I’M THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN APPOINT SUCCESSOR TO LUNGU’S DAUGHTER IN CHAWAMA – LUBINDA
GIVEN Lubinda says he is the only one with the authority to select who should succeed Tasila Lungu in Chawama. Meanwhile, PF presidential candidate Chishimba Kambwili, who spoke in Bemba says National Congress Party is not part of PF and should not be recognised.
Speaking during a rally in Chawama, Tuesday, Lubinda who spoke in Nyanya said anyone who wears Tasila or Lungu’s picture and is not part of Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) is a thief.
“When you see anyone who is not part of FDD and is moving around with a picture of Tasila Lungu, moving around with a picture of [former president] Edgar Lungu, just know he is a thief. Because Edgar Lungu left the seat for her”
DAVIES MWILA ADVISES PF MPS BACKING UPND TO ‘EAT WITH RESPECT’
Former Patriotic Front Secretary General Davies Mwila has advised pf members of parliament who have aligned themselves with the UPND administration to do so with respect and refrain from making unsubstantiated claims against their former party.
Mr. Mwila’s remarks come after PF Chama south MP Davison Mung’andu attended President Hakainde Hichilema’s rally in Choma, where he made claims that the PF had intentionally destroyed everything to make the President fail his first term.
Reacting to these claims in an interview with Phoenix News, Mr. Mwila has described Mr. Mung’andu’s comments as misrepresenting the PF’s development record and an attempt to justify the ruling party’s failure to deliver on its promises.
He argues that the PF delivered projects and services during its time in office, and tangible achievements are still appreciated by people.
Mr. Mwila says the practice of opposition figures praising the UPND highlights weaknesses in the ruling party’s own record, urging citizens to wait for the 2026 polls to assess claims of superior performance.
OUTSPOKEN Democratic Union President Ackim Antony Njobvu says no sane or sober person would vote for the UPND because of the statement attributed to President Hakainde Hichilema in Choma.
And Njobvu has condemned President Hichilema’s utterances where he allegedly said Southern Province would suffer if the UPND loses power in 2026, sparking outrage.
Njobvu calls the statement “divisive” and “careless”, urging HH to retract it.
“I am beginning to feel ashamed that HH is our President,” he said, adding that the remark embarrasses Zambia internationally.
Njobvu emphasises that the President should promote unity, not divisions, ahead of the elections.
The opposition leader charges that HH’s statement could fuel regional hatred and predicts the UPND will struggle to win votes.
“How can the President be predicting divisions after 2026 elections? That is very unfortunate coming from the highest office expected to be promoting peace and unity which we have been preaching,” he said.
Njobvu adds that no sober or sane person would vote for the UPND in the forthcoming elections.
Meanwhile, President Hichilema has declared 2026 a “must-win” election, citing his administration’s achievements, including free education, increased Constituency Development Fund allocations, and meal allowances for students.
He urges voters to judge his government by its work and support the UPND for continued development.
I sometimes think the Tonga should tell all politicians to stop dragging them into their battles.
It used to be Kambwili making them the target of his vitriol, against HH!
Now, it’s President Hichilema making them an extension of himself. Making very unthought through remarks in Choma, yesterday, and also during the Bill 7 battle.
Kamubaleka bantu ndakomba.
Bene bake bamanzikalila, suffering the same issues everyone does. What has being Tonga done for any villager in Choma under UPND, that is different from anyone else?
Engage with communities in Southern Province, and they have the same issues as every where else – CDF loans going only to party cadres, never seeing their MPs.
Let them live in quietude, please. Fight your political battles – uko.
Imwe, you are living the good protected life then wanting to put innocent people in the spotlight.
In December 2025, the Lusaka Magistrate Court found Dr. Danny Pule, president of the Christian Democratic Party (CDP), and Tonse Alliance Vice Chairperson with a case to answer regarding charges of seditious practices and expressing tribal remarks.
The details of the ruling and subsequent legal steps include:
Basis of Charges: Dr. Pule is accused of making seditious and tribal statements between May 16 and May 28, 2024. These alleged remarks claimed that President Hakainde Hichilema was promoting regionalism and dividing the country through his government appointments.
Prima Facie Evidence: Magistrate Sylvia Munyinya ruled that the prosecution presented sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case, necessitating a formal defense.
Defense Strategy: Following the ruling, Dr. Pule’s legal team informed the court that he intends to call 32 witnesses to aid in his defense.
Upcoming Proceedings: His defense trial was scheduled to commence on January 13, 2026.
Recusal Application: Earlier in the trial, Dr. Pule unsuccessfully applied for Magistrate Munyinya to recuse herself, citing perceived bias because she hails from the “Zambezi region” (Southern Province), an area mentioned in the allegedly seditious remarks. The application was rejected on the grounds that the concerns were unfounded.
Dr. Pule previously challenged the constitutionality of Zambia’s colonial-era sedition laws, but this petition was struck off the active cause list by the High Court
PEOPLE’S Pact Vice President Robert Sichinga has urged the opposition to consider joining the alliance to redeem Zambia from what he said shackles of poverty and misrule.
In an interview, Sichinga said Zambians were waiting for one opposition leader to vote for in the August election because leaders of opposition political parties could not all be presidents.
“We have been searching around among ourselves and we know that we cannot all of us be presidents of Zambia. We need only one person among us. What kind of leadership do we need? Among us, we cannot all be presidents. What Zambians are seeking is a leadership team that is selfless, nationalistic, committed to seeing that Zambians re-own and retake their country,” he said.
He said the year 2026 was not different from the 1991 revolution, where Zambians wanted a complete change of leadership and government.
Sichinga said the country was bleeding under the current regime, leaving the people with one option to remove the United Party for National Development (UPND) in August.
“It is clear from where I am standing that the country is crying out for leadership that is selfless, that is committed, and the current events in the country speak for themselves,” he said.
He said the disappointment with President Hakainde Hichilema was overwhelming and stressful for the people of Zambia.
“Unless you don’t live in Zambia, the disappointment in the people’s minds is overwhelming,” he said.
Sichinga urged the younger generation to rise and be counted in the August elections by voting out the corrupt and heartless regime, which doesn’t care for its people.
“My call to the people of Zambia and in particular, the younger generation, to hand over to you a country that is worth living in and bringing up your children. We have said let’s leave out all the self-interests, and we chose one opposition leader. We have done that in the People’s Pact,” he said.
He said the country needed to reset and put it back on its rightful rejection in August.
