that his journey has moved beyond local comparison narratives.
From the interview alone, it’s easy to see why Yo Maps commands the respect he does. This isn’t arrogance it’s clarity from an artist who understands his level and refuses to be boxed into conversations that no longer serve his growth.
TRUMP’S “BOARD OF PEACE” DIVIDES AFRICA — MOROCCO & EGYPT JOIN, REST SILENT
Davos, Switzerland – January 23, 2026
President Donald Trump launched his controversial “Board of Peace” Thursday in Davos, with only two African nations signing up as founding members.
Morocco and Egypt joined the new international body, which aims to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and resolve global conflicts. Morocco’s Foreign Minister signed upon instruction from King Mohammed VI .
THE BILLION-DOLLAR CLUB
Permanent membership requires contributing over $1 billion within the first year [The Washington
WESTERN BOYCOTT
Major Western allies including UK, France, Germany, Canada, Norway, and Sweden declined to participate, fearing the board could undermine the United Nations.
Trump has been named the board’s chairman with no term limit and sole authority to choose his successor. His executive council includes son-in-law Jared Kushner, former UK PM Tony Blair, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio
WHAT IT MEANS FOR AFRICA
With a $1 billion price tag, most African nations are effectively locked out of permanent membership. The silence from major African powers like Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Ethiopia raises questions about the continent’s unified stance.
Critics call it “a pay-to-play club” and suggest Trump is creating an alternative to the UN Security Council where only he has veto power
MAN ARRESTED IN MALAWI OVER ALLEGED SALE OF DOG MEAT AT DRINKING ESTABLISHMENTS
By: MBC Digital
Police in Ndirande, a township in the commercial city of Blantyre, Malawi, have arrested a 30-year-old man suspected of slaughtering and selling dog meat at local drinking establishments.
The suspect, identified as Fatsani Zakaliya, was apprehended in the Makata area following reports from members of the community. According to Ndirande Police spokesperson Chibisa Mulimbika, the case came to light after the suspect claimed he had been informed about a dog that had died at a private residence and offered to dispose of the animal.
However, local youths later discovered the man skinning the dog. When confronted, he reportedly attempted to flee but was apprehended.
Following his arrest, members of the public identified him as a person who had allegedly been roasting and selling meat at drinking spots in the area.
Police investigations into the matter are ongoing. #SunFmTvNews
Ex UK royal, Prince Harry has defended NATO troops in Afghanistan after US President Donald Trump claimed that they had stayed “a little off the front lines.”
Harry, who also served in Afghanistan, said that the sacrifices of NATO soldiers “deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect.”
“In 2001, NATO invoked Article 5 for the first—and only—time in history. It meant that every allied nation was obliged to stand with the United States in Afghanistan, in pursuit of our shared security. Allies answered that call,” Harry said in a statement provided by his spokesperson.
“I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there,” Harry said.
During the operations in Afghanistan, Harry said 457 British service personnel were killed.
“Thousands of lives were changed forever. Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost,” Harry said on Friday.
“Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defence of diplomacy and peace,” he added.
Harry was deployed to Afghanistan for about ten weeks in 2007-2008 and returned for a four-month deployment in 2012.
In his 2023 autobiography, the prince wrote about his military experience in Afghanistan, where he claimed to have killed 25 Taliban fighters while serving for the British Army.
God removed what wasn’t good for me and replaced it with love – Chile one
ZAMBIAN music sensation Obed Chileshe, known by his stage name as ‘Chile One,’ has started the year on a high note with his new song ‘Yaweh,’ a heartfelt thanksgiving to God for seeing him through life’s toughest battles.
The track, released on Thursday this week, is already making waves, racking up 299,840 views and 18,000 likes on YouTube in just two days.
But beyond numbers, the song tells a story, that of struggle, faith, love and second chances.
In Yaweh, Chile One reflects on a journey that was far from easy.
“I fought battles here and there, survived moments that almost took my life. My face was once covered with shame, but in his own way, he made me shameless. Kwabula Imwe yaweh Ine Teti imbeko,” he shared.
The lyrics echo resilience, showing how God can turn pain into purpose and loss into love.
The visuals bring that story to life. Fans get beautiful looks at his Chilanga mulilo, held just last month, featuring tender moments with his soon-to-be wife, Angela.
