IT WOULD BE A NICE THING TO KIDNAP PUTIN -JOHN HEALEYS.
UK Defense Secretary John Healey has said he would kidnap Russian President Vladimir Putin if given a choice out of all world leaders, saying he would be very happy and it would be a nice thing. The British official was answering a question from the Kiev Independent during a visit to the Ukrainian capital on Friday.
His comments came a week after the US captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in a military raid on the oil-rich South American country. Maduro had previously warned that Washington wanted a regime change and to get its hands on Venezuelan resources. The US actions drew strong condemnation from BRICS nations, including Russia, India, China, and Brazil, but also prompted a string of calls from Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky to adopt similar tactics against Moscow.
The Kiev Independent asked Healey what he would do”given the option of being able to kidnap any world leader.”The secretary said he would”take Putin into custody”while accusing the Russian president of”war crimes,”including the”kidnapping”of Ukrainian children – something that Russian negotiators publicly denied during talks in Istanbul last year.
London has previously emerged as one of Kiev’s key backers in its conflict with Moscow. In December, the British chief of defense staff urged the nation to be ready to switch to a wartime mindset in the event of hostilities with Russia.
Zelensky commented on the American raid by saying that”the United States knows what to do next”in a thinly veiled hint at Putin’s kidnapping. US President Donald Trump then dismissed the idea, saying it would be unnecessary when asked by journalists.
Ukraine’s leader then openly called on Washington to kidnap the head of Russia’s Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov. He quickly shot back, telling Zelensky to”man up”and try it himself.
Moscow has denounced the abduction of Maduro as a gross violation of Venezuelan sovereignty. The Russian envoy to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, described the US raid as”banditry”pushing the world toward”chaos and lawlessness.”
U.S. urges Americans to leave Venezuela immediately
The U.S. State Department on Saturday issued an urgent warning urging all American citizens in Venezuela to leave the country immediately, citing a sharply deteriorating security situation following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces earlier this month.
In its alert, the department said the security environment “remains fluid” and that while international flights have resumed, Americans should depart as soon as possible and exercise extreme caution, especially on the country’s roadways where armed militia groups known as “colectivos” are reportedly establishing checkpoints and searching vehicles for signs of U.S. citizenship or support for the United States.
The advisory places Venezuela at the highest Level 4 “Do Not Travel” designation, warning of grave dangers including wrongful detention, kidnapping, terrorism, civil unrest, and the lack of consular support; U.S. diplomatic services in Caracas remain suspended and cannot provide routine or emergency assistance.
Maduro and his wife appeared in a U.S. federal court in New York following their detention by American forces, who carried out a high-profile operation in Caracas that sparked significant violence and global condemnation.
The situation on the ground remains tense. Venezuela’s interim leadership has dismissed U.S. warnings as exaggerated, and millions of Venezuelans across the region are watching developments with caution amid ongoing uncertainty about the country’s future.
U.S. officials have emphasized that Americans still in Venezuela should plan their departure now while travel options exist, but warned that power and utilities outages, alongside militia activity, make remaining in place increasingly risky.
🇿🇲 EDITORIAL | PF, the Unburied Ghost & Final Collapse
There is no polite way to say this anymore. The Patriotic Front is no longer an opposition party. It is either paralysed, absorbed, or quietly working for the re-election of UPND in 2026. Treating PF as a serious challenger is a waste of national attention.
The conclave called by party elders has collapsed. Not paused. Not delayed. Collapsed. What followed was predictable: disciplinary letters, counter-accusations, tribal insults, witchcraft claims, and open warfare between camps. A party that has failed to resolve its leadership crisis for over three years cannot suddenly find unity months before a general election.
At the centre of PF’s psychological crisis is the unburied figure of Edgar Chagwa Lungu. In PF belief systems, rituals matter. The party itself has repeatedly said the current President wants Lungu’s body for rituals. No evidence has been produced. The real question is simpler and more troubling: how did PF arrive at that conclusion? This language does not emerge from legal strategy. It comes from fear, superstition, and a belief that unseen forces are at play.
Culturally, succession without burial is not neutral. It is disorder. PF knows this. That is why the language of ghosts, rituals, curses, and spiritual sabotage now circulates freely within the party. Edgar Lungu’s ghost is not at rest in PF. Seven months later, the party behaves like a movement haunted by an unresolved transition. You cannot replace a leader you have not buried. This belief is deeply held, whether outsiders accept it or not.
While one PF faction fights spirits, another holds papers. Given Lubinda is no longer the centre of gravity. Chabinga is. He is the legal holder of PF certificates. He controls who stands and who does not. Without his signature, no PF candidate exists. Those papers will not be released easily. Many MPs already understand this. That is why voting patterns in Parliament now align PF with UPND. The record is public.
This is why the claim that PF will “bounce back” is fantasy. One faction has legality but no political independence. The other has noise but no authority. The Lubinda-Kambwili-Mundubile axis cannot even agree among themselves, let alone organise a convention. There will be no meaningful convention. Not because of UPND. Because PF cannot agree on who is PF.
Inside PF platforms, paranoia has replaced planning. Hichilema is accused of buying candidates, infiltrating elders, controlling courts, and manipulating spirits. These claims flourish when a party has lost internal trust. Every defeat becomes external sabotage. Every disagreement becomes treason. This is not opposition politics. It is collapse.
The arithmetic is unforgiving. PF MPs are drifting. Many want re-adoption. Some want UPND. Others are waiting for Chabinga. Either way, PF’s numbers no longer translate into opposition strength. One plus one remains two. Two PF factions working against each other still equal advantage for UPND.
The conclusion is uncomfortable but necessary. PF is functionally part of UPND’s 2026 victory path. Whether by legal capture, indecision, superstition, or internal sabotage, PF is not stopping anything. Any opposition leader still betting on PF is betting on confusion.
If PF believes in rituals, then tradition demands one thing first: bury the man. Until Edgar Chagwa Lungu is laid to rest, PF will continue to fight shadows, accuse ghosts, and burn itself from within. Politics does not reward haunted parties. It rewards organisation, clarity, and discipline.
Emmanuel Mwamba Has Perfected The Art Of Political Deceit
….There is no verifiable, documented, or judicially established evidence that Zambia is under dictatorship, tyr
anny, or one-man rule…
By Magret Mwanza
Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba has perfected a dangerous and cynical craft. When facts abandon him, he manufactures fear. When evidence refuses to cooperate, he replaces it with metaphor, innuendo, and recycled conspiracy.
His recent outburst alleging that President Hakainde Hichilema is “stealing democracy in silence” is not political analysis. It is political deceit dressed up as moral outrage, designed to rescue a collapsed political relevance.
Let us be clear from the outset. There is no verifiable, documented, or judicially established evidence that Zambia is under dictatorship, tyranny, or one-man rule. None.
What exists instead is a defeated political class, removed from power through the ballot in August 2021, struggling to come to terms with the consequences of its own record in government. That class now seeks to criminalise reform, demonise institutions, and portray accountability as persecution.
Mwamba’s narrative relies on repetition, not proof. He throws around names of institutions, courts, judges, statutory instruments, and constitutional offices without presenting a single binding judgment declaring the President’s actions illegal.
He does not cite authoritative court rulings. He does not provide comparative constitutional analysis. He simply demands that Zambians accept his suspicion as truth. Zambia, however, is governed by law, not by political monologues.
The allegation that democratic institutions have been “hijacked” collapses under even minimal scrutiny. The Speaker of Parliament, the Chief Justice, and the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission were not installed by fiat.
They were appointed through constitutionally provided processes, operating under laws enacted long before the current administration. To suggest that institutions become illegitimate simply because they no longer serve Patriotic Front interests is intellectual dishonesty of the highest order.
It is especially cynical for Mwamba to posture as a defender of democracy given his own political history. The Patriotic Front, while in power, normalised cadre violence, weaponised the police, intimidated judges, harassed the media, and treated state institutions as party appendages.
Opposition leaders were arrested, meetings were disrupted, and courts were openly disregarded. Mwamba was not alarmed then. His sudden discovery of “dictatorship” coincides neatly with his loss of access to state power.
On elections and by-elections, Mwamba again misleads deliberately. Electoral disputes in Zambia are resolved by courts, not by political press statements. Where courts ruled, those rulings remain on record.
Where the Electoral Commission erred, judicial processes addressed those errors. That is not tyranny. That is the rule of law at work. Dictatorship is when courts are ignored, not when their decisions are enforced.
Perhaps the most intellectually bankrupt claim is that President Hichilema “stole” the Patriotic Front. Political parties are not private property of disgruntled elites. The PF imploded under the weight of internal indiscipline, leadership failure, and refusal to respect constitutional order after losing an election.
Its endless court battles are self-inflicted wounds, not evidence of presidential manipulation. Blaming the President for PF’s collapse is an attempt to outsource responsibility for political incompetence.
On corruption and prosecutions, Mwamba again confuses accountability with victimhood.
Zambia established specialised courts because grand corruption had become routine under the previous administration. Billions were looted, debt ballooned to unsustainable levels, and public resources were treated as private spoils.
To demand immunity for politically connected suspects is not a defence of democracy. It is an argument for elite impunity.
The truth Mwamba cannot confront is this. President Hichilema did not dismantle democracy. He inherited a state hollowed out by recklessness, lawlessness, and contempt for institutions.
What the current administration has pursued is fiscal discipline, institutional restoration, and re-engagement with the international community to stabilise a battered economy.That process is uncomfortable for those who thrived in chaos.
This is why Mwamba cries dictatorship while freely publishing his attacks.
This is why opposition figures insult the President daily without being jailed. This is why courts continue to issue rulings against the state when warranted. Dictatorships do not permit this. Zambia does.