“So in endorsing the right choice of an opposition candidate, this country can be much better and really position itself much higher than we have done so far,” Sichinga said.
HOW IS HH AT PEACE WITH ECL UNBURIED? – MUNDUBILE WONDERS
BRIAN Mundubile has made an impassioned appeal to President Hakainde Hichilema to allow the family of late former President Edgar Lungu bury him, wondering how it has been possible for the head of State to be at peace with his predecessor in a morgue in South Africa seven months after his death.
Mr Mundubile says the continued delay in burying Mr Lungu has been such a painful, cruel and inhumane act against the family of the late head of State. Mr Mundubile said it was heart breaking and disheartening that the country’s sixth President had remained unburied seven months after his death.
“It pains me deeply that my former boss, mentor, and big brother remains unburied seven months after his passing,” Mr Mundubile said.
Speaking both as a presidential aspirant for the 2026 elections and a former Cabinet minister, Mr Mundubile said the treatment of the late former president after leaving office was deeply troubling.
“I am very sad. Sad that the man who handed over power gracefully, who accepted defeat with dignity, has been treated with such cruelty by the current administration,” he said.
Mr Mundubile accused the UPND government of subjecting Mr Lungu to persecution after leaving office, including denying him access to specialised medical treatment abroad.
“After leaving office, President Lungu was abused by the UPND government. He was denied access to specialised treatment in South Africa. His terminal benefits were withdrawn. His state security was stripped away. His movements were restricted until he lived under virtual house arrest,” Mr Mundubile said.He added that even in death, the former president had not been accorded dignity.
“And when death finally claimed him, even then, indignity followed,” he said. According to Mr Mundubile, late President Lungu’s widow, Esther Lungu, had wished to bury her husband in South Africa, where he had been receiving medical care, but was blocked by the State.
“His widow, our mother Mama Esther Lungu, sought to bury her husband in South Africa, where he had received care. Yet the Attorney General callously denied her that solemn right,” he said.
Mr Mundubile expressed profound sadness that as of January 5, 2026, former President Lungu’s mortal remains were still being kept in a mortuary freezer in Pretoria.
“As of January 5th, Edgar Chagwa Lungu remained frozen in a steel refrigerator in Pretoria. He spent his 69th birthday in a fridge. He spent Christmas in a fridge. He spent New Year’s in a fridge,” he said.
He questioned how long the family would be denied closure.
“How long must Madam Esther Lungu mourn? How long must a family be denied closure? What does this say about Zambia, about the UPND, about our humanity?” he asked.
Mr Mundubile explained that in Zambia’s 61 years of independence, no former president had ever been denied burial.
“In sixty-one years of independence, six Zambian presidents have died. None was frozen. None was denied burial. None was left hovering between Pretoria and Lusaka,” he said.
BOTSWANA TO SELL CITIZENSHIP IN $100K BID TO PLUG DIAMOND CASH HOLE
Botswana is weighing a controversial new plan to sell citizenship to wealthy foreigners as the country looks for fresh ways to replace shrinking diamond revenues. Under the proposed “golden passport” scheme, foreign nationals could secure Botswana citizenship by making a one-off investment of up to $100,000.
The government hopes the move will soften the blow from declining diamond exports, long the backbone of the national economy. Officials believe the programme could attract as many as 5,000 families over the next five years, potentially pumping around $500 million into state coffers.
Interest is already building. Reports say roughly 1,000 prospective applicants have come forward, with strong demand from the United States, India and Zimbabwe. Supporters argue the initiative could boost investment, create jobs and diversify the economy beyond diamonds.
🇿🇲 EDITOR’S NOTE | Reading Through the Archbishop Banda-DEC Standoff
The summoning of Lusaka Archbishop Alick Banda by the Drug Enforcement Commission has evolved from a procedural investigation into a highly charged national debate, mixing law, faith, memory and politics. What is now circulating is not just concern over due process, but competing narratives about persecution, power and institutional boundaries. To make sense of the moment, the noise must be filtered from the facts.
The first set of facts is narrow and administrative. The DEC confirms that investigations into the disposal of ZRA vehicles did not begin yesterday. They date back several years and have already resulted in convictions of senior ZRA officials for procedural breaches. Records show that one Toyota Hilux, registration ALF 7734, passed through a chain of documentation that investigators now consider questionable.
The Archbishop was summoned after the Commission says it reached a stage of “solid information.” During questioning, the Archbishop reportedly chose to remain silent, a lawful right that carries no presumption of guilt.
A second set of facts complicates the moral framing. A ZRA employee, Mulopa Kaunda, whose name appears on the transaction trail, has given a detailed account denying any purchase, tender participation or transfer to Archbishop Banda. His testimony, corroborated in part by DEC statements confirming he pleaded innocence, suggests internal abuse of office and document manipulation within ZRA during the PF era.
This places the investigation squarely within a broader pattern of institutional misconduct that has already been judicially acknowledged, rather than a bespoke action targeting the Church.
Against this factual background, the Church’s public response has been expansive. Archbishop Ignatius Chama, speaking for the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops, has framed the episode as persecution, alleging that President Hakainde Hichilema is using state apparatus to “threaten, humiliate and persecute” Archbishop Banda, even warning that his life is in danger. This language is grave. It shifts the issue from legality to existential threat and from procedure to personal rivalry.
This framing raises difficult questions. There is, so far, no public evidence presented to substantiate claims that the Archbishop’s life is under threat from the state. The DEC summons, while publicly visible, followed an established investigative pattern used in other cases. The danger in escalating the rhetoric is that it collapses important distinctions between due process and persecution, and between an individual cleric and the institution of the Church.
Democracies rely on those distinctions to function.
Politics, however, is clearly present. Archbishop Banda has been an outspoken critic of successive governments, including the current one. His appearance at the DEC was preceded by a highly visible solidarity Mass, attended by opposition figures, and followed by competing political statements. This has allowed actors on all sides to read intention into procedure. In such an environment, institutions easily become symbols, and symbols are quickly weaponised.
There is also a question of institutional style. The Catholic Church traditionally resolves internal matters through discretion, dialogue and hierarchy. Public escalation, especially language invoking biblical fratricide and imminent danger, departs from that tradition and risks entangling the Church deeper into partisan conflict. As the proverb cited by Archbishop Chama notes, when elephants fight, the grass suffers. In this case, the grass includes ordinary faithful seeking reassurance that both their faith and the rule of law are intact.