The scenes capture more than just celebration, they reflect the blessings Chile One has received.
“He removed what wasn’t good for me and replaced it with love. When I felt alone, he gave me a beautiful wife and partner,” he stated, making the love story genuine, raw, and relatable.
But Yaweh isn’t just a personal testimony, it’s a message for anyone who has faced hardship.
“Trust me, he’s a God of second chances. You can also start again.”
With soulful melodies and heartfelt lyrics, the song is both a reflection on past struggles and a celebration of new beginnings.
From the first note to the last, Yaweh combines emotion, faith and inspiration, it’s a song for those who have faced shame, battled adversity or felt alone, and a reminder that blessings often come when you least expect them.
With Yaweh, the artiste doesn’t just sing, he testifies, inspires and reminds everyone that God can take your broken pieces and replace them with love, hope and a future worth celebrating.
Donald Trump on Thursday, Jan. 22, reignited speculation about serving beyond January 2029, when his second term in office is due to end
Taking to his Truth Social platform, the president wrote:“RECORD NUMBERS ALL OVER THE PLACE! SHOULD I TRY FOR A FOURTH TERM?”
Trump has repeatedly teased the unconstitutional idea of serving a third term.
However, he did appear to rule it out in October and has since spoken about potential heirs to take over from him, such as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
It is unclear what Trump exactly meant by a “fourth” term
TRUMP TAKEOVER SPARKS RENÉE FLEMING EXIT FROM RENAMED KENNEDY CENTER
For years, Trump said the cultural institutions in Washington weren’t neutral—they were fortresses for a very specific elite.
When he started shaking up those comfortable power structures, the same people who’d enjoyed decades of control acted like victims, not gatekeepers exposed.
So when he ousted the old Kennedy Center leadership and a new team put his name on the building, the outrage wasn’t about “art,” it was about losing a fiefdom.
Renée Fleming resigning last year over those forced departures was the first quiet protest; today’s cancellation is just the louder echo.
Now she’s pulled out of two May performances, one more name in a “wave of cancellations” after the renaming to the Trump Kennedy Center.
The official line calls it a “scheduling conflict,” but everyone can see what’s really going on: the club is signaling it doesn’t want to play on a stage Trump reclaimed.
And this is exactly what he was pointing to all along—an arts world that preaches inclusivity, but bolts the doors the second someone they dislike puts the public’s name, not just theirs, on the marquee.
They would rather walk away from America’s national stage than admit they don’t own it anymore.
In the end, the boycotts and walkouts don’t weaken him; they just reveal who was in it for the prestige, not the people.
Doris Ogala is still calling out Pastor Chris Okafor.
This time, she is asking for answers over her brother’s de@th.
Doris Ogala lost her brother to “poisoning” in January 2025. She has since insinuated that Pastor Chris Okafor, whom she said she had an affair with, had a hand in her brother’s de@th.
In a new post on Instagram, Doris wrote: “Chris Okafor you will explain to me what happened to my brother.
British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer has sharply criticised comments by US President Donald Trump about NATO forces, describing them as “insulting and frankly appalling,” and suggesting the remarks warrant an apology.
Trump made the comments during a Fox News interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, claiming the United States had “never needed” NATO support and alleging that allied troops stayed “a little off the front lines” during the war in Afghanistan.
Starmer rejected the claims, pointing to the heavy sacrifices made by British and other NATO forces over the two-decade conflict. He noted that 457 British service personnel were killed in Afghanistan, while many others sustained serious injuries.
“I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling,” Starmer said, adding that the comments had caused deep pain to the families of those who lost loved ones or were wounded.
The British prime minister said an apology would be appropriate, stressing the need to respect the service and sacrifice of allied troops.
“If I had spoken in that way or used those words, I would certainly apologise,” he said.
The war in Afghanistan began in 2001 following the September 11 attacks on the United States, after NATO invoked Article 5, its collective defence clause, for the first time in its history. Allied forces from the UK, Canada, Germany, France and other NATO members played key roles in combat, counter-terrorism and stabilisation operations.
British troops were heavily deployed in high-risk areas, particularly Helmand Province, where they fought alongside US forces against Taliban insurgents. Thousands of NATO personnel were killed or injured during the mission, underscoring the scale of allied involvement.