Finally, dragging the Church into partisan paranoia is both irresponsible and reckless. Invoking religious institutions to dramatise political desperation does not strengthen democracy.
It corrodes national cohesion. Zambia’s democracy is not perfect, but it is alive, functioning, and governed by law, not by manufactured fear.
Zambians must reject this propaganda with the contempt it deserves. Not because government is beyond criticism, but because democracy dies when deceit is allowed to parade as truth.
The real theft here is not of democracy, but of honesty. And that theft has a name.
“Cardinal Mundubile” faces ex-communication after walking out of PF conclave
THE holes in the boat of one of the PF factions have continued to multiply paving the way for further sinking after presidential aspirant Brian Mundubile withdrew his participation from the party’s conclave meant to resolve leadership disputes.
However, the party leadership has not taken the move lightly or with folded arms as they formally charged the Mporokoso member of parliament Brian Mundubile with gross indiscipline, escalating internal party tensions.
According to to a letter written by the factions’ deputy secretary general, Celestine Mukandila, the PF have order Mundubile to exculpate himself within seven days or face the dance of discipline.
Mukandila stated that Mundubile, a central committee member, of violated the PF constitution and regulations through a series of actions which the party feels threaten its unity, authority and organisational order.
In a Facebook post, Mundubile accused the party leadership was plotting to expel him and his campaign team to block his participation in forthcoming intra-party elections but Mukandila dismissed the claims as false and unsubstantiated.
Mukandila instead accused the lawmaker of spreading information that injures the reputation of the party and its officials.
“This constitutes a gross breach of constitutional authority and trust,” he wrote while emphasising that Mundubile as a central committee member and MP, he owed the party the highest fiduciary duty.
The party further accused the Mporokoso MP of presiding over the creation of parallel party structures through his campaign team, an act PF says is deliberately promoting division within the party and undermining its democratic organisational framework.
PF has also charged Mundubile with deliberately breaching public event protocols after he attended an illegal Tonse Alliance meeting without authorisation from the party president, Given Lubinda or Mukandila or
Adding to the list of charges, the PF accused the lawmaker of continuing to recognise individuals who had been dismissed from party positions by Lubinda.
“These actions undermine party unity, disregard hierarchical authority, harm the PF’s integrity and disrupt organisational order,” Mukandila stated.
Mundubile has been given seven days to submit a written exculpatory statement to the party’s disciplinary committee.
And if the Mporokoso MP fails to respond within the stipulated period, then it will be deemed as an acceptance of the charges and the party proceed with an appropriate punishment.
ECL DESIRED A UNITED PF, STOP INVOLVING HIM IN YOUR FAILURES
By Hon. Francis Robert Kapyanga, MP Member of Parliament – Mpika Constituency
Lately, I have read several articles written by surrogates of some of our leaders in the party, accusing—or rather suggesting—that our late President, Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu (ECL), is the cause of the confusion currently affecting our party because he allegedly failed to appoint a successor.
This narrative is both unfortunate and dishonest. It is deeply regrettable that those who have failed are now seeking to shift blame onto a man who can no longer defend himself.We will not, and we will never, allow anyone to tarnish the name of our late President. Edgar Chagwa Lungu was a man of the people, a unifier, and a leader who loved even those who openly opposed and insulted him.
If we go back to the period following the 2021 General Elections and even before then, many of these same PF leaders behaved as though they were more powerful and more “PF” than President Lungu himself. They undermined him, insulted him, betrayed him, and openly fought him while he was still in office. This conduct greatly contributed to the loss of power to govern the country, power that President Michael Chilufya Sata had fought for over ten years while in opposition.
After we lost power, the same individuals, together with their supporters, turned against President Lungu, insulting him and accusing him of being the cause of the defeat. Faced with sustained attacks and humiliation, President Lungu made the painful decision to step down as PF President and retire, despite objections from the Patriotic Front Central Committee. In the interim, he appointed individuals to act in leadership positions.
In early 2022, while we were attending parliamentary sessions, Hon. Brian Mundubile received a call from President Lungu inviting him to his government-rented retirement house in Ibex. During that meeting, President Lungu gave Hon. Mundubile a clear and direct instruction: “Run for the PF presidency. Based on how well we have worked together and your good heart for the party, I have decided that you should contest. Put your foot in the door.” Hon. Mundubile returned to Parliament and did not immediately share this information. Prior to that meeting, he had never harboured ambitions of becoming PF President or Republican President. His focus was simply to serve the people of Mporokoso as their Member of Parliament and retire honourably.
Subsequently, President Lungu personally reached out to several of us whom he trusted, instructing us to support Hon. Brian Mundubile for the PF presidency. As loyal lieutenants, we immediately moved to implement his directive. Hon. Mundubile assembled a formidable team and put in place an effective campaign machinery that quickly gained momentum.
However, before long, the same individuals who had undermined President Lungu while he was in power began feeding him falsehoods about Hon. Mundubile. They alleged without any evidence that he was meeting President Hakainde Hichilema through the Republican Vice President, who is his relative; that he was funding insults against President Lungu; and advanced many other outright lies. Hon. Mundubile never responded to these accusations just as he remains silent today. When these tactics failed, they shifted strategy and began persuading President Lungu to return to active politics.
They exploited the confusion that arose when Hon. Miles Sampa, with the aid of the UPND, took over the party following the cancellation of a conference and his suspension by the acting President just as they are today suspending and expelling anyone who opposes them. Despite knowing fully well that the party had been compromised with the assistance of those in government, they convinced President Lungu to return to active politics.
When President Lungu later brought opposition political parties together under the UKA (United Kwacha Alliance), these same individuals turned against him once again. They attacked UKA members, undermined the initiative, and subjected President Lungu to sustained insults. Eventually, and painfully, he withdrew from UKA and later formed the Tonse Alliance.
Throughout this entire period, the lies against Hon. Brian Mundubile never stopped. However, when President Lungu returned to active politics, Hon. Mundubile stepped back, halted all his activities, and instructed his supporters many of whom had been mobilised on President Lungu’s own instruction to rally behind the boss wholeheartedly and to mobilise in support of President Lungu.
Yet the propaganda persisted. At one point, it was falsely alleged that Hon. Mundubile had bribed judges in President Lungu’s eligibility case so that the courts could rule against President Lungu, thereby allegedly paving the way for Hon. Mundubile to become President. He was also wrongly accused of being behind Mr. Chirufya Tayali, despite the fact that Mr. Tayali was President Lungu’s trusted associate. Indeed, it was President Lungu himself who instructed Hon. Simumba and I to go to the police station and assist Mr. Tayali when he was arrested.
Today, President Lungu is no more. It is therefore deeply troubling that some people still wish to continue dragging his name through the mud to cover up their own failures. Some of you were explicitly told by President Lungu that you were not supposed to contest the PF presidency, but were instead advised to serve loyally and that, when the party returned to government, you would be considered for other senior positions, including Speaker of the National Assembly.
Let us be sincere. Our leaders must demonstrate honesty and integrity. Do not betray Edgar Chagwa Lungu even in death. His greatest desire was to see a united Patriotic Front. He embraced everyone including those who openly insulted and hated him despite knowing their intentions.
Please stop mentioning President Lungu to justify your failures. Accept responsibility. Accept the failure to apply wisdom at this critical hour. Call for the conference and choose a new leader!. The confusion in the party is not his doing it is the result of betrayal, dishonesty, and poor leadership choices.
They say I have “betrayed” the people of Kanchibiya…
I find that interesting because the same people who elected me still meet me, still talk to me, still bring me their problems, and still judge me by what I deliver, not by which political choir I sing in.
If serving people, pushing development, and speaking sense is now called “betrayal,” then maybe our political dictionary needs an update.
In Kanchibiya, we don’t vote for party slogans, we vote for results.
And luckily for me, development doesn’t belong to PF, UPND or any alphabet. It belongs to the people.
As for losing my seat…well, that decision does not belong to commentators.
It belongs to the same electorate I supposedly “betrayed”… and I still live among them, not in press statements. 😄
Given Lubinda DECLARES WAR ON MUNDUBILE: PARTY SLAMS SENIOR MP WITH GROSS INDISCIPLINE CHARGES, ORDERS HIM TO EXPLAIN OR FACE THE AXE
By Current Zambia
The Patriotic Front (PF) has escalated its internal power struggle after slapping Brian Mundubile, one of its most senior figures and a Central Committee Member, with serious disciplinary charges that expose deepening cracks within the opposition party..
In a confidential letter dated 10 January 2026, PF Acting Deputy Secretary General for Administration Celestin Mukandila accuses Mundubile of gross indiscipline, insubordination, and constitutional violations, accusing him of deliberately undermining party authority and unity.
PF alleges that Mundubile spread false and inflammatory claims on social media, alleging that the party leadership was plotting to expel him and block his political ambitions. The party dismisses the claims as baseless propaganda meant to damage the leadership’s credibility and stir rebellion within the ranks.
The charges further accuse Mundubile of creating parallel party structures through his campaign team, a move PF says is designed to divide the party and weaken established organs. He is also accused of defying party directives by attending an unauthorized Tonse Alliance meeting, a decision PF labels illegal and a direct breach of party regulations.
The party has also accused Mundubile of recognizing and working with individuals who were officially dismissed by the party president, an act described as open defiance of constitutional authority and party discipline.
The party warns that Mundubile’s conduct undermines PF’s integrity, disrespects the chain of command, and threatens organizational order. He has been given seven days to submit a written exculpatory statement to the Disciplinary Committee. Failure to respond, the party warns, will be treated as acceptance of the charges. The letter makes it clear that this is no routine disciplinary process but a full-scale political confrontation within PF. With appeal options only available after judgment, the message from party headquarters is blunt: discipline first, explanations later.