A sober reading suggests two truths can coexist. It is legitimate for the Church to worry about selective enforcement and political misuse of state power. It is equally legitimate for law enforcement to investigate alleged proceeds of crime, regardless of the status or vocation of the person involved. Faith does not confer immunity, and investigation does not automatically imply persecution.
The way forward is restraint. The DEC should continue to communicate clearly, within legal limits, to avoid speculation filling the void. The Church, for its part, may find greater protection in dialogue and evidence-based engagement than in maximalist rhetoric.
Zambia has navigated tense church–state moments before. The test now is whether institutions can defend their mandates without turning a legal inquiry into a national rupture.
KAUNDA WAS RIGHT, WE MADE A MISTAKE VOTING FOR HH — ACKIM NJOBVU
Democratic Union (DU) President Ackim Antony Njobvu has launched a blistering attack on President Hakainde Hichilema, saying recent remarks attributed to the Head of State vindicate warnings once raised by Zambia’s founding President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and confirm that Zambians made a mistake by voting UPND into power.
Njobvu was reacting to President Hichilema’s statement made in Southern Province, in which the President reportedly suggested that the province would “suffer” if he were voted out of office. The DU leader described the remarks as reckless, divisive and deeply embarrassing for the nation.
“I feel ashamed that HH is our President today,” Njobvu said. “A President cannot stand before citizens and tell one province that they will suffer if he loses power. That is not leadership; that is intimidation and division.”
He stressed that Zambia has no place for regional or tribal threats, warning that such language undermines national unity and damages the country’s international standing.
“This embarrassment is not only to our citizens but even to the international community. No serious international partner wants to hear a President promoting division in a country that preaches unity,” he said.
“KAUNDA WARNED US” Njobvu argued that the President’s remarks now validate fears previously dismissed by many Zambians.
“We thought KK was lying. Today, what he warned about is becoming clear. We can now confirm that what Kaunda said was true,” he stated, adding that voting for President Hichilema was “a mistake.”
He rejected any suggestion that Southern Province or the Tonga people are hated, noting his personal ties to the region.
“Nobody hates the people of Southern Province. I was born in Livingstone. My brothers are married there. How can anyone claim that Zambians want to see Southern Province suffer?” he asked.
The DU leader called on the President to immediately retract the statement and urged presidential advisers to intervene.
“Somebody must sit him down. He needs elder advisers who can tell him that what he did was not right,” Njobvu said. “If he does not withdraw this statement, it puts him in a very bad situation.”
He further claimed that the remarks have alienated voters and could cost UPND support across the country.
“THIS IS NOT WHAT UPND STOOD FOR” Njobvu invoked the late Anderson Mazoka, founder of UPND, arguing that the party’s current posture contradicts its original ideals.
“Even Anderson Mazoka would be shaking his head. UPND was founded to unite Zambians and bring development to all provinces, regardless of tribe,” he said. “What HH is promoting is the exact opposite.”
“A President cannot govern by threatening sections of the country. I urge Zambians not to vote for UPND anymore. Zambia deserves leadership that unites, not divides.” adds Njobvu
FRANK MUTUBILA WEIGHS-IN ON THE PRONOUNCEMENTS MADE DURING THE CHOMA RALLY
He wrote…
Yesterday, the nation’s attention was firmly fixed on Choma as President Hakainde Hichilema addressed the public. His opening remarks, a call for unity and inclusivity, were welcome and timely.
However, as the address progressed, it became evident that his account of how Bill 7 was passed reflected less democratic collaboration and more political maneuvering. This inevitably casts doubt on the integrity of the constitutional process and raises legitimate questions about whether the will of the people truly guided the bill’s passage.
Equally concerning were the President’s remarks regarding Southern Province and claims of victimization. Southern Province is a rich mosaic of diverse ethnic groups, and the suggestion of a systematic and targeted approach to identifying and harming individuals based on provincial affiliation is both questionable and deeply divisive. It raises serious questions. What criteria were used. How were individuals identified. And what purpose does such a narrative serve, if not to deepen division rather than promote national cohesion.
To compound the situation, some speakers who followed went on to engage in rhetoric that bordered on hate speech, despite this being something the government itself strongly condemns and for which offenders have previously been prosecuted and jailed.
This is a serious source of concern and sets a dangerous precedent as the country edges closer to the 2026 elections.
Leadership demands more than political messaging. It requires maturity, restraint, and a genuine commitment to embracing diverse views, even those that are uncomfortable or dissenting. A healthy democracy is strengthened, not weakened, when differing perspectives are respected and accommodated within the national discourse.
Ultimately, the true essence of leadership lies in the ability to unite rather than divide. By upholding transparency, encouraging inclusivity, and respecting divergent opinions, Zambia can continue to move forward as one cohesive nation. We remain, now and always, One Zambia, One Nation.
I AM MUKANDILA AND I BELIEVE; Discipline must always take center stage in any serious organization or movement. Without discipline, there is no order; without order, there is no credibility; and without credibility, there is no future.
History teaches us that traitors rarely announce themselves. They hide behind false loyalty, whisper in corridors, and trade principle for convenience. But the truth has a way of exposing them.
I am not a child of a lesser God. I refuse to bend my spine for comfort or compromise my values for expediency. I will not sell my conscience for positions, favours, or material reward.
Our country deserves leadership anchored in integrity, not opportunism; courage, not cowardice; conviction, not appeasement. I know this, and I will not pretend otherwise.
I am not for sale. If one seeks to persuade me, let it be through ideas, principle, and the national interest, not inducements.
I remain principled, even when it is inconvenient; defiant, even when it attracts hostility; and resolute, even when I am deliberately misunderstood.
THE Drug Enforcement Commission must extend investigations to President Hakainde Hichilema and other politicians on the source of the huge sums of money they are donating to churches as the country head of the general election, a consortium of 10 civil society organisations has demanded.
Chairperson Isaac Mwanza questioned the source of the huge funds Hichilema was donating in churches, for which he strongly condemned his predecessor late president Edgar Lungu while in the opposition.
“President Lungu, I remember very well, he donated K1 million to the church, which was condemned by the UPND [United Party for National Development]. They condemned those donations to say why are you making such donations, and where are you getting the funds from? Where is the money coming from?” Mwanza said in an interview.
He was responding to a question from The Mast why the consortium’s call for justice and accountability was selective in favour of the current government.
He said all political donations should raise questions among Zambians, regardless of which church and political party one came from and the recipient.