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a “massive” U.S. naval force to head toward Iran, while also suggesting it may not be used, as tensions between Iran and the U.S. continue to rise.
“We have a lot of ships going that direction just in case. We have a big flotilla going in that direction. And we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he returned from Davos after attending the World Economic Forum.
“We have an armada. We have a massive fleet heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it. We’ll see,” Trump said.
Earlier, Mohammad Pakpour, chief commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, warned the U.S. and Israel to “refrain from any miscalculation” to avoid a “more painful and regret-inducing fate.”
Pakpour stressed that Iranian forces had their “fingers on the trigger,” were “more prepared than ever,” and were ready to carry out orders from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Fear of U.S. forces attacking Iran rose during Iran’s December-January protests, after Trump threatened to intervene if Iranian authorities used force against protesters.
Trump has repeatedly called on Iranians to take over institutions “if possible,” saying the U.S. was “locked and loaded” to protect protesters.
The Iranian government has blamed the U.S. and Israel for the violence and casualties during the nationwide protests. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said earlier this week that U.S. threats against Iran “gave plotters an incentive” to pursue what he described as a strategy of “maximum bloodshed.”
During a televised statement last Saturday, Khamenei stated that he considers “the U.S. president criminal for the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted on the Iranian nation.”
According to a report by Iranian state television station IRIB on Wednesday, 3,117 people were killed during the unrest, with 2,427 of the dead classified as “innocent civilians and security forces.”
US President Donald Trump has been pictured with a large bruise on his left hand while delivering a speech about his Gaza “board of peace” in Davos, Switzerland.
Trump sustained the bruise on Thursday during a signing ceremony for the peace board at the World Economic Forum after the president “hit his hand on the corner of the signing table,”
Explaning how he got a bruise on his left hand, the president said on Air Force One that he received the large purple bruise at the Board of Peace event in Switzerland and was doing ‘very good’.
‘I clipped it on the table, so I put a little – what do they call it – cream on it, but I clipped it,’ Trump told reporters en route to Washington , D.C. on Thursday.
He then appeared to blame the noticeable bruise on aspirin he was taking.
‘I would say take aspirin if you like your heart, don’t take aspirin if you don’t want to have a little bruising,’ Trump advised, noting that he takes the ‘big aspirin’.
‘And when you take the big aspirin, they tell you, you’ll bruise,’ he continued.
‘The doctor said, “You don’t have to take that, sir, you’re very healthy,”‘ Trump then claimed. ‘I said, “I’m not taking any chances.”‘
‘But that’s one of the side effects of taking aspirin.’
The White House made a similar statement earlier Thursday, saying Trump hit his hand on the signing table during a Board of Peace event in Davos, Switzerland, earlier in the day.
“At the Board of Peace event today in Davos, President Trump hit his hand on the corner of the signing table, causing it to bruise,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
Trump previously said that his high does of aspirin made him prone to bruising, something his doctor has previous cited.
He told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published earlier this month that he takes a higher dose of daily aspirin than his doctors recommend, arguing “aspirin is good for thinning out the blood.”
The president’s physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, told the Journal that Trump takes 325 milligrams of aspirin a day, arguing that it causes him to bruise easily.
According to the Mayo Clinic, a low dose of aspirin, which “can help prevent heart attack or stroke,” ranges from 75 to 100 milligrams, and 81 milligrams is commonly recommended. The Mayo Clinic also says that for aspirin therapy, the daily dose “is usually between” 75 to 325 milligrams.
TRUMP TOUTS FOREVER GREENLAND DEAL AS NATO WEIGHS MILITARY
On the flight back from Davos, while the global elite swapped climate slogans, Trump was talking about Greenland and power.
Not a photo op.
A permanent deal.
Strategic, military, “forever. ” He spelled it out on Air Force One: “It’s forever… We can do military.
We can do anything we want. ” Not 50 years, not 99 years — a lasting foothold in the Arctic while everyone else pretends borders and resources no longer matter.
Remember when the media mocked him for even talking about Greenland?
They laughed, sneered, called it crazy.
Now NATO is in the mix, and suddenly the “crazy” idea looks a lot like a cold, hard strategic calculation.
Meanwhile, Russia and China have been racing for Arctic influence and shipping lanes, buying ports, building bases, locking in minerals.