As PF battles to reorganize ahead of the 2026 general elections, the Mundubile saga signals that the party’s internal divisions are far from over and that the fight for control of PF is now being waged in the open.
Classy message from FECAFOOT President Samuel Eto’o to the Moroccan FA President:
“Mr. President,
The participation of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in this Africa Cup of Nations came to an end with the quarter-final match played on Friday, January 9, 2026, at the Moulay Abdellah stadium in Rabat. The match was won by the Moroccan team.
On behalf of the Cameroonian delegation and supporters, I would like to express our respectful greetings and sports congratulations, in a spirit of fair play and mutual respect.
We also wish to express our deep gratitude for the exemplary quality of the organization of this competition, as well as for the fraternal, warm, and benevolent welcome given to our team, our delegation, and our supporters by the Moroccan people.
The marks of hospitality observed in all the places visited testify to the remarkable preparatory work conducted by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.
We wish the Atlas Lions good luck for the rest of the competition.
Thanking you once again for the strength of our fraternal ties, I ask you, Mr. President, to accept the expression of the calm and respectful consideration of the Cameroon Football Federation.”
JUDGE LOMBE CHIBESKUNDA AND ESAU CHULU SET TO MEET PF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.
Judge Lombe Chibeskunda and Esau Chulu, former ECZ chairperson are meeting aspiring PF presidential candidates in order to reconcile them.
The deepening rivalry among candidates vying for the PF Presidency has sent shivers among everyone aligned to the Party. Insiders have shared that a program has been drawn to meet all candidates and counsel them to come to an agreement to only allow one individual to be on the PF ballot.
Insiders have however, suggested that it remains to be seen whether anyone of the candidates in PF will pave way for one individual to be on the ballot.
ISHOWSPEED’S AFRICAN TOUR: WHY RWANDA STOOD OUT AS THE MOST ORGANIZED, POWERFUL AND UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE
IShowSpeed’s African tour has become one of the most exciting cultural moments ever shared with the world through live streaming. From Southern Africa to East Africa, millions of viewers have watched him experience real African life — the streets, the music, the food, the people, the traditions and the energy.
He streamed in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini and Zambia, and each country offered something unique:
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe – He explored famous tourist sites, interacted with young people, and showcased the country’s natural beauty and warm hospitality.
🇿🇦 South Africa – Big cities, vibrant street culture, music, lifestyle and huge crowds that showed the influence and diversity of Mzansi. 🇧🇼 Botswana – Wildlife, nature and the true African safari experience.
🇸🇿 Eswatini – Deep traditional culture, royal customs, history and respect for heritage. 🇿🇲 Zambia – Warm people, local art, traditional food, youth activities and overwhelming support from fans.
But when Speed arrived in Rwanda, the experience felt different.
🇷🇼 Rwanda was on another level. The organization, cleanliness, safety, discipline and the warm, respectful reception made his visit stand out. From cultural villages with traditional dancers and drumming, to modern sports facilities and well-planned city tours, Rwanda presented itself as a confident, peaceful and well-developed nation.
https://youtu.be/dCGXxrRjRKI?si=8kjF99ZD179yZnBM
It looked like a country that knows its identity, protects its culture and presents itself to the world with pride. The order, development and unity of the people made Rwanda’s stop feel like the most impressive experience of his African tour so far.
Rwanda did not just host IShowSpeed — Rwanda impressed the world.
And this is only the beginning.
When Speed eventually visits Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Namibia, they are also expected to deliver unforgettable moments, because Africa is not one story. Africa is many nations, many cultures, many languages, many traditions and many ways of life.
From West to East, from North to South, Africa offers: • Different cultures • Different histories • Different foods • Different music • Different lifestyles • Different energy
One continent. Many worlds.
Through IShowSpeed’s journey, the world is finally seeing Africa as it truly is — diverse, proud, vibrant, modern, traditional and powerful. 🌍🔥
BREAKING: Ramaphosa Warns South Africa Faces Threats from Inside and Abroad — Calls AfriForum & Solidarity a Danger to Democracy
President Cyril Ramaphosa has accused lobby groups AfriForum and Solidarity of actively working to weaken South Africa’s constitutional democracy by taking the country’s internal political matters to foreign governments and institutions.
Speaking at recent ANC events, Ramaphosa said some organisations were “misrepresenting the reality of South Africa” internationally and portraying the country as a place where certain racial groups are under threat. He warned that such actions could encourage outside interference in domestic affairs and damage South Africa’s sovereignty, economy and political stability.
According to the President, when South African groups lobby powerful countries abroad, especially the United States and Europe, and push narratives about land reform, crime, minority rights and governance, they risk influencing foreign policy decisions that could lead to diplomatic pressure, economic punishment, or even attempts to isolate South Africa globally. He described this as a form of “regime change politics” driven from outside but supported from within.
AfriForum and Solidarity, on the other hand, insist they are defending minority and cultural rights, saying they are raising concerns about crime, property rights, and what they see as discrimination. They argue that engaging the international community is their democratic right and that they are not trying to overthrow the government but to protect communities they believe are being neglected.
Why South Africans Are Deeply Divided
1. Race and History South Africa’s painful past still shapes today’s politics. Many Black South Africans view international lobbying by these groups as a continuation of apartheid-era thinking, where foreign powers were used to protect minority privilege. Others, mainly within minority communities, feel their concerns are ignored locally and believe going international is their only option.
2. Land and Economic Inequality Land reform and economic transformation remain highly emotional issues. Some see organisations opposing certain policies as trying to block transformation and preserve historical advantages. Others fear that rapid change threatens property rights and economic security.
3. Trust in Government High unemployment, poverty, corruption and failing services have weakened trust in the state. Some citizens believe the government is using AfriForum and Solidarity as scapegoats to distract from its own failures. Others agree with Ramaphosa that foreign lobbying undermines national unity and democratic institutions.
4. National Image and Sovereignty Many South Africans are angry that local groups speak negatively about the country abroad, saying this harms tourism, investment and international standing. At the same time, others argue that exposing problems internationally is a way to force accountability.
Ramaphosa has called on South Africans to defend the Constitution, protect the country’s independence, and resolve differences internally without inviting foreign powers to influence local politics. The debate has now become a symbol of a broader struggle: who controls South Africa’s story, whose interests come first, and how democracy should be defended in a deeply unequal and divided society.
Dr Strive Masiyiwa, the billionaire founder of Econet Global, has revealed a long-standing charitable tradition kept private for decades. For more than 26 years, he has quietly donated millions of dollars to charity every New Year’s Eve.
He described the practice as an “institutionalised” initiative embedded within Econet’s corporate culture. Despite its scale, the tradition has remained largely out of public view.
How the New Year’s Eve Donations Work Writing on LinkedIn, Dr Masiyiwa explained that Econet donates all December 31 revenue to charity each year. He described the day as Econet’s own corporate “Thanksgiving Day.”
The donations support orphaned and vulnerable children across Zimbabwe. The tradition marks December 31, 1997, when the High Court allowed Econet to operate legally.
“I decided to make the 31st of December our own ‘Thanksgiving Day’ by giving all the money we make on that day to charity,” Dr Masiyiwa stated.
Millions Donated Without Publicity Dr Masiyiwa confirmed the donations “generally runs into millions of US dollars.” However, Econet does not issue press statements about the annual giving.
The funds are separate from Higherlife Foundation’s regular endowments. Instead, the foundation distributes the money to child welfare organisations nationwide.
The process remains simple and private within Econet’s leadership. Each year, Econet Zimbabwe CEO Dr Douglas Mboweni reports the total collected.
“You will not find press statements and announcements made at the time. I just directed the management team of the company to do it and every year, the CEO of Econet Zimbabwe, Dr Douglas Mboweni, calls me to say how much has been collected, then we both thank the Lord for using us as vessels to support the needy and that is it,” said Dr Masiyiwa.
The MAGAverse is eagerly anticipating U.S. military action in another foreign nation as top Trump insiders are aligning their messaging.
It started with a statement by Donald Trump himself, who wrote, “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Pete Hegseth reposted Trump’s statement without any words, leading to fringe MAGA ally Laura Loomer celebrating a potential “capture or kill” of a leader there.
“Secretary of War Pete Hegseth just posted President Trump’s Truth Social post about the United States, supporting the people of Iran,” she wrote Saturday. “Perhaps we will see a capture or kill of the Ayatollah. Would be glorious! Death to the Iranian regime!”
Marco Rubio also issued a statement, writing, “The United States supports the brave people of Iran.”
Once again, Loomer noted the unified messaging coming from the administration.
She wrote, “Marco Rubio is a star. He and President Trump will be responsible for the greatest foreign policy wins in decades.”
“Based off the press conference at the White House yesterday, Rubio seems to be President Trump’s new favorite,” she then added.
In a post connected to that one, Loomer added, “Looks like it’s about to go down in Iran.”
“Bye bye Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Khamenei,” the influencer further stated.
“He’s worried about unarmed protesters being shot in Iran, while justifying shooting unarmed protesters here. Trump doesn’t care about freedom for Iran. He cares that Iran has the world’s 4th largest oil reserves.”
NO EMPTY SEATS, ONLY OVERFLOW – ANC STILL LOVED AND TRUSTED BY THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA
The ANC rally in the North West Province at Moruleng Stadium near Rustenburg was a powerful sight. The stadium was completely full, with no empty seats and even overflowing crowds outside, showing massive support from the people.
This huge turnout proves that the ANC is still loved by the majority of South Africans. People came out in numbers because they still believe in the movement that liberated the country from apartheid, brought freedom in 1994, gave South Africans the right to vote, a progressive Constitution, RDP houses, social grants, access to education, healthcare, and opportunities that Black people were denied for generations.