“Now, this should raise questions for members of the public. Why do these presidents keep donating such huge amounts of money when their salary is actually a bit lower? Where is the source of the funds?” Mwanza said.
He said the country was going through the most difficult period, and it was shocking that huge donations were being made to churches at the expense of key economic sectors.
“Our people don’t have resources. He [Hichilema] is giving away huge donations. But the huge amounts that are being donated to the public are of concern, not just for this President or the other presidents in the past who made these donations. I think we can group them,” Mwanza said.
He said government needed to be held accountable at all times, urging citizens never to lose guard.
Mwanza condemned the stifling of freedom of expression in the country by the government, saying it stifled the growth of the country’s democracy.
He said government had repeatedly abused the Public Order Act to stop the opposition from campaigning while the UPND had been going round the country campaigning freely.
“The abuse of the Public Order Act, the abuse of the cybersecurity law to steal people’s freedom is not correct. It is not correct, and it will never be correct,” Mwanza said.
He said the consortium would continue to oppose retrogressive laws that infringed on the rights of the people of Zambia.
He urged DEC to explain clearly to the nation why it had focused only on one vehicle involving Archbishop Alick Banda, head of the Archdiocese of Lusaka, out of the 22 that the Zambia Revenue Authority disposed of.
“You remember very well that 22 vehicles were donated to various institutions and individuals, but the one that is coming out more prominently is for the archbishop. We expect that DEC must clearly explain to the public why that vehicle,” he said.
Mwanza said there was nothing wrong with donating to the Catholic Church, but that the donation was made.
“It’s a problem of how these donations have taken place. So, for us, we think that the archbishop still remains innocent. The only thing that he needs to do is simply to explain how his name got into this issue of the donation of the 22 vehicles,” he said.
It was also important for Hichilema and government officials to reveal the source of the huge sums of money they were donating to selected churches to win political support.
“Our cause as the consortium will extend to issues such as the presidency donating money, huge sums of money, at a time when the economy is crippled,” Mwanza said.
DEC has summoned Archbishop Banda to appear at its offices in Lusaka today for interrogations in connection with a second-hand motor vehicle given to him as a gift by someone who had bought it from ZRA.
Suspending the IMF Programme Is Not Principle. It Is Pre-Election Panic.
By Thandiwe Ketiš Ngoma
On 8 January 2026, the Minister of Finance, Honourable Situmbeko Musokotwane, held a press briefing in Lusaka in which he announced that the Zambian government had decided to shelve plans to extend the International Monetary Fund’s Extended Credit Facility (ECF), which has been in effect since October 2022
Under the original agreement, Zambia’s ECF programme was supposed to run for three years and should have expired in October 2025. However, as early as February 2025, the government had openly declared its intention to seek a one-year extension and had been in discussions with the IMF for months. That is why the sudden suspension of these plans came as a surprise to many.
There was no national consultation, no parliamentary debate, and no honest explanation. The announcement came abruptly, quietly, and conveniently.
Zambians must not be deceived. This decision is not born of principle. It is not a rejection of IMF ideology. It is a cold political calculation driven by the approaching 13 August 2026 general elections.
The truth is uncomfortable but undeniable: IMF programmes are incompatible with democracy in an election year.
At their core, IMF programmes are not designed to develop economies like Zambia’s. They are designed to protect creditors, enforce austerity, and subordinate national policy to external approval. The IMF’s economic model assumes that cutting government spending, removing subsidies, liberalising prices, and restraining wages will somehow produce growth. In reality, these policies shrink economies, deepen inequality, and transfer the cost of adjustment onto the poorest citizens.
For more than three years, the UPND government has faithfully implemented this ideology.
Under the IMF’s watch, Zambia has pursued austerity in a country that needed expansion. It has prioritised fiscal targets over livelihoods. It has reduced the role of the state in agriculture, energy, and social protection while expecting the market to fill the gap. This is textbook IMF economics, and it has failed Zambia repeatedly.
In agriculture, subsidy reductions and delayed support have weakened small-scale farmers, the backbone of the rural economy. IMF orthodoxy treats subsidies as distortions, yet in Zambia they are survival tools. The result has been higher input costs, uncertainty in fertiliser access, and increased vulnerability to climate shocks.
In the energy sector, cost-reflective pricing has meant endless tariff increases and fuel price hikes. IMF theory assumes households can “adjust.” In reality, these costs are passed through the entire economy, driving up food prices, transport fares, and production costs. Inflation becomes policy-induced.
The cost of living crisis gripping Zambia is not accidental. It is engineered. Wage suppression, reduced public spending, higher consumption taxes, and price liberalisation are all core IMF prescriptions. These policies protect balance sheets while breaking households.
IMF programmes are also anti-jobs by design. Austerity reduces public employment, freezes hiring, and suppresses domestic demand. When demand falls, businesses stop expanding and jobs disappear. Growth becomes something discussed in reports, not something felt by citizens.
Perhaps most damaging is the loss of economic sovereignty. Under IMF programmes, national budgets are no longer political documents shaped by citizens’ needs. They become technical submissions designed to satisfy external benchmarks. Policy space shrinks. Democracy weakens.
These are not side effects. They are the system working as intended.
Now, with elections approaching, the same government that defended these policies as “necessary reforms” suddenly wants distance. Not because IMF economics have failed, but because IMF economics are impossible to defend in front of hungry voters.
If these policies were truly good for Zambia, they would be proudly maintained. If they were delivering jobs, growth, and dignity, there would be no need to suspend them. The retreat exposes the lie.
Zambians were told to endure pain for long-term gain. Now that the political cost has become too high, the government wants to quietly step back without accountability.
Suspending the ECF now does not undo the damage. It does not restore lost incomes, closed businesses, or broken livelihoods. And it does not absolve those who imposed these policies while dismissing public suffering.
Zambia needs an economic vision rooted in people, production, and sovereignty, not austerity, obedience, and external approval.
As 13 August approaches, the people are watching. And they will remember.
THE Patriotic Front faction has called on acting President Given Lubinda to admit his failure to run the party.
Meanwhile, a consortium of Zambian youths organisations have warned that they will vote for the United Party for National Development in the August 13, 2026 elections should the opposition continue to fight amongst themselves.
PF member Ibrahim Mwamba said Lubinda is a weak leader who has failed to hold the former ruling party together.
Mwamba pointed out that Lubinda lost the party to Robert Chabinga, and now he has lost the Tonse Alliance to Apostle Dr. Danny Pule.
Mwamba was speaking at a consortium of Youth Led Civil Society Organizations and Students leaders drawn from 10 universities across the country.