Our “serious” foreign policy class shrugged — Trump is the one who actually tried to lock down leverage.
The contrast is brutal: permanent American presence and bargaining power under Trump, versus temporary talking points and retreat under the usual crowd.
One side thinks in election cycles; the other thinks in generations.
This is what it looks like when a president treats American strength like it should last longer than his own term — and that’s exactly why they fear him back in charge.
If you like straight, unapologetic coverage of moves like this, stick around and follow this page.
Bob Marley’s wife, Rita Marley, has spent more than 30 years residing in Ghana. In the 1990s, she relocated to Ghana with Bob Marley’s family. In 2013, she petitioned for and was granted citizenship in Ghana. Rita Marley now has a Ghanaian name — Nana Afua Abodea.
In Ghana’s Aburi, she also has a home. In Accra, Ghana, Rita Marley created a studio in memory of her deceased husband, Bob Marley. The name of it is Studio One. In Ghana, she runs a nonprofit organization. Her foundation, The Rita Marley Foundation, supports charitable endeavors.
Nana Rita Marley started her musical career in the early 1960s as a vocalist with the all-female group The Soulettes, which performed with the Four Tops, Johnny Nash, and other performers of the time.
Her single ‘One Draw’, which she released in 1982, was a major hit in Europe but Jamaica said it was not fit for airplay. One Draw was the first reggae single to top the Billboard Disco chart, according to Jamaica Observer.
Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Blue origin announces Tera wave, A new competitor to Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Blu origin, founded by Jeff Bezos , has announced its ambitious Terawave project, a satellite communications network aiming to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth.
This network will consist of 5,048 optically interconnected satellites in low Earth orbit ( LEO) and medium Earth orbit ( MEO) , targeting enterprise, data center, and government customers who require reliable connectivity for critical operations.
This announcement positions Blue origin as a competitor to Tesla and SapceX CEO Elon musk’s Starlink, which currently has around 9 million users globally.
Volodymyr Zelensky went to Davos expecting applause and blank checks — instead, he showed up sounding cornered and suddenly realistic.
The man who once begged Europe for “more, more, more” is now blasting them for cowardice and talking about peace.
From the stage, he torched his own sponsors: Europe, he said, “feels like geography, not a great power. ” He mocked EU leaders as people who are “from Europe, but not for Europe,” obsessed with the next election instead of actually winning a war.
Meanwhile, he admitted what the media never wanted to hear: his meeting with Donald Trump was “very good. ” Less than an hour with Trump, and Zelensky is suddenly talking about documents, air defense — and a “peace deal is nearly ready. ” Think about that contrast.
Years of Biden, Brussels, and blank checks produced a bloody stalemate; one serious sit-down with Trump, and the word “peace” finally shows up in Zelensky’s script.
Zelensky ripped Europe for having no political will, but here’s the catch: Trump’s will has always been simple — end the endless wars, put America first, and force real negotiations instead of photo-op summits.
That’s exactly why the Davos crowd fears him and why desperate leaders now quietly seek him out.
When the former golden boy of globalism starts hinting that Trump is the path to peace, you can feel the old order cracking in real time.
Canada’s military is reportedly drafting contingency plans to repel a hypothetical US invasion, including insurgent-style tactics inspired by the Taliban, according to the Globe and Mail.
Senior officials told the outlet this marks the first time in a century that Canada has modeled conflict with the United States.
The move comes amid worsening relations under Donald Trump, who has floated Canada becoming the “51st state” and overseen aggressive US military actions abroad.
Officials cited lessons from Afghanistan, where lightly equipped insurgents exploited intelligence gaps to resist superior US forces.
The plans remain theoretical, but signal a dramatic shift in Canada’s defense posture.
FEARS OF U.S. STRIKES SPARK UNREST: KHAMENEI FRIDAY PRAYERS CALLED OFF!
Reports say Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s much-anticipated Friday prayers were abruptly canceled amid fears that U.S. B-2 stealth bombers might target him, underscoring how high tensions have soared between Tehran and Washington.
While Iranian authorities have not officially confirmed the reason for the cancellation, speculation has been rife that growing threats of U.S. military action including talk of deploying advanced bombers over the region prompted unprecedented security concerns around Khamenei’s public appearances.