The packed stadium also showed strong support for President Cyril Ramaphosa, with many South Africans still trusting his leadership and believing in his rule to take the country forward, fix the economy, and protect democracy.
A full stadium never lies. The people have spoken: the ANC is still supported, still trusted, and still loved by the masses.
France vs Elon Musk – Why Europe Is Warning About “Foreign Election Interference”
Claims are circulating online that France is preparing to freeze Elon Musk’s assets and even jail him for foreign election interference. While this sounds dramatic, the reality is more about growing political tension between European governments and powerful tech platforms.
French and European Union leaders are increasingly worried about the role of social media in shaping public opinion during elections. With several major elections approaching in Europe, authorities are on high alert about disinformation, coordinated online campaigns, and the ability of foreign actors to influence voters through digital platforms.
Elon Musk, as the owner of X (formerly Twitter), has become central to this debate. Since taking over the platform, he has changed content moderation rules and openly engaged in political discussions, which some European officials believe could allow misleading or manipulative content to spread more easily. They argue that when a global platform with millions of users is involved, even subtle shifts in algorithms or amplification of certain narratives can affect democratic processes.
France has strict laws protecting its elections and national sovereignty. These laws allow investigations into anyone – individual or company – suspected of deliberately interfering in political processes, spreading coordinated disinformation, or undermining democratic institutions. In extreme cases, penalties can include massive fines, restrictions on business operations, or legal action. This is why some commentators are saying that, “in theory,” asset freezes or criminal charges could be possible if wrongdoing were ever proven.
However, it is important to note that there is currently no official case, arrest, or asset seizure against Elon Musk in France. What is happening is political and regulatory pressure. French leaders want to send a strong message that foreign influence, digital manipulation, and unchecked power of tech billionaires will not be tolerated, especially when it comes to elections.
This situation reflects a wider global struggle: • Governments want to protect democracy and national security. • Tech giants control platforms that shape public debate. • Billionaire owners now have influence that rivals that of states.
The clash is not yet a courtroom battle, but a warning shot. Europe is drawing a line and saying that no individual, no matter how wealthy or powerful, should be allowed to influence elections or democratic systems without accountability.
🇺🇸 Steve Bannon Positions Himself for 2028, Raising Questions About Who Will Lead the “America First” Movement After President Donald Trump and Whether a Power Struggle Is Coming Inside the Republican Party
Political insiders in the United States say former White House chief strategist and far-right media figure Steve Bannon is quietly preparing for a possible 2028 presidential run. While no official announcement has been made, his growing political activity, fundraising connections, and media influence are being closely watched as signs that he may be laying the groundwork for a future campaign.
Bannon was one of the main architects of President Donald Trump’s 2016 victory and helped shape the “America First” ideology that now dominates a large section of the Republican Party. Although the two men later clashed, Bannon has since returned as a strong supporter of Trump and remains deeply influential among the party’s populist base.
This has sparked a major question in US political circles: Is Steve Bannon preparing to challenge President Donald Trump, or is he positioning himself as the heir to Trump’s movement?
At present, Bannon is not openly opposing Trump. In fact, he continues to praise him and present him as the central leader of the conservative populist movement. However, the US Constitution limits any president to two elected terms. If Trump completes another term, he would not be able to run again in 2028. This constitutional reality has forced many in the Republican Party to start thinking about who will carry the movement forward when Trump is no longer on the ballot.
Sources say Bannon’s recent moves are less about launching a direct challenge and more about preparing for a post-Trump political landscape. By strengthening his grassroots networks, media platforms, and donor relationships, he is positioning himself either to run as a candidate or to become a powerful kingmaker who decides which figure inherits Trump’s base.
Bannon’s ideology closely mirrors Trump’s: economic nationalism, opposition to globalism, strict immigration policies, and aggressive culture-war politics. Supporters see him as a possible torchbearer who could keep the movement alive. Critics, however, view him as a divisive figure whose rise could deepen political polarization in the country.
For now, there is no official declaration of a 2028 campaign. But the discussions around Bannon signal something bigger: the quiet beginning of a battle over the future of the Republican Party and the “America First” movement once President Donald Trump is no longer able to run. The question is no longer if that transition will come — but who will control it.
Trump seeks $100bn for Venezuela oil, but Exxon boss says country ‘uninvestable’
(BBC) US President Donald Trump has asked for at least $100bn (£75bn) in oil industry spending for Venezuela, but received a lukewarm response at the White House as one executive warned the South American country was currently “uninvestable”.
Bosses of the biggest US oil firms who attended the meeting acknowledged that Venezuela, sitting on vast energy reserves, represented an enticing opportunity.
But they said significant changes would be needed to make the region an attractive investment. No major financial commitments were immediately forthcoming.
Trump has said he will unleash the South American nation’s oil after US forces seized its leader Nicolas Maduro in a 3 January raid on its capital.
“One of the things the United States gets out of this will be even lower energy prices,” Trump said in Friday’s meeting at the White House.
But the oil bosses present expressed caution.
Exxon’s chief executive Darren Woods said: “We have had our assets seized there twice and so you can imagine to re-enter a third time would require some pretty significant changes from what we’ve historically seen and what is currently the state.”
“Today it’s uninvestable.”
Venezuela has had a complicated relationship with international oil firms since oil was discovered in its territory more than 100 years ago.
Chevron is the last remaining major American oil firm still operating in the country.
A handful of companies from other countries, including Spain’s Repsol and Italy’s Eni, both of which were represented at the White House meeting, are also active.
Trump said his administration would decide which firms would be allowed to operate.
“You’re dealing with us directly. You’re not dealing with Venezuela at all. We don’t want you to deal with Venezuela,” he said.
Ramaphosa declares, “The ANC is here to stay” as party marks 114 years
ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has boldly asserted that the African National Congress (ANC) will remain a central force in South African politics for years to come, insisting that the historic liberation movement is “here to stay” as it marked its 114th anniversary.
Speaking today, January 10 at the ANC’s annual January 8 Statement delivered at Moruleng Stadium, outside Rustenburg in the North West, Ramaphosa responded to critics predicting the party’s demise.
“Many have said the ANC is going to die,” he said, referencing doubts about the party’s future amid electoral challenges. “They have said this in the entire 114 years and we are still around. We are going to be around for the next 114 years as the ANC whether they like it or not.”
The address comes as the ANC faces significant political headwinds. After the 2024 general election, the party lost its outright parliamentary majority for the first time since the end of apartheid and now governs through coalition arrangements at national and provincial levels.
Polling and analysts have also pointed to growing public frustration with service delivery failures and socio‑economic challenges, particularly at the local government level.
To counter these pressures, Ramaphosa framed 2026 as a “Year of Decisive Action”, calling on members to reconnect with communities, strengthen grassroots structures, and tackle poor municipal services. He urged party branches to become more active in addressing local problems and warned that inactive branches would be replaced.
The ANC anniversary celebration attended by cadres, alliance partners and diplomatic guests was not only a moment to celebrate history but to set a rejuvenation agenda ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
Ramaphosa emphasised organisational renewal, improved service delivery, and economic transformation as priorities to restore public trust and reinvigorate the party’s relevance.
Despite facing criticism and internal pressure, Ramaphosa’s declaration underlined the ANC’s confidence in its continued role in shaping South Africa’s political future, even as it confronts
A new front in the MAGA civil war opened up over the weekend, as a fringe Donald Trump ally declared war on Tucker Carlson’s brother.
It began when writer Eitan Fischberger posted about Tucker Carlson hosting his brother on his podcast. According to Fischberger, “We’re about to witness Tucker and his alcoholic brother spend three hours projecting their unresolved daddy issues and familial psychodrama onto the American public.”
Buckley Carlson responded to that, writing Saturday, “So glad you will be watching, ‘Eitan!’ Do try and keep your clothes on…and your hands firmly on the keyboard. Can’t recall if we mentioned you specifically by name, but we sure did talk about your kind.”
Notorious Trump ally Laura Loomer, known for having the ear of the president, also picked up on Fischberger’s statement, writing, “The [Turning Point USA] humiliation ritual continues.”
“Tucker’s brother recently accused @tylerbowyer of being a homosexual and often tweets attacks on President Trump and his biggest Allies,” she wrote. “So naturally, Tucker is having him on his show. I’m sure TPUSA will continue platforming Tucker and his associates though. Anything to not have moral clarity. Am I right?”
Buckley Carlson scoffed at the “moral clarity” line, writing, “From a relentless and bloodthirsty cheerleader of genocide, perpetual land-theft, US-focused espionage, blackmail, and extortion.”
“You fear the sunlight, and hate Christians. You can’t even own a firearm, or be signatory to a legally binding contract,” he added. “And, yet, you have access to the WH and Pentagon? Rarely has there been a greater nor more obvious threat to national security. Or, that would be the case if anyone actually took you seriously.”
Loomer then took things even further, telling him to, “Lay off the alcohol.”
“You and your brother are cancer and low life alcoholic losers. If I hate Christians, why did I just pay for a school in Nigeria to be built for persecuted Christian Children whose parents have been murdered by Boko Haram?” the influencer asked. “Your brother said the genocide of Christians in Nigeria was a hoax. Who hates Christians again? You are a complete liar. The entire Carlson family is f—– in the head.”
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said over the weekend that he wants to hold people accountable for the recent ICE actions whether it is before or after Trump leaves office.
Ex-lawyer and journalist Aaron Parnas interviewed Ellison, asking him if there’s a statue of limitations on potential charges against the ICE agent who fired through a car’s window and killed a mother.
Ellison confirmed there is no statute of limitations on a murder case.