Mwamba said political battles continue to go against Lubinda while the party steadily loses relevance to the Zambians.
He said Zambians are looking for a mature politician to give credible checks and balances whilst giving practical alternative policy to President Hakainde Hichilema.
The youth leader expressed concern that currently, there is no genuine political party that is giving alternative policies on critical issues such as health, education, agriculture, the economy, and job- creation in the country.
“Whilst you are busy fighting among yourselves, President Hichilema is delivering development. Our party is busy fighting, and everyone wants to be a president. HH is ending loadshedding and bringing the dollar down,” Charged Mwamba.
Mwamba, who is also Southern Africa Students and Youth Development Association (SASYDA) President, has charged that the continued leadership wrangles in the PF have exposed deep rooted tribalism and selfishness among the top leadership of the former ruling party.
Mwamba said the PF’s prolonged failure to settle on a presidential candidate has also exposed deep-seated bad blood, tribalism, and selfish interests within the party.
Tribalism has left the PF disorganised and incapable of mounting any meaningful challenge to President Hakainde Hichilema.
The SASYDA leader observed that whilst the opposition is busy politicking and finger – pointing, President Hichilema was busy working.
He said it was shocking and embarrassing for a party that once governed the country to remain leaderless for four years.
“You have failed us. If you have failed to choose a leader, just tell us so that we know whether to vote for UPND. If by the end of January there is no leader, we will take over the party as youths,” Mwamba said.
Meanwhile, Mwamba has made clarion call to the former president Edgar Lungu’s family to sit with the government to resolve long standing impasse and see how best the former president could be buried in a dignified manner.
He said it was unacceptable to have the former president Edgar Lungu be buried in a foreign country.
The consortium of youth organisation has described the conduct of the opposition political parties in Zambia as disappointing and not what the Zambian people expected.
The movement has given the opposition an ultimatum of up to January month-end 2026 to sort out their issues and select a flag carrier who will lead them to the elections in August.
Speaking at the same joint media briefing, Generation Zambia President Jason Mwanza said the opposition are letting down the Zambian people who have put their hopes for a better Zambia in them.
Mwanza said opposition leaders are being selfish by putting their interests first instead of putting the interest of the Zambian people.
He has stated that the persistent confusion among opposition leaders is a clear sign that they have no regard for the Zambian people who were waiting upon them to elect a flag carrier for the 2026 general elections.
GHANA’S EX-FINANCE MINISTER KEN OFORI-ATTA DETAINED BY US IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES
GHANA’S former finance minister Ken Ofori Atta has been detained by US authorities, his lawyer said late on Wednesday.
Ofori-Atta, who is in the US for medical treatment, is wanted at home on suspicion of corruption. He was declared a fugitive last February and formally charged in November.
He was detained over the status of his current stay in the United States, his lawyer said, adding that he expects the matter to be resolved expeditiously.
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement database lists Ofori-Atta as being held in a facility in Virginia.
The 66-year-old served as finance minister from 2017 to 2024 under former president Nana Akufo-Addo and oversaw contentious tax reforms and negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.
VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT BEGINS RELEASING POLITICAL PRISONERS
THE Venezuelan government has begun releasing detainees considered political prisoners by human rights groups, in what officials described as a goodwill gesture.
Spain’s foreign ministry said five of its nationals, including one dual national, had been released. Among them is thought to be rights activist Rocío San Miguel.
The move comes after the US seized Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro in a lightning raid on the capital, Caracas, on Saturday, to face drug trafficking charges in New York.
The release of political prisoners in Venezuela has been a long-held US demand, especially during moments of heightened repression around elections or protests.
Jorge Rodríguez, the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly and the brother of its interim president Delcy Rodríguez, announced on state television that “a significant number” would be released immediately, without specifying the number or identity of prisoners being freed.
Hundreds of political prisoners are detained in Venezuelan prisons, with only a handful thought to have been released so far.
Jorge Rodríguez said the interim government was releasing them in the interest of “national unity and peaceful coexistence”.
The release of San Miguel, who is an expert in security, defence and Venezuela’s military was the first freed prisoner to be confirmed. She was arrested at Maiquetia airport, near Caracas, in February 2024.
It was alleged at the time that San Miguel, a vocal critic of Maduro, was involved in a plot to kill the then-president and faced charges of treason, conspiracy and terrorism.
Venezuelan human rights organisations – some of which have members or their founders in jail welcomed the news with caution.
Despite being a key lieutenant of Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez’s interim administration has appeared willing to co-operate with the US since it took its leader and made sweeping declarations about the South American nation’s future.
About 50 to 80 prisoners are believed to be held at the notorious El Helicoide prison, which US President Donald Trump announced would be closed following Maduro’s capture.
The prison gained international notoriety for detaining alleged political opponents, with reports by human rights groups of torture including beatings and electrocution.
The announcement also comes shortly after US President Donald Trump stated that he had “given orders to close that prison,” which had become one of the most notorious symbols of political repression in the country.
Venezuelan human rights group Provea warned El Helicoide’s anticipated closure should not deflect attention from the other detention sites still running across the country.
Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, who has several close allies in prison, has repeatedly demanded releases.
In a sit-down interview with the Fox News show Hannity, Trump said Machado was expected to come to the US “next week sometime”.
Machado told host Sean Hannity earlier in the week that she wanted to give the US president her Nobel Peace Prize. When asked by Hannity whether Trump would accept the offer, he said “ would be a great honour”.
Venezuela’s opposition and human rights groups have said for years the government used detentions to stamp out dissent and silence critics.
Since the widely disputed 2024 election, the opposition claimed legal proceedings against activists, journalists and political adversaries increased.
Attorney General Tarek Saab and others in the government repeatedly denied Venezuela held political prisoners, arguing those detained were arrested for genuine crimes.
We are not At Morocco Level But We Will Challenge Them – Cameroon Coach 🇨🇲David Pagou:
“Morocco 🇲🇦 has the stars. Achraf Hakimi plays for PSG; he’s the best African player. There’s no Cameroonian at that level.
Walid Regragui played in a World Cup semi-final; you can’t compare apples and oranges. We’re going to try and challenge them.”
“There are no surprises. It shows that all the top nations prepared seriously. To challenge the best teams in the world, you must first perform well at continental level. It wouldn’t surprise me to see an African team reach a WC final soon.”
A 10-YEAR OLD girl who was allegedly repeatedly defiled by her 40-year-old father testified how she found her dad having sex with her married elder sister, who later conceived. .