The dramatic decision comes as the region remains on edge after weeks of mounting confrontation, including warnings from Tehran that any strike on the Supreme Leader would be treated as a declaration of war.
Iranian officials have also hinted at possible retaliation against U.S. interests if attacked, signalling the deepening crisis.
NO REGRET AS MUNDUBILE LEAVES PF, FILES FOR LEADERSHIP CONTEST IN TONSE ALLIANCE
Mporokoso MP, Hon. Brian Mundubile Wrote;
Fellow Citizens,
I have today filed in my nomination papers for the position of Tonse Alliance Chairperson.
I have also paid the required K50,000 nomination fee at the Tonse Alliance Secretariat in Lusaka.
I will be contesting this position against my elder brother, Christian Democratic Party (CDP) leader Professor Dan Pule, who has also successfully filed in his nomination papers.
I welcome the level of unity and maturity exhibited within the alliance and I can only describe this process as a true demonstration of democracy.
We are going through a democratic process, a process we chose for ourselves. I am aware that my big brother Professor Dan Pule has also filed in his nomination for Tonse Alliance Chairperson. We met and agreed that whoever emerges victorious, the other must give full support. I remain fully committed to that agreement because that is what democracy demands.
My prayer is that even in the other positions, those who do not succeed should rally behind those who will emerge victorious.
This is the democracy we fought for over 30 years ago and it must be practiced not only at national level but within the alliance itself. We must demonstrate that we are democratic, united and ready to compete and support one another as we move forward.
GIVEN LUBINDA DISCUSSES THE PATRIOTIC FRONT ON CHATBACK ON RADIO CHRISTIAN VOICE
By Brian Matambo | Lusaka, Zambia
Patriotic Front Acting President Given Lubinda appeared on ChatBack this morning, 23 January 2026, discussing a range of issues related to the Patriotic Front’s legal battles, internal democracy within the party, and the question of opposition unity as reflected in the recently concluded Chawama parliamentary by-election.
Speaking on Radio Christian Voice, Lubinda painted 2025 as one of the most difficult years in the party’s history, marked by prolonged mourning following the death of former president Edgar Chagwa Lungu and by persistent legal disputes over the leadership and control of the Patriotic Front. He explained that these court cases, many of which have been adjourned multiple times, have delayed key internal processes and created uncertainty as the country approaches the 2026 general elections.
Lubinda said the party had initially planned to hold a general conference in late 2025, but that an injunction obtained through the courts prevented the meeting from going ahead. While stressing that his faction has not abandoned the Patriotic Front, he acknowledged growing frustration with the pace of judicial proceedings.
He stated that the party’s central committee has resolved that it cannot continue waiting indefinitely and is therefore considering holding a general conference under an alternative political umbrella if court rulings do not come in time. According to Lubinda, this approach is intended to ensure organisational readiness for the August 2026 elections, while keeping open the possibility of reverting to the PF name should the courts eventually rule in their favour.
On internal democracy, Lubinda addressed concerns about governance within the party and allegations that incumbency could be used to influence outcomes. He maintained that the Patriotic Front’s constitution provides for continuity of leadership until a conference is convened and does not require an acting president to step aside before contesting.
He also clarified that recent changes within the party, including removals from the central committee, were made in accordance with constitutional provisions that allow the party president to take decisions deemed necessary for the security and development of the organisation, subject to later ratification by the central committee. He further explained that the party’s electoral commission is appointed by the central committee, not by the party president, and that serving party officials or aspiring candidates are barred from sitting on that commission.
Lubinda also used the programme to clarify confusion surrounding presidential aspirations within the party. He explained the distinction between expressions of interest and formal nominations, noting that payments made so far by aspiring candidates were for expressions of interest only. Formal nominations, he said, would only be submitted after an electoral commission is appointed and the nomination window officially opened, at which point aspirants would still be free to withdraw.
Turning to the broader political landscape, Lubinda reflected on the Chawama by-election, which was won by an opposition-backed candidate. He described the result as an indicator of public appetite for political change, while cautioning that electoral success at national level would depend on the degree of cooperation among opposition parties. In his view, a fragmented opposition could still perform competitively, but a united opposition fielding common candidates across presidential, parliamentary, and council races would stand a far stronger chance of victory in 2026.