“It’s not over just because they say that,” he added, noting that he will be charged when possible, either before or after Trump leaves the office.
🚨 Keith Ellison confirms there are no statute of limitations and they will investigate the ICE officer who shot Renee Good after Trump leaves office if they have to. pic.twitter.com/vrffexzwy7
Government Clamps Down on Luxury Car Purchases and Foreign Travel to Ease Budget Pressure
The Government has signalled a major shift in how public money is spent, moving to rein in the purchase of luxury vehicles and cut back on frequent foreign travel by officials in a bid to ease pressure on the national purse.
The directive falls under the Expenditure Rationalisation pillar of the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
It is aimed at freeing up resources for priority sectors such as healthcare, education, infrastructure and social services.
Luxury Vehicles and Travel Flagged as Major Cost Drivers According to The Herald, over the next five years authorities plan to tighten fiscal discipline by cutting non-essential spending, with luxury cars and frequent foreign trips seen as major sources of waste.
“During NDS2, Government will adopt measures to reduce unnecessary and wasteful public expenditure through significantly curtailing spending on non-essential items such as procurement of luxury vehicles and excessive foreign travel by Government officials,” reads the policy document.
Officials say such spending places an unsustainable burden on the fiscus and diverts funds away from critical national needs.
Strict Guidelines for Vehicle Procurement and Foreign Trips As part of the reforms, the Government will introduce new guidelines limiting the acquisition of vehicles to those strictly required for service delivery and national development.
“Strict guidelines will be implemented to limit the acquisition of Government vehicles to only those essential for service delivery,” the document states.
Foreign travel will also face tighter controls, with trips to be authorised only when they directly contribute to national development priorities.
Redirecting Savings to Priority Sectors The measures are expected to enhance transparency, accountability and responsible use of public funds, while fostering a culture of discipline across all levels of Government.
Savings generated through the reforms will be redirected towards programmes that improve the quality of life for Zimbabweans and support inclusive economic growth.
“By prioritising efficiency and eliminating wasteful spending, Government aims to redirect savings towards programmes that directly benefit the people of Zimbabwe,” reads the NDS2.
Zelenskyy after Oreshnik Ballistic strike: If Russians don’t even try to invent plausible reasons for using such weapons, no personal connections or rhetoric will protect you.
“Oreshnik was used again, this time against Lviv region. This happened demonstrably close to EU borders. From a medium-range ballistic perspective, this poses an equal threat to Warsaw, Bucharest, Budapest, and many other capitals. Everyone needs to understand this equally seriously.
If Russians don’t even try to invent plausible reasons for using such weapons, no personal connections or rhetoric will protect you.
We need a system of joint actions, a system of common defense. Real and effective. Do we have such a system now? A question without an answer. Because everyone in Europe shares the same doubt: will they defend their capital if Putin gets some crazy idea?”
The Venezuela 🇻🇪 acting president Delcy Rodriguez has terminate service of the general who was in charge of Maduro’s security.
The general in command of Venezuela’s presidential honour guard, Javier Marcano Tábata, has been sacked days after Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was seized by US forces in a raid in Caracas and taken to New York to stand trial on narco-terrorism charges.
The presidential honour guard is the military force which provides the bodyguards tasked with protecting the head of state.
The sacked General stands accused of;
• Accepting CIA bribes • Providing U.S special forces with president Maduro exact coordinate • Systematically disabling the anti craft defense protocols • The death of 32 security personnel assigned to Maduro
Gen-javier Marcano Tabata was a close friend of Maduro. He grew up with Maduro, He was most trusted friend. For a bag of dollars, he sold the country & it’s resources.
Same same Story of Sankara and Blaise Compaore, Childhood friends, Grew up together, Took over govt together, Given the highest military honor and in charge of guarding Sankara. Then the eventually fucked him up.
I’ve just condemned the action done by Tonse Alliance against Hon. Given Lubinda.
And now it has emerged that Hon Given Lubinda has charged by writting a letter of exculpation, Hon. Brian Mundubile. The letter has been written through Acting Deputy Secretary General, Celestine Mukandila.
Family this is wrong. Both these actions are wrong looking at the fragility and state of the Party and the Opposition.
Hon. Brian M. Mundubile, MP C/o Patriotic Front Secretariat Lusaka, Zambia
Dear Hon. Mundubile,
RE: EXCULPATORY LETTER – GROSS INDISCIPLINE – YOURSELF
Refer to the above caption.
This letter formally charges you, as a Patriotic Front Central Committee Member (MCC/Member of Parliament), with violating the 2007 Constitution. As an MCC/MP, you owe the highest fiduciary duty to the Party, yet your actions constitute a gross breach of constitutional authority and trust. You are hereby charged with serious breaches of the Patriotic Front (PF) Constitution and Regulations, as follows:
**1. Unsubstantiated Accusations Against Party Leadership:** You made false claims via a Facebook statement on that the party leadership is scheming to expel you and your campaign team to bar your intra-party election candidacy-claims with no factual basis. This violates Regulation 29(h) (spreading false information injuring the party’s or its officials’ reputation) and Article 15(g) (obligation to fight against conduct harming the party).
2. Establishing Parallel Structures:** Under your watch, your campaign team is purposefully promoting division by creating parallel party structures contrary to party regulations, violating Article 20 (party structure based on democratic principles of unified, elective organs) and Regulation 43 (requirement for all party organs to be registered with the Secretary-General).
3. Breach of Public Event Protocols:** Likewise, you deliberately violated established protocols by attending an illegal Tonse Alliance meeting without the authority of the Party President and Acting Deputy Secretary Generals, contravening Regulation 29(d) (disobeying party organ directives.)
4. Unauthorized Recognition of Dismissed Members:** You have continued to recognize individuals dismissed from party positions by the President, violating Article 13 (prohibiting leaders from acting contrary to party authority) and Article 58(c) (Central Committee’s mandate to enforce discipline and regulate party organ activities).
These actions undermine party unity, disregard hierarchical authority, harm the PF’s integrity, and disrupt organizational order. You are required to submit a written exculpatory statement **within 7 days** to the Disciplinary Committee, per Regulation 100(1). Failure to respond constitutes acceptance.
Post-response, a decision will be rendered promptly, with appeal rights to Central Committee, National Council, or General Conference (Regulation 99).
As an MCC, you are entrusted to uphold the Constitution. This charge enforces accountability to protect the Party’s unity and mission.
Yours sincerely,
Celestin M. Mukandila **ACTING DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL – ADMINISTRATION**
Cc: The Party President Cc: Acting National Chairperson Cc: Acting Deputy Secretary General – Political Cc: Disciplinary Committee.
Opposition Fighting One Another, Destroying Prospects for an Opposition Win in 2026
Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba Wrote;
President Hakainde Hichilema’s targeted and focused aim from day one, has been to prevent the Patriotic Front from participating in the 2026 General Elections.
To this end, Hichilema has infiltrated and hijacked the Party by installing a surrogate in expelled Mafinga MP, Robert Chabinga.
Using the Constitutional Court, he banned former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu by removing his eligibility to participate in the 2026 elections.
He jailed ECL’s underlings, bought some of his MPs, harrassed his supporters and attempted to demobilise and decamp the party structures of the Patriotic Front.
Although this was a clear attack on democracy, the larger members of the Opposition did not help. Instead they thought the dearth and death of the PF will benefit them and they began to scavenge on its members.
At this stage, the PF and the Opposition is so infiltrated and driven by greed that it no longer needs Hichilema to finally destroy it.
Therefore activities happening in Tonse Alliance are at best, shocking and at worst, typifying the confusion and paralysis that has gripped the Opposition.
Our brothers and sisters in Tonse Alliance say they have expelled the Patriotic Front party led by the Given Lubinda faction but will work with the “ECL grouping”.
FACT: Zambia’s Sixth President, Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, left Given Lubinda as Acting President of Patriotic Front – PF and Chairperson of the Tonse Alliance.
So what ECL grouping are they refering to other than the action of using the name of ECL in vain?
Further, the only PF faction abhored with angry disdain by our people, is one led by expelled Mafinga MP, Robert Chabinga, which is deemed as a surrogate and illegal weed entity of President Hakainde Hichilema undermining the Opposition and attempting to destroy democracy.
So what are our brothers in Tonse saying or doing by expelling Given Lubinda?
It must be stated clearly, that what’s happening in Tonse is a coup d’état and unconstitutional changes against a legitimate leader, Given Lubinda.
Therefore it should be an act of treachery, backstabbing, deciet and disloyalty if members of the Patriotic Front seconded to Tonse Alliance are/were plotting and participating in such a process as they would be encouraging, revolt, insurrection and mutiny against their own leader.
The fights and infighting in the Opposition are exhausting and saddening to watch.
I wish members of the Opposition recognised the faith our people have in them, spent as much time in fighting the Goliath in the room, President Hakainde Hichilema as they do within themselves as the body of the Opposition is highly infiltrated, weakened and may present a feeble challenge against Hichilema in the 2026 general election.
The general election is a few months away and everyone is aware of lack of time and urgency of the task ahead but it appears except the Opposition!
To snatch and win the 2026 election will require strong leadership, expansive resources to canvas and galvanise the antipathy and disapproval feelings of Zambians against the President Hichilema.
Further there is immense resources required to monitor, man and secure the votes from the 12,152 polling stations across the country looking at the violent and manipulation the UPND has been engaged in by-elections to steal the vote, and steal the Will of the people.
Zambians are very desperate, seeking to end their misery, and are constantly searching for a leader to emerge from a lot that apparently appears lost and infiltrated.
It’s amazing but distressing to watch how members of the Opposition spend countless hours in; making phone calls, holding meetings and spending resources fighting one another, leaving Hichilema to have a sound, proud and peaceful walk in the Park.