“She (elder sister) later became pregnant and said it was not dad that used to have sex with her, but I knew that it was dad who used to have sex with her.
“After some time, I noticed that her stomach started becoming big. I asked her what was causing her stomach to be big, and she said it was nothing,” the minor, whom we shall call Lulu, told a magistrate yesterday.
Lulu said when she informed her mother about the incestuous acts, she did nothing about it as she doubted the revelation.
“When my mother came back [home], I told her what I had seen my father doing [to my elder sister], but she said ‘no, maybe it was her (elder sister’s) husband’,” she said.
Lulu’s father, whom we shall call Mr Jojo, is charged with incest, which attracts a minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment and up to life in a correctional facility.
It is claimed that in March last year, Mr Jojo, a herbalist, would force himself on Lulu.
The accused, who was at the time married to three women, two of whom are also appearing in court for trying to bribe police to secure his release from detention, pleaded not guilty.
During continued trial yesterday, Lulu testified that one day last March, her father lifted her at night from her bedroom and took her to the sitting room and defiled her.
A 48-YEAR-OLD American tourist from Arizona, identified as Christopher Erick Gibbs Daniel, has drowned in the Victoria Falls.
A police source in Livingstone revealed that Livingstone Police Station on January 7, received a message via WhatsApp of a missing person from Zimbabwe’s Matebeleland North Police Officer-in-Charge of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Kenneth Mpofu.
The source said Daniel, who was on holiday in Zimbabwe, entered Zambia on January 5, and was later reported missing by his female host Cassandra Nicholson, 37, of House No 374 Squire Cumming, Victoria Falls town in Zimbabwe.
“It is alleged that Daniel got on a taxi to Zambia to visit the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls. Nicholson reported Daniels missing at around 16:00 hours to Victoria Falls Police Station on January 5. She reported that Daniel could have drowned or trapped under the rocks on the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls, at a place called Danger Gorge,” the police source said.
The officer said the Zambia Police, acting on this information engaged the Livingstone Fire Brigade and Zambia Army Commando’s Special Unit Marine Section and commenced a search operation.
“At the scene of incidence Danger Gorge at the Victoria Falls the team was joined by a team of Police Officers from Zimbabwe. Then at around 18:30 hours the team successfully retrieved the decomposed body of Daniel.
The body was identified by Nicolson who said Daniel had arrived in Zimbabwe from Cape Town last year on December 26, and was lodging at her cottage and was due to check out on January 5, at 10:00 hours. She said he, however left before checking out on the same day prompting her to report him to the police as a missing person,” said the source.
“Further verifications showed that the deceased did date stamp his passport upon entry into Zambia. The body has been taken to Batoka Hospital Mortuary pending postmortem and further investigations”. News Diggers
US HALTS ASSISTANCE TO SOMALIA OVER CLAIMS FOOD AID WAS ILLEGALLY SEIZED
THE US has suspended all assistance to the government of Somalia, alleging that officials destroyed a UN World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and seized “donor-funded food aid”.
“The Trump administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of life-saving assistance,” said a US state department statement on X.
The message, posted on the account of the under secretary for foreign assistance, said reports had been received about officials illegally seizing 76 tonnes of food intended for “vulnerable Somalis”.
Somali has denied the allegations, saying that the expansion work under way in the Mogadishu port, where the warehouse is located, had not affected any aid storage.
It stressed that all the humanitarian aid in question was still “under the custody and control of the World Food Programme including assistance provided by the United States”.
A WFP staff member in Mogadishu, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to the AFP news agency that the food aid had not been stolen.
“The warehouse was partially demolished during the weekend without the knowledge of the WFP team, but there was no looting involved,” they said.
The US said it would only resume assistance if the Somali government took “accountability for its unacceptable actions and… appropriate remedial steps”.
Although the US has withdrawn from several UN organisations under President Donald Trump, it remains by far the largest contributor to the WFP, paying $2bn (£1.5bn) in 2025 almost a third of its total funding.
Somalia’s government is battling al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militants as it tries to rebuild the country after a devastating civil war and years of drought.
This is the latest example of the deteriorating relations between Washington and Mogadishu.
Last month, Trump lashed out at Somali migrants living in the US, telling reporters they should “go back to where they came from” and “their country is no good for a reason”.
Communities have been targeted in immigration raids as the government alleges large-scale benefit fraud in Minnesota, the US state with the largest Somali community in the US.
The recent recognition by US ally Israel of the breakaway republic of Somaliland, which Somalia considers to be part of its territory, has further angered Mogadishu.
The aid that was allegedly seized by Somali officials was meant to help people cope with the effects of “drought, floods, conflict, high food prices and dwindling harvests”, according to the WFP.
It quotes figures saying that 4.6 million people in Somalia are facing crisis levels of hunger.
Several Nigerian words and expressions have been officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary, marking another moment of global recognition for Nigerian culture, language, and everyday expressions.
In its December 2025 update, the Oxford English Dictionary included over 500 new words and phrases from around the world, drawing from different forms of English such as West African English, Japanese English, and Maltese English. Nigerian English featured prominently in the update, with common street terms, food names, and cultural expressions making the list.
According to Punch, among the Nigerian words added are “nyash,” “mammy market,” “amala,” “moi moi,” “abeg,” “biko,” and “Ghana Must Go.”
According to the dictionary, nyash refers to a person’s buttocks, mammy market is defined as a market traditionally run by women, commonly found in military barracks, NYSC camps, and educational institutions, while amala is described as a dough-like staple food made from yam, cassava, or plantain flour.
Moin moin (also spelled moi moi) was recognised as a bean-based dish popular among the Yoruba people, while abeg and biko were added as interjections commonly used to express politeness, urgency, or emphasis. Ghana Must Go was defined as the popular chequered plastic bag widely used across West Africa, a term rooted in the 1983 expulsion of undocumented Ghanaian migrants from Nigeria.
This is not the first time Nigerian expressions have made their way into the dictionary.
International boxer, Anthony Joshua, has again expressed sadness over the demise of two of his friends who passed away in an accident he was involved in.
Joshua was involved in a fatal accident when his vehicle crashed into a stationary truck on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Makun,Ogun state on December 29, 2025.
The 36-year-old escaped with only minor injuries, but his close friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele d!ed at the scene.