Throughout the discussion, Lubinda avoided endorsing or criticising individual presidential hopefuls, insisting that questions of popularity and leadership legitimacy should be settled through formal party processes rather than media debate or public speculation. He emphasised that decisions about leadership would ultimately rest with delegates at a properly constituted general conference.
Lubinda concluded by calling for patience among party members and supporters, reiterating that the Patriotic Front remains active on the ground and engaged in broader opposition structures. He said the coming weeks would be critical in determining the organisational path the party takes as it prepares for the next general election.
I can say with absolute confidence that any attempt to expel Hon. Brian Mundubile from PF for filing his nominations as a Tonse Presidential candidate will only embarrass the Party.
For the record, and under Zambian law, only Robert Chabinga has the authority to expel anyone from PF. Anyone else attempting to act outside this legal mandate is overstepping and inviting ridicule.
Let this serve as a word of caution: unless someone is ready to witness a mass exodus of the people from PF, I strongly advise restraint
By the way, Mundubile has merely responded to the call by Zambians to be part of a progressive group of Zambians offering themselves for leadership!
TONSE ALLIANCE OR POLITICAL AMBUSH? THE CALCULATED PLOT TO SIDELINE GIVEN LUBINDA AND DECEIVE ZAMBIANS
By Michael Zephaniah Phiri Political Activist
Zambians are not blind, and neither are they forgetful. What is unfolding under the banner of the so-called Tonse Alliance is not unity of purpose, but a carefully engineered political ambush whose ultimate goal appears to be the marginalisation of legitimate leadership and the manipulation of public hope.
At the centre of this controversy stands a question that its architects have deliberately avoided: which political party does Hon. Brian Mundubile represent within the Tonse Alliance? In a constitutional democracy, leadership does not float in political air it must be anchored in a political party with a clear mandate. Yet Zambians are being asked to accept a presidential project that has no transparent political ownership.
This raises an even more disturbing question: can a person be elected President of the Republic under the vague identity of “Tonse Alliance” without a clear party structure or constitutional grounding? The insistence on pushing such an arrangement suggests either political recklessness or deliberate deception.
What is more alarming is the obsession by certain alliance members to impose leadership whose credibility to unite the nation is already in doubt. Unity cannot be preached where legitimacy is absent, and democracy cannot thrive where ambition overrides process.
The public is equally troubled by the sudden alliance of individuals who, until recently, were openly hostile to PF President Given Lubinda. Today, these same figures have regrouped not to heal divisions, but seemingly to execute a plan aimed at erasing him from Zambia’s political equation. One must ask: are principles being sacrificed on the altar of personal ambition?
The participation of State Counsel Chifumu Banda and President Danny Pule has further deepened public suspicion. Their willingness to be associated with a process many view as flawed has led to questions about whether seasoned leaders are being reduced to pawns or whether they are knowingly participating in a predetermined scheme. The danger of following a blind guide has never been more relevant.
Evidence of orchestration is visible in the internal positioning of the alliance. Dr. Chifumu Banda’s acceptance of the role of Second Vice President has effectively neutralised Danny Pule as a serious contender, reinforcing the perception that the path has already been cleared for Hon. Brian Mundubile. This is not competition; it is choreography.
Instead of building a credible opposition anchored in transparency and collective leadership, the alliance appears focused on sidelining President Given Lubinda, a leader who, alongside Hon. Chishimba Kambwili and Hon. Miles Sampa, stood firm in resisting UPND pressure when others hesitated. Today, some of those same actors are accused of political double-dealing, eager to rewrite history for convenience.
The attempt to portray President Lubinda as irrelevant is not only dishonest; it is politically arrogant. It underestimates the memory and intelligence of the Zambian people. Politics divorced from integrity inevitably collapses under its own weight.
Zambia deserves principled leadership, not political traps.
Unity built on deception is not unity at all.
NAnd history is clear: those who play games with the people’s trust eventually face political extinction.
MUMBI PHIRI BEGINS QUIET CAMPAIGN TO BECOME MAKEBI ZULU’S RUNNING MATE
By Chilufya Chewe Freelance Journalist
As the race toward the August 2026 General Election gathers momentum, competition is intensifying not only among presidential hopefuls across the political divide, but also among individuals positioning themselves for the role of running mate.