Maybe the body of the Opposition is so infiltrated that this is the intention!
Have you noticed that everytime there is an Opposition process to pick a leader how there is intense attacks against the process? Whether it is in PF, UKA, Tonse or United Front?
Its all sponsored.
Anyway…
Just give us a signal so that we tell the Zambians that you most members of the Opposition are actually, part of Hichilema’s grand schemes,so that we call you out!
ECZ, WHAT DID YOU INTEND TO DO WITH THE EXCESS 1,788,405 BETWEEN ANNOUNCED AND ACTUAL FIGURES OF REGISTERED VOTERS?
Chishala Kateka – President, New Heritage Party 10 January 2026
The New Heritage Party has, since the last election, been issuing concern and caution, to the nation, with regard to the composition of the Electoral Commission of Zambia and its unlikely ability to deliver transparent, credible, free and fair elections.
We have issued statements, written to the Zambia Centre for Inter Party Dialogue, written to the Minister of Justice and had a meeting with ECZ itself. These efforts have not availed any positive results.
I am now alerting Zambians to the fact that ECZ is compromised and will not be able to conduct a transparent, credible, free and fair election.
At tables 5 and 6: Provisional Figure of Total Registered Voters, on page 6 of the Update on Final Statistics of the Mass Registration of Voters speech by the CEO of ECZ, Mr. Brown Kasaro, a figure of 8,861,918 was reported as being Total Registered Voters. As a result, Opposition and the public, have been basing calculations on this figure. A case in point being the very informative Muhabi Lungu articles.
Tucked away on the ECZ Website is a very detailed document entitled ‘Registered Voters Per Polling Station’. The total number of registered voters here, is only 7,073,513!!
Granted, the figure in the speech by the CEO was “provisional”, however a differential of 1,788,405 in the number of registered voters, a significant and whopping 25.28% variance from the actual, surely should be a cause of concern to any perceptive person even if not savvy with statistics.
New Heritage Party now asks:
1. What is the explanation of such a large differential of 1,788,405 between announced and actual figures? 2. Why has Mr. Kasaro not come forward to indicate to the nation that this significant 25.28% differential exists? The fact surely has not escaped him that people are relying on his earlier erroneous figures.
3. At what point, if at all, was he going to do so? 4. If Opposition did not become aware of this audacious differential, what did ECZ intend to do with it? Claim another hollow landslide victory?
Opposition, there is a very great need to focus on the real systemic threat to the issue of pooling resources to defend the democracy in our nation. We can only do this by being alert, defending our vote and working together. Those in power will not stop at anything to steal the vote.
As we stated before, elections are won way way before elections and we now need to begin dismantling the web that they have spun. We certainly will not do so while we are so divided and quibbling about who becomes president – for if we continue on this trajectory, none of us shall succeed.
Elections will be lost before even the first ballot is cast. How was Opposition going to undo a 1,788,405 head-start?
IF OPPOSITION DON’T UNITE, VOTERS WILL UNITE: A CLEAR PATH FOR THE OPPOSITION INTO AUGUST ELECTIONS
A KBN TV EDITORIAL
While we continue to watch endless drama unfolding in the PF with only seven (7) months remaining to the general elections, it’s comforting to see that not all hope is lost for the opposition.
There are a few individuals who chose a solid path to make progress at the expense of being misunderstood. It’s very regrettable to read of a plot to expel Brian Mundubile from the PF at such a critical time when the opposition should be uniting.
His decision to disengage from the so called PF Conclave says alot about the fractions within the former ruling party and the opposition in general. At this stage, there would be nothing wrong for recognisable figures such as Brian Mundubile, Makebi Zulu, Mutotwe Kafwaya, George Chisanga, Francis Kapyanga, Chifumu Banda, Dorica Banda, John Sangwa, Binwell Mpundu, Sakwiba Sikota and others, to team up with stable parties like Citizens First led by Harry Kalaba…
With 7 months to the next election, Kalaba is undeniably steady, focused, progressive, recognisable, and widespread. His path and resolve is clear. There is no need at this 11th hour for these leaders with massive experience to continue in a tussle for power when they can form the next Cabinet by uniting themselves with Citizens First, a party that seems less contested or embroiled in shaky alliances.
The party is not tainted, they don’t have internal squabbles, the leadership structure is firm and solid and could most definitely benefit from collaborative numbers instead of being absorbed in competitive maneuvers to outwit each other against the clock of time that’s running against them..
Similarly, WOZA lost Socialist Party leader Dr. Fred M’membe to the People’s Pact. At an individual level, WOZA lost Siamunene who has since formed his own party. They lost Bob Sichinga who was recently named one of the five (5) Vice Presidents under the People’s Pact.
Tonse Aliiance on the other hand, lost People’s Pact, lost National Congress Party (NCP) and most recently Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP). Recently, PF was evicted from Tonse Alliance and lost its legitimacy as the anchor Party of the Tonse Alliance. All these movements put together is nothing short of political circus.
What Zambians want is a resolved opposition that rises above factions and individualism to provide a clear path of collective effort into the August 2026 general elections. Time doesn’t wait for anyone!
The opportunistic approaches we are witnessing in the opposition camp leaves so much room for the ruling party, if they so wished, to sponsor more chancers, sellouts and opportunists and cause more confusion as election date looms
When Harry Kalaba left UKA for lack of progress, he was labled as power hungry and self centred. With hindsight, we can give Harry the credit for being resolute and foresighted to focus on building Countrywide structures in all districts and provinces.
Today, Citizens First is looking more organised and structured because they didn’t see the value of spending time in endless meetings in Lusaka fighting over who should be the flag bearer. Zambians can now see that Citizens First and Harry Kalaba in particular, will be a serious challenge to President Hakainde Hichilema in August this year.
All these leaders put together can command an unstoppable opposition force if Zambia and Zambians mattered to them. However, the position that some opposition members of Parliament took over Bill 7 on 15th December, 2025, and if the allegations of bribes are true, demonstrated selfish interests over the desire of majority citizens who objected the obnoxious Bill to be passed into Law.
We can deduce most of these politicians are in it for self preservation. This could explain why the opposition is failing to unite and rally behind a single candidate.
What the likes of Harry Kalaba needs, is support. If he can’t get it from fellow opposition members, he should at least get it from Zambian voters who are tired of waiting for a united opposition.
THE Electoral Commission of Zambia has issued a stern reminder to all political parties, candidates and campaign teams involved in the Chawama Parliamentary by-election scheduled for 15th January, 2026, and the ongoing Kasama Mayoral by-election, to strictly adhere to the law governing the use of campaign regalia.
The Commission says it has observed with concern that some political parties and individuals who are not participating in the respective by-elections are engaging in campaign-related activities while displaying party colours, symbols and regalia, a practice that risks misleading voters, creating unnecessary tension and undermining the credibility and orderliness of the electoral process.
ECZ Chief Electoral Officer Brown Kasaro has emphasised that the law is clear that only duly participating political parties and candidates are permitted to use their registered symbols, colours and campaign materials during the by-election period, adding that the Commission will not hesitate to take appropriate action against any violations.
Mr Kasaro says the guidance is meant to prevent voter confusion and safeguard the integrity of the electoral process, urging all stakeholders in Chawama and Kasama to fully comply with the law and the Commission’s directives.
The Tonse Alliance today convened a meeting of the Council of Leaders (CoL) and resolved as follows:
1. *Authority of Alliance Leadership* It must be clearly and firmly restated that President Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s final political act within the Tonse Alliance was to pronounce that the Acting President of the Patriotic Front would also act as Chairperson of the Alliance. That decision remains valid and binding. Consequently, any individual purporting to assume or exercise the position of Alliance Chairperson outside this pronouncement is acting fraudulently and must be ignored with the contempt such conduct deserves.
2. *UPND Interference and Disruption* The UPND has deliberately and persistently chosen to sponsor confusion, discord, and interference in democratic processes and in efforts to foster unity within the Patriotic Front and the Tonse Alliance. These actions are calculated and malicious. However, Tonse shall not be distracted by such machinations. Our focus remains unwavering, strengthening internal unity, defending democratic principles, and advancing the collective interests of our members and the Zambian people.
3. *Breakaway Elements* The Council of Leaders takes note of individuals and groups that have broken away from the Alliance. This matter shall be addressed conclusively after the Chawama and Kasama by-elections.
4. *Opposition Unity* The Patriotic Front under President Given Lubinda as the anchor party of the Alliance, remains resolute and determined to build a united opposition in Zambia. This is the clear demand of the Zambian people, and Tonse shall not be distracted from this national duty.
5. *Chawama and Kasama By-Elections* The Tonse Alliance calls upon all partner parties and members, from now until the 15th and 28th of January 2026 when the Chawama and Kasama by-elections will be held respectively, to direct all energy, resources, and mobilisation efforts towards securing victory for our two Tonse candidates.
Those masquerading as leaders while deliberately sowing confusion within the Patriotic Front and the Tonse Alliance must be rejected outright. Their conduct is reckless, self-serving, and inimical to the unity required to liberate the Zambian people from the draconian and oppressive reign of the UPND. History will judge them harshly for betraying the people’s hope and undermining a collective struggle for national redemption.
6. *Vote Buying and Abuse of State Resources* In light of the UPND’s blatant abuse of public resources through the distribution of mealie meal and other foodstuffs, the Tonse Alliance calls upon the electorates of Chawama and Kasama to revive the proven 2011 “Don’t Kubeba” strategy.