Their funerals took place at a London mosque on Sunday, January 4, with Joshua present to pay his final respects
In a post shared in his IG page this afternoon, Joshua thanked everyone for the outpouring of love since the unfortunate incident happened. He stated that the incident is 100% on him but can only imagine what the parents of the deceased men are going through. He prayed for God to have mercy on their souls.
A couple who took their wedding vows based on a speech made using AI tool ChatGPT will have to do it all again.
A court in Zwolle has decided that the speech did not meet official requirements, therefore the wedding was invalidated.
The couple had chosen a friend as their civil registrar, a so-called ‘eendagsbab’ (registrar for a day), who had then used ChatGTP to write a speech with “a lighter tone”.
However, the ceremony did not include the mandatory declaration that binds a couple to “do their duty to one another as required by their wedded state”. Without it, the marriage is void.
The local council discovered the omission later and informed the prosecution office of the mistake, which then asked the judge to annul the marriage contract.
The couple, who had chosen the date April 19 because it had a special significance for them, protested about the move, saying the official civil registrar had been present and made no objection.
They asked the judge to at least keep the date of their wedding but the judge refused.
The statement said: “The court understands that the marriage date recorded in the certificate is important to the man and the woman but cannot disregard what is laid down in the law.”
The Trump administration has outlined a set of conditions Venezuela must meet before it can resume oil production, according to senior White House officials.
During discussions led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the administration reportedly told Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, that the country must sever ties with China, Iran, Russia and Cuba, and agree to partner exclusively with the United States on oil production.
The officials said Rodríguez was also asked to prioritize the Trump administration and US oil companies in future oil sales.
The White House declined to confirm or deny the reported demands, describing them as “alleged.”
The development comes after US forces captured Venezuela’s former president, Nicolás Maduro, over the weekend. Sources familiar with the talks said Trump administration officials believe Venezuela can only survive economically for a few more weeks without relying on oil sales.
The demands were made as the administration said it had reached an agreement with Venezuela’s interim government to sell tens of millions of barrels of oil that have already been extracted. Rubio said proceeds from the sales would be controlled by the US government and distributed in a way that benefits the Venezuelan people rather than corruption or remnants of the former regime.
Administration officials have also told US lawmakers that Venezuela must commit to holding free and fair elections, release political prisoners and dismantle drug gangs operating in the country.
Trump has privately told allies and advisers that he wants Iran, Russia and China out of the Western Hemisphere, with pressuring Venezuela to cut ties with them seen as a key first step.
While plans are still being developed to expand oil extraction and rebuild Venezuela’s energy infrastructure, officials said the immediate priority is preventing the country from supplying oil to US adversaries.
Trump is also expected to meet with oil executives at the White House, including representatives from Chevron, Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips. Other US oil company executives are also expected to attend.
The meeting follows Trump’s statement that Venezuela’s interim government will hand over between 30 and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil to the United States, to be sold at market price, with the proceeds controlled by the US government.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, January 8, accused the United States of “breaking free from international rules” and warned that Washington is “gradually turning away” from some of its allies, in remarks underscoring growing tensions between Europe and the U.S.
Macron delivered the comments at the Élysée Palace during his annual address to French ambassadors, as European powers debate how to respond to what they consider an increasingly assertive U.S. foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere.
“The United States is an established power, but one that is gradually turning away from some of its allies and breaking free from international rules that it was still promoting recently,” Macron said. “Multilateral institutions are functioning less and less effectively.”
“We are living in a world of great powers with a real temptation to divide up the world,” he added.
His remarks follow a U.S. special forces raid in Venezuela last Saturday that saw Nicolás Maduro and his wife seized and taken to New York, prompting criticism that Washington had infringed on international law. In the aftermath, U.S. President Donald Trump reignited debate in Europe by reiterating his intention to take control of Greenland, refusing to rule out the use of force to obtain the Arctic territory — a move that has alarmed Denmark and other U.S. allies. Copenhagen has warned that any such attack would spell the end of NATO.
Macron said the moment called for countries to “reinvest fully in the United Nations” at a time when “everyday people wonder whether Greenland is going to be invaded” and whether “Canada will face the threat of becoming the 51st state.”
He criticised the U.S. withdrawal from dozens of international agreements and organisations, noting that Washington had recently flagged its exit from 66 global bodies and treaties.
Macron urged Europe to protect its own interests, calling for “consolidation” of European regulation of the tech sector. He praised efforts to safeguard academic independence and spoke of the need for “a controlled information space where opinions can be exchanged completely freely, but where choices are not made by the algorithms of a few.”
He defended the European Union’s Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act, two flagship measures aimed at regulating large technology platforms. “The DSA and DMA are two regulations that must be defended,” Macron said.
TRUMP WARNED: EUROPE COULD SEIZE US BASSES IF IT WENT AHEAD TO ANNEX GREENLAND.
U.S. President Donald Trump has been warned that any renewed push to take control of Greenland could trigger a sharp response from European allies, including the possibility of seizing U.S. military bases in Europe.
Self-proclaimed chair of Austria’s NATO Enlargement Committee, Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn, has warned Trump against such a move, underscoring the rising tensions over sovereignty, alliance unity, and security in the Arctic.
Recently, during rallies and interviews, President Trump has described Greenland as a critical asset for U.S. security and resource dominance, echoing his 2019 proposal. Denmark, which governs Greenland, firmly rejected the proposal, insisting the territory is not for sale and that its people have the right to determine their own future. The idea was widely criticized across Europe as unrealistic and diplomatically reckless.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has urged the U.S. to stop what has been described as threats against a historically close ally and reaffirmed that Greenland is not for sale.
“I strongly urge the United States to cease its threats against a historically close ally, and against another country and another people who have stated very clearly that they are not for sale,” the statement read.
Denmark has further stated that it is determined to resist any external pressure regarding Greenland’s status. Now, with Trump once again making headlines and signaling a more aggressive approach to U.S. foreign policy, European officials have rejected his plans.
The Life of Archbishop Alick Banda is in Danger -Archbishop Ignatius Chama
…President Hakainde Hichilema is using State Apparatus to threaten, humiliate and persecute Archbishop Alick Banda…
President of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) Archbishop Ignatius Chama has reiterated the Bishops’ concern over the harrasment and persecution of Lusaka Archbishop Dr. Alick Banda.
He was commenting over the matter where a gift given to Archbishop Banda had issues and was returned a longtime ago but became a subject of criminal investigations and the summoning of summoning of Dr. Banda by the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC).