Sources within the Tonse ECL faction of the Patriotic Front (PF) have revealed that former PF Deputy Secretary General, Ms. Mumbi Phiri, has quietly expressed interest in becoming the running mate to lawyer Mr. Makebi Zulu, should he secure the presidential ticket. According to the sources, Ms. Phiri has since urged close confidants within the party to discreetly begin lobbying and mobilising support for her within PF party structures.
Meanwhile, another potential running mate has emerged within the Tonse Alliance faction led by Dr. Danny Pule. Mr. Chifumu Banda, President of the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD), is reportedly positioning himself as a possible running mate to Hon. Brian Mundubile, who is widely viewed as an aspiring presidential candidate within the alliance.
Insiders indicate that Mr. Banda has been quietly selling his candidature among party members, although uncertainty remains over whether he will ultimately align himself with PF faction leader Mr. Given Lubinda.
As political manoeuvring continues behind the scenes, it remains unclear which individuals will succeed in consolidating sufficient support to secure running mate positions ahead of the 2026 polls.
Observers note that the unfolding developments underscore the essence of democracy, which guarantees freedom of expression and association. Political parties, they argue, must provide platforms that allow these democratic rights to be fully exercised.
GILBERT LISWANISO’S LAMENTATION ON HOW SOME MINISTERS AND MPs HAVE FAILED OR BETRAYED PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA
Zambia’s development success is anchored in mindset change, because resource-wise, God has blessed us abundantly.
For us to see real and sustained development, we must have a properly functioning Head of State, supported by a functional Cabinet, Members of Parliament, Directors, Permanent Secretaries, District Commissioners, and everyone down to the lowest level of our governance system. We got a functioning head of state but some of the accessories (appointees) have not helped him to the fullest.
Over the past four years plus of the UPND government, I have never relented in pointing out where I see things going wrong just as I did during the mischievous corrupt and brutal barbaric PF regime that ruined our nation in all angles. I know the truth is often uncomfortable in our political setup, but I was trained to speak the truth, address issues as they are, and never sugarcoat reality and there is a huge price that pays for choosing this lone path.
To date, I still argue that if everyone working with President Hakainde Hichilema had the same energy, seriousness, and commitment that he demonstrates, Zambia would have witnessed far more development than what we are appreciating today. Unfortunately, there are many rotten eggs who have deliberately slowed progress in their offices. Even worse, those appointed to supervise them have gone to sleep, satisfied because their personal lives are comfortable and they are receiving what they anticipated.
Therefore, I fully agree with Gilbert Liswaniso when he says that President Hakainde Hichilema has been betrayed by some ministers, MPs, and others who should have been at the forefront of protecting and advancing the President’s vision. These are issues I have consistently raised, and today, I thank God that I have been vindicated.
However, I must also challenge Liswaniso on one point. As Youth National Chairperson, you have direct and constant access to the President. The question is: have you been informing the President about these issues? because some of us have been consistently telling you leaders where we see problems unless you say you have been telling the president and he hasn’t taken actions then that is a conversation for another day
Zambia has enormous economic development potential, and it does not require President Hakainde Hichilema alone it requires seriousness from everyone. As the President repeatedly emphasizes, we must all produce something. Zambia can change, and we can do better if we change our mindset. But that mindset change must start from the top leadership of the country down to ordinary citizens like myself, Sikaile.
Most of them, the moment President Hakainde Hichilema appointed them, cut ties with the voters. They became arrogant, rude, greedy, and selfish, only trying to resurface now because it is campaign time.
Voters have woken up. This is why many citizens are saying, “I will vote for the President and come back.” It is purely a reaction to the behaviour of these individuals.
It is my sincere prayer that in his second term, President Hakainde Hichilema will not tolerate the incompetence and lack of seriousness that we have witnessed in some appointed officials.
You can easily see that most times the president is by himself just by the way self-centered individuals, criminals, and thieves by how loudly they try to demonize President Hakainde Hichilema left, right, and centre, while those around him never coming out to explain what the government is doing despite having all the resources available to do so.
It is the duty and responsibility of all government officials and party leaders to move around the country explaining the President’s achievements and the developments in the pipeline. There are many things that has been achieved by President Hakainde Hichilema but poorly publicized.
As I always say to those in office who have forgotten their mandate: you are there because Hakainde Hichilema is the President of Zambia—not by miracle.