*7. Next Council of Leaders Meeting* Consistent with principled and predictable leadership, the Tonse Alliance reaffirms the resolution of the Council of Leaders meeting held on 18th December 2025, that the next Council of Leaders meeting shall be held on 20th January 2026. However, in view of the by-election in Kasama, the next COL meeting is rescheduled to the 31st of January 2026. This meeting shall continue the agreed process of reviewing the Tonse Constitution. Any attempt to convene this meeting earlier constitutes an act of dishonesty and political treachery.
*8. FRA Payments and Food Security* The Tonse Alliance expresses grave concern over the glaring contradictions within the UPND government regarding delayed FRA payments to peasant farmers. While the Minister of Finance blames commercial banks, the Minister of Information attributes the delays to electricity importation. Notwithstanding good rainfall, these failures threaten reduced crop yields in 2026 and amount to government-induced starvation of the Zambian people.
*9. Harassment of Archbishop Alick Banda* The Tonse Alliance strongly condemns the continued harassment and intimidation of Archbishop Alick Banda by the weaponised Zambia Police and UPND political operatives. Such actions will not deter the Alliance. Whenever Archbishop Banda is summoned by state agents, the Tonse Alliance shall mobilise and escort him in solidarity. Intimidation of the clergy and abuse of state power will not silence the people.
10. Suppression of Opposition and Final Warning The UPND and President Hakainde Hichilema entered their final year in government on 12th August 2025. From inception of the UPND rule, the main opposition has been denied the right to hold rallies. With only seven months remaining before the next general elections, the Tonse Alliance hereby puts the regime on notice: any further attempts to suppress mobilisation and democratic engagement shall be met with equal and proportionate response. Enough is enough.
11. The Tonse Alliance Council of Leaders passes its sincere condolences to its member and Tonse Spokesperson Ephraim Shakafuswa on the passing of his dear mother. May her soul rest in eternal peace.
We’re wasting time treating PF as an opposition when it’s not even opposition. It’s a side chick of UPND. The voting in parliament already shows that.
The first faction and legal holder of PF is Chabinga; he’s the only one who can issue certificates for anyone to stand for an election. He’ll hold onto those papers until election day with the support of his boyfriend, UPND. He carrying a number of MP wisshing to be readopted on PF or UPND.There is no doubt even in a foolish mind that Chabinga is UPND; so no opposition from PF in 2026 elections.
The second faction of PF, which doesn’t have papers, the busy fighting amongst themselves for their members blessing. Even if they had the papers, they’re in a mess they’ve failed to resolve for passed 3 years, and you think they’ll sort it out in 3 months? Do you see them agreeing? Can we at least be intelligent. They will be no convection mark my words.Their disagreements and indecision will be evident even on election day. General elections are not joke to going like that. So, no opposition from PF.
These two scenarios only help UPND win 2026 with a landslide. PF should now should be considered part of UPND, either by the foolishness of Chabinga or the dullness of the Lubinda group’s failed attempt to work together. The may have the numbers in members but they wont participate with current status. They have the largest number of oppositions MPs? Those MPs 80% is it 55 are now UPND.
In the end, one plus one is two, regardless of what you’re feeling. These two PF factions, knowingly or unknowingly, are working to reelect UPND. It’s just the truth. From now on, any opposition leader should consider PF part of UPND. Leave PF and join other parties, unless you’re supporting UPND, which is also your choice.
WE HAVE REMOVED GIVEN LUBINDA’s LED PF-TONSE FACTION
TONSE ALLIANCE SETS GENERAL CONGRESS DATE, EXPELS PF FROM ALLIANCE
The Tonse Alliance has announced dates for its elective General Congress while formally expelling the Patriotic Front (PF) from the opposition grouping, citing a lack of vision and persistent internal confusion within the party.
Speaking at a Press briefing this afternoon Tonse Alliance caretaker Danny Pule said nominations for positions ahead of the General Congress will close on 20th January 2026, while the elective General Congress will be held on 31st January 2026.
Mr. Pule confirmed that the PF is no longer a member of the alliance, stating that the party had failed to make any meaningful contribution since joining Tonse.
He accused the PF’s current leadership of lacking a clear vision to address the challenges facing Zambians.
He said instead of providing practical solutions, the PF had brought confusion and promoted divisions among alliance members.
“The Patriotic Front has nothing to offer this alliance. Their leaders lack vision and have only contributed confusion since joining us,” Mr. Pule said.
He added that the Tonse Alliance prefers to work with political parties that are focused and united, rather than what he described as an arrogant party that has failed to resolve its own internal wrangles.
Mr. Pule further disclosed that during the signing of the alliance’s new constitution an event that saw additional political parties join members agreed to hold a convention this month to elect new alliance leadership, including the Tonse Alliance’s 2026 presidential candidate.
“PF is no longer part of the alliance. They are gone. Let them sort out their internal problems. As Tonse Alliance, we have nothing to do with them,” Mr. Pule said.
The meeting was attended by alliance big wigs that included FDD president Chufumu Banda, ZMP leader Kelvin Bwalya Fube, Dr Lawrence Mwelwa , former PF General Secretary Davies Mwila, Chris Zumani Zimba, Umodzi Kumawa spokesperson Chanoda Ngwira among others.
WEAPONISING THE PULPIT: WHY CLAIMS AGAINST PRESIDENT HICHILEMA ARE RECKLESS AND DANGEROUS
The recent statement attributed to Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) President, Archbishop Ignatius Chama, alleging that President Hakainde Hichilema is using State apparatus to “threaten, humiliate and persecute” Lusaka Archbishop Dr. Alick Banda is not only alarming but deeply irresponsible, misleading, and injurious to national cohesion.
To suggest, without evidence, that the life of Archbishop Banda is in danger at the hands of the Head of State is a grave accusation that ought not to be made casually, emotionally, or for rhetorical effect. Such claims inflame public sentiment, erode trust in state institutions, and recklessly place the nation on edge.
Rule of Law Is Not Persecution
At the heart of this matter is a simple and inconvenient truth: Zambia is a constitutional democracy governed by the rule of law. No citizen, cleric or lay, bishop or president, is above the law. The summoning of Archbishop Banda by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) over issues relating to a gift, regardless of when the matter arose or whether the gift was returned, does not in itself constitute persecution. Law enforcement agencies are mandated to investigate matters where questions of legality arise. To portray lawful inquiry as political victimisation is to dangerously undermine the independence of investigative institutions. If the Church insists that Archbishop Banda has no case to answer, then the appropriate forum to establish that innocence is through due process, not radio stations, press statements, or apocalyptic narratives.
The Dangerous Politics of Victimhood
Archbishop Chama’s framing of this issue as a personal political vendetta between President Hichilema and Archbishop Banda is speculative and unsupported. Even more troubling is the attempt to paint the President as a tyrant bent on eliminating a religious leader using state machinery. This narrative is not only unproven; it is reckless.
Zambia has a painful history of political instability fueled by exaggerated rhetoric. To invoke threats to life, biblical analogies of Cain and Abel, and imagery of persecution, without a shred of tangible evidence, is to play politics with fear and faith. The pulpit must never become a platform for political sensationalism.
Separation of Church, State, and Accountability
The Catholic Church occupies a respected and influential position in Zambia’s social fabric. That moral authority, however, comes with responsibility. When Church leaders appear to shield their own from lawful scrutiny, or suggest that clerical status confers immunity from investigation, they risk eroding the very moral high ground they claim to occupy. Dialogue is important, yes, but dialogue cannot replace accountability. Nor can it be used as a shield against the application of the law.
Who Truly Threatens National Well-being?
Ironically, it is not President Hichilema who threatens the well-being of the country in this episode. It is the careless escalation of a legal matter into a national crisis by senior Church officials. By asserting that no one can “tell the President” that this situation is harmful, Archbishop Chama ignores the reality of Zambia’s democratic checks and balances, free media, independent courts, and vibrant civil society. Zambia is not a dictatorship, and such insinuations are both dishonest and destabilising.
Zambians deserve calm leadership, not alarmist pronouncements. If Archbishop Banda has been wronged, the courts are open. If the state has overreached, evidence must be presented. But to leap from a lawful investigation to claims of assassination plots and existential threats is to abandon reason for rhetoric. Faith must unite, not divide. Leadership, whether political or spiritual, must be exercised with restraint, truthfulness, and respect for the rule of law. Let the law take its course. Let the Church pray. And let Zambia be spared the politics of manufactured fear.
HON. BRIAN MUNDUBILE SUSPENDED FROM PF FACTION LED BY GIVEN LUBINDA.
The Given Lubinda led PF have decided to suspend Hon. Brian Mundubile from the PF faction, citing indiscipline. According to inside sources, the decision is motivated by the Mundubile groups formation of campaign structures in provinces that are parallel to existing PF structures.
Meanwhile, sources have also indicated that the Lubinda group that includes Hon. Miles Sampa, Matero MP is expected to meet at Eagles Nest in Lusaka and issue a statement affirming that Lubinda is still TONSE Alliance Chairperson and has not been expelled from the Alliance as suggested by Dr. Chris Zumani Zimba, TONSE Alliance National Coordinator and Dr. Danny Pule, TONSE National Vice Chairperson.
ECONOMIST BACKS NEW IMF PROGRAMME FOR FLEXIBILITY AND GROWTH
ECONOMIST Dr. Lubinda Haabazoka has welcomed the government’s decision to seek a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, highlighting its importance for creating budgetary flexibility, particularly during an election year.
Dr. Haabazoka states that this move shows the government’s commitment to balancing priorities and managing the evolving economy.
He has acknowledged that the current program has aided Zambia in improving its macroeconomic fundamentals and restructuring debt.
Dr. Haabazoka explains that a new programme with more favorable terms could give the government the necessary breathing room to implement reforms aimed at stimulating economic growth.
He notes that with inflation under control and a stable exchange rate, Zambia is in a strong position to negotiate a program that aligns with its economic agenda.