LISWANISO REPORTED TO ECZ OVER ALLEGED UNAUTHORIZED CHAWAMA RESULTS, MILES SAMPA CASE CITED
By:Thomas Afroman Mwale
United Party for National Development (UPND) National Youth Chairperson, Gilbert Liswaniso has been reported to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) for allegedly transmitting unsolicited and unauthorized Chawama Constituency by-election results.
Mr Liswaniso is accused of prematurely publishing poll results on his Facebook page on January 15, 2026, claiming that UPND candidate Morgan Muunda had polled 1,724 votes, while his rival Bright Nundwe had garnered 1,316 votes.
In a letter dated January 16th 2026 addressed to ECZ Chairperson and delivered to the Commission on January 22nd 2026, Lusaka resident Isaiah John Bwanga argued that the conduct by Mr Liswaniso undermined public confidence in the electoral process, posed a risk to public peace, and had the potential to cause anarchy.
Mr Bwanga stated that it is an offence to announce, publish, or declare election results without authorization from the ECZ, noting that the alleged action contravenes the Electoral Process Act No. 35 of 2016, specifically Part 7, relating to candidates and election results.
He further argued that similar action taken against Matero Member of Parliament Miles Sampa, who was arrested for allegedly transmitting false information regarding a fake polling station under the Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Act of 2025, should also be applied to Mr Liswaniso.
Mr Bwanga has since demanded that the ECZ report Mr Liswaniso to the Zambia Police Service, treat the matter with the urgency it deserves and compel him to provide credible evidence to support the results he allegedly communicated on Facebook. #SunFmTvNews
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema will be the easiest incumbent to defeat in the August 13 general elections because Zambians have previously overcome far greater political challenges, Professor Boniface Kawimbe has said.
Prof Kawimbe, a former Minister of Health in the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) administration, said in an interview the country had a strong history of resisting actions that threatened democratic principles.
He noted that Zambians had successfully confronted major political struggles in the past, including the resistance to late former president Frederick Chiluba’s third-term bid, which he described as a defining moment in the defence of democracy.
“We had mammoth tasks like the struggle for independence, transition from the one-party state to a multi-party democracy, third-term bid by former president Chiluba. These were much bigger struggles than what we are facing today. No comparison at all,” Prof Kawimbe said.
Prof Kawimbe said the challenges currently facing the country were not insurmountable because Zambians had the capacity to effect political change through democratic means.
Prof Kawimbe, a member of the Council of Elders, said Zambians were not ready to journey with Hichilema beyond August 13 considering the misery and mess he had caused them over the last five years of his rule.
He said Zambians were awaiting an opposition to take over government in August and facilitate democracy, restoration of a broken economy, and personal freedoms.
“Remember, economically, we are queuing for all the essential commodities. When you are in a state of emergency, all personal freedoms are suspended and the people of Zambia are saying no, we cannot continue along these lines,” Prof Kawimbe.
He challenged opposition political parties to choose one presidential candidate and running mate and select a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) now and hit the ground.
He said the quality of life that President Hichilema and his administration was subjecting Zambians to was degrading and inhumane.
“Our message for the people of Zambia in 2026 is that there is consensus that we do not like the Zambia we have. Secondly, there is consensus that the quality of life has changed,” he said.
Prof Kawimbe said Zambians were expecting more in the August 13 general elections than just removing Hichilema.
“And there is consensus that we definitely have to do more than just removing Hichilema come August 13, 2026, we have to do more than just change the occupant of block 1. If that’s all we’ll have achieved, we’ll consider our efforts as being in vain. We really want to have a government by the people, of the people, for the people,” Prof Kawimbe said.
He said a united opposition had no choice but to choose a single flag bearer and running mate to lead and deliver Zambia from poverty, joblessness, inequalities and injustices.
“One of the things we have missed out over the years is that we have concentrated on the political stream of leadership, who are going to become our councillors, members of parliament or presidents. And we have forgotten about the technocratic stream,” he said.
Prof Kawimbe said Zambians had no patience with an underperforming government, warning that the current regime’s biggest opposition was the people.
“This time around, you have to realise that the patience of the people across the country continues to drop because of the government failures. The fuse of patience is shortening. UNIP were given 27 years, MMD 20, PF 10, UPND nobody knows but Zambians do,” said Prof Kawimbe.