Dr. Haabazoka views the government’s plan to use a new programme to spur growth, enhance debt management, and boost investor confidence as a positive development.
Recently, Minister of Finance and National Planning Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane has revealed that the government will complete the sixth and final review of the Extended Credit Facility, which began in 2022, before engaging the IMF on a successor programme.
IT IS clear now that some elements within the ruling party in the system are pushing the United Party for National Development (UPND) towards exiting government in August, United Progressive Party (UPP) president Dr Saviour Chishimba has said.
Dr Chishimba said the route the UPND had taken was clear that even the system was fed up with those in leadership, hence helping them to quickly exit government in August.
He wondered why a reasonable government would prioritise a K50,000 investigation, ignoring a US$20billion.
“UPND has made history as the most childish and fiendish government. They leave US$20BN money laundering cases and go for a car that the suspect never ever stole. It clearly looks like there are some elements in the system that are pushing the UPND on an accelerated path to failure and exit from government in the next 8 months,” he said.
Dr Chishimba said it was sad that the UPND had wasted public funds, manpower, equipment, and time to summon a charismatic Catholic Archbishop to record a warn and caution statement against a vehicle he never stole from the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA).
“The UPND’s abuse of the Drug Enforcement Commission is not only childish and fiendish, but also an act of naked retaliation and persecution of the Catholic Church and an affront against the nation’s Christian foundation,” he said.
He said it was common knowledge that priests and pastors receive gifts from their followers, and it was therefore unthinkable for any government to persecute them over processes that were done by the government itself.
“Summoning a hardworking Archbishop of a pro-poor Catholic Church under the anti-money laundering unit of DEC is a national embarrassment, especially that there is no prosecutable crime. If it cared, the UPND should have been making headlines for summoning the real culprits whose economic crimes are crippling the economy,” he said.
Dr Chishimba urged the government to be sincere in the manner it was governing the country, warning that the approach of divide and rule would crush those in power..
“As of 2021, our country lost US$9.3 billion, cumulatively, in illicit financial flows. In 2022 alone, our country lost another ZMW105 billion in misappropriations. In 2023, Zambia lost US$2.8 billion in illicit financial flows. In 2024, our country lost another US$3.5 billion in more illicit financial flows under the UPND’s watch,” he said.
He said the directionless the UPND government had taken on various matters of national interest was hurting Zambians.
“To be clear, the directionless UPND party of economic hitmen in government has presided over much hunger, hardship, and over taxation of the already heavily taxed and impoverished people,” he said.
PF faction Acting Deputy Secretary General Miles Sampa has told Danny Pule to “go to hell” as no one can tell the former ruling party what to do.
Meanwhile, Sampa says the PF council of elders has advised the party to reduce the number of candidates standing for presidency to harmonise the process of selecting a leader.
On Wednesday, Pule who is Tonse faction vice-chairman banned the use of PF regalia during the on-going Chawama parliamentary by-election and Kasama mayoral by-election for the alliance candidate.
In an interview, Friday, Sampa said no one could tell the PF what to wear.
“We have no time for time wasters, no one can tell us what to wear. As a matter of fact, we are going to Chawama with our regalia bushe ni regalia ya nyina (is it his mother’s regalia). Did they buy it? Do they even have a regalia themselves? We have no time for time wasters, they can go to hell you must tell them I said so.
We are PF, we are Tonse. Tonse is PF, PF is Tonse. As a matter of fact, we are deliberating tomorrow, we are holding the Tonse Council of leaders tomorrow, we are holding a meeting. Tonse was created by ECL, PF is ECL, Tonse is ECL. So, whoever thinks ECL left them with the right they can run with them, we are not stopping them. We are Tonse and we are PF. And we will campaign in Chawama, that’s our candidate there,” he said.
“They can do whatever they want. They can proclaim and ban, they can do it a hundred times, that’s their business not ours. They can call themselves whatever they want. They have broken away from Tonse, It’s up to them. They can go with the break away, the one ball better parties, with due respect we are PF, we are Tonse, whatever they decide to do, if they decide to break away goodbye to them, we shall not miss them”.
Meanwhile, Sampa said the discussions to have only two-party candidates was not a substitute for the convention.
“The idea is to harmonise the process. The idea is to come up with one candidate. The easier the process can be done, the better. There are many ways to get to that position, so this is just one of the ways suggested to us by senior citizens, concerned senior citizens of the country and its people. And also, the council of elders of the Patriotic Front. Among its members there is Ba Inonge Wina, Dr Charles Banda, former Education Minister Wanchinga, former Chairperson of PF Samuel Mukupa, and many others I cannot disclose at the moment. So this is not a substitute for the convention. The convention will take place. That’s what the constitution of the PF say that’s what the constitution of Zambia says. It’s finding a smooth way towards there. We want, when we get the Convention, there is harmony,” Sampa said.
He added that there were negotiations for some candidates to pull out of the race.
“We don’t want people fighting, and we don’t want the party to break into pieces after that. If we can harmonise in the beginning, if there are those, we narrow down. So, we are talking and telling each other, ‘Mwana Iwe, maybe just pull out, what you think?’. We’re caucusing, and if they agree, hopefully one can pull out or we reduce each other. But that’s just caucusing, it’s not a binding process. It’s just a process of getting there.
We might want to consider also looking at MPs also to have a say, councillors to have a say. It’s still in the process to get us there. But ultimately the party structures, we have to cast votes. Even this conclave, it’s just non-binding. So if one candidate is not the one that makes it, if he wants to stand at the convention, they have the right to do that. It’s just a way of us trying to make sure we harmonise the process. We are brothers, at the end of the day, of the same family called PF,” Sampa said.
Sampa further said choosing a PF leader should not leave the party divided.
“Even when we’re trying to choose a leader amongst us, it should not leave us disunited or leave us in charters. The idea is we don’t want anyone to feel short changed. Before, that’s what happened. Some of us have been victims where you feel like you have been short changed. So, we want the process parameters agreed and narrowed down, then we’ve got the coalition. In the USA, when the Republicans or Democrats are holding their conventions through the process, by the time they are going to the actual event, you already know Trump has made it. You already know Biden has made it, or Hillary Clinton has made it, or Kamala Harris has made it, so it’s a process. By the time you are arriving, you just ratify with the board. Unlike what we are doing, you arrive there, you don’t know all of it. Then you end up creating factions amongst the members,” said Sampa.
“So, we are trying to minimise that. So that’s what we are trying to do. So the conclave is not only one. We just had the second one yesterday. So we might even have 10 of them, It’s an ongoing process. Until we arrive at the point where everyone has agreed to the process. Maybe we can cast a vote amongst ourselves to come up with that person. But make no mistake, whoever doesn’t make it in the conclave, and if you agree with them, you’ll be free to go and stand with them at the convention. But when you look into a point where we all agree ‘okay, we will support you’. As candidates, we source that person indirectly and take that person to the convention, that’s the process”.
BRIEFING | 2026 People’s Pact Launched as M’membe Escalates Opposition Messaging
The 2026 People’s Pact was formally launched this week after organisers were forced to change venues, a move leaders of the alliance described as interference by authorities. The launch brings together a loose coalition of opposition figures, smaller political parties, and civic actors positioning themselves as an alternative platform ahead of the August 2026 general elections.
The event drew a mix of political and civic personalities, including former Copperbelt University vice chancellor Prof. Naison Ngoma, Movement for Change and Equality (M4CE) president Kaluba Simuyemba, veteran public servant and economic strategist Robert Sichinga, and United for Better Zambia (UBZ) party president Apostle Hector Sondo.
The group forms the leadership spine of the Pact, with Fred M’membe serving as its president.
Addressing supporters, Fred M’membe framed the People’s Pact as more than a conventional electoral alliance, describing it as a “national movement for justice, dignity, and democratic renewal.”
He cast the platform as a response to what he called deepening social and economic distress, telling the gathering, “I stand before you today, not as a man seeking power but as a Zambian who has witnessed too much suffering, too much injustice, too much humiliation.”
M’membe’s speech leaned heavily on economic and governance themes, accusing the current administration of failing to deliver jobs, weakening national sovereignty, and presiding over growing poverty. He also raised concerns about democratic backsliding, pointing to what he described as compromised institutions, a politicised judiciary, and reduced tolerance for dissent. These claims mirror broader opposition narratives that have intensified since mid-2025.
National unity featured prominently in the Pact’s messaging. M’membe condemned what he termed “tribal rhetoric from high offices” and positioned the alliance as a cross-ethnic project, arguing that economic justice and dignity must cut across regional and political divides. The language was deliberately inclusive, aimed at differentiating the Pact from older opposition formations often associated with factional or regional identities.
The launch also carried symbolic undertones linked to recent political tensions. M’membe called on government to ensure what he described as a dignified burial for former president Edgar Chagwa Lungu, arguing that how a nation treats its dead reflects its moral standing.
The reference taps into ongoing disputes surrounding Lungu’s legacy and the opposition’s broader framing of respect, dignity, and historical memory.
From a strategic standpoint, the People’s Pact enters an already crowded and fragmented opposition space. Its emergence comes as other alliances, including Tonse Alliance, undergo internal realignments and as established parties grapple with leadership disputes and legal constraints. Whether the Pact can move beyond rhetoric into nationwide mobilisation remains an open question.
What is clear is that the launch signals an escalation in opposition messaging as the election year gathers pace. By centring its appeal on justice, dignity, and democratic renewal, the People’s Pact is seeking to occupy moral and ideological ground rather than immediate numerical strength.
Its impact will depend on whether it can translate that positioning into organisational reach, voter registration influence, and sustained visibility beyond symbolic launches.