Speaking on Lutanda Radio in Kasama, Archbishop Chama stated that the Conference recognised that there were deep-seated political differences between President Hakainde Hichilema and Archbishop Alick Banda.
But he also recognised that President Hichilema had sadly fashioned an environment where he has desired the removal of Archbishop Banda, a matter that has affected the well-being of the entire Church.
He said President Hichilema, as head of state, had at his disposal state institutions that could be used or abused to victimise his perceived rivals.
Archbishop Chama stated that in this scenario, the environment favoured President Hichilema who was using state apparatus to victimise, humiliate, and persecute Archbishop Banda as seen on 5th January 2025.
He regretted that this scenario had even threatened the life of Archbishop Banda and become fodder for their plot against him.
He feared that there was no one available to tell President Hichilema that this scenario was harmful to the well-being of the country.
He emphasised that life was sacred and cannot be threatened in the manner where Archbishop Banda’s life was being treated over political differences as life was made in the image if God.
He gave an example of biblical Abel whose blood was shed without cause by Cain except out of jealous.
He said the Church had hoped that these perceived personal differences would never result in harming the people and faithfuls under the Archdiocese of Lusaka.
He called for dialogue to resolve this matter. “When elephants fight, its the grass that suffers”
M’MEMBE CASTS DOUBT ON KWACHA GAINS, WARNS OF “DANGEROUS” APPRECIATION
Lusaka- 8thJanuary, 2026
By Mukuka Nawa
Socialist Party President and 2026 People’s Pact presidential candidate Dr. Fred M’membe has downplayed the much-publicised appreciation of the Zambian Kwacha, warning that the strengthening currency may be masking deeper economic problems and threatening local production.
In a strongly worded commentary posted on his official Facebook page monitored by CIC Press Team, Dr. M’membe questioned the celebratory tone surrounding the Kwacha’s recent gains, arguing that an overly strong local currency is just as harmful as a weak one.
He suggested that the current appreciation could be undermining exporters, local manufacturers and jobs, while disproportionately favouring importers.
Dr. M’membe noted that Zambia’s economy is split between exporters and importers, and that the current trajectory of the Kwacha risks tilting the balance unfairly. According to him, exporters who earn in US Dollars but incur costs in Kwacha are likely to see their profit margins eroded as the currency strengthens, potentially reducing investment and slowing economic activity.
He further warned that while importers may temporarily benefit from a stronger Kwacha, the long-term consequences could be devastating for local industry.
Cheaper imports, he said, threaten to flood the market and outcompete locally manufactured goods, especially in a country where the cost of production remains high and largely uncompetitive..
Dr. M’membe cautioned, casting doubt on claims that the Kwacha’s appreciation is an unqualified success.
The Socialist Party leader also expressed scepticism about the drivers behind the currency’s rapid gains, questioning whether the appreciation is truly a result of strong economic fundamentals.
He challenged authorities to explain whether factors beyond high copper prices are at play, and whether the Bank of Zambia is quietly intervening to prop up the currency.
Dr. M’membe argued that without transparency, Zambians risk being misled into believing the economy is improving when, in reality, structural weaknesses remain unresolved.
Monitoring Zanaco Bank’s live exchange rate for today at 18:10, the US Dollar was buying at K19.65 and selling at K20.03.
CIC PRESS TEAM
Fred M’MEMBE writes:
ZAMBIAN KWACHA GAINS
We take note of the continued appreciation of the Kwacha, which is a welcome news for Zambia. However, it is true that too strong a Kwacha is not good and two weak a Kwacha is not good either.
So where do we stand? The economy has two segments, exporters and importers. Exporters lose out in Kwacha terms when the Kwacha becomes too strong, whilst importers gain when the Kwacha becomes too strong. The opposite is also true. Therefore, we need to surgically analyse our economy and ensure that a balance is struck, which benefits both exporters and importers. This balance is critical to ensure both exporters and importers are in equilibrium with regard to the exchange rate.
The critical path for exporters whose revenue is in Dollars and costs are in Kwacha is that Kwacha gain should not significantly erode their profit margin.
As regards imports, the Kwacha gain is welcome because it reduces the cost of imports. However, this same gain can undermine locally manufactured goods once it becomes cheaper to import than produce locally. It’s worth noting that the cost of production in Zambia is sub optimal. If not well managed factories can close and instead import cheaper goods.
On a final note, we are also curious to understand the key drivers that are driving the gain. If we isolate the high copper price, what else is contributing to this rapid gain. Is there any intervention from the Central Bank, or is it purely economic fundamentals that have shifted positively? It is critical that Zambians clearly understand what economic fundamentals have induced this gain.
Fred M’membe President of the Socialist Party and 2026 People’s Pact Presidential Candidate
EFF PRESIDENT KASONDE MWENDA RAISES RED FLAG OVER AN ALLEGED SECRETLY CONTRACTED IMF LOAN
8 January, 2026.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (C-EFF) of Zambia *unequivocally condemns* the decision by the Hakainde Hichilema–UPND government to secretly return to the International Monetary Fund for yet another loan programme, a move that places Zambia on a path of deeper debt, harsher austerity, and total surrender of our economic sovereignty.
As confirmed by *Reuters on January 8, 2026*, the Zambian government has quietly resolved to replace the current IMF Extended Credit Facility with *a new full IMF programme* — without first informing the citizens whose lives will be devastated by its conditions.
This is nothing short of *economic betrayal*.
Zambians already know the bitter taste of IMF prescriptions: • Electricity shortages and crippling *load-shedding*. • Austerity measures that punish the poor and working class • The continued *hemorrhaging of Zambia’s minerals* to foreign corporations • Shrinking public services and rising cost of living
Instead of developing Zambia, the UPND administration has chosen to *govern Zambia on behalf of Washington, foreign creditors, and multinational mining interests.
Under IMF pressure, this same government enacted *Statutory Instrument No. 47*, waiving export tax on copper concentrate — effectively *giving away Zambia’s mineral wealth for nothing*, even as copper prices surge globally. The result? *No meaningful benefits for Zambians. No price relief. No jobs. No empowerment.
This is not economic reform — it is *economic colonization.*
Now, Zambians are being dragged into *another five-year IMF programme*, meaning: • *More debt starting this year* • Deeper austerity • Further surrender of our minerals and national policy • A future of permanent dependency and poverty
EFF warns the nation: *The worst suffering is still coming if this path is not stopped.*
President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND have demonstrated that they have *no independent development vision for Zambia.* Their solution to every problem is to *hand the country to the IMF.*
EFF stands for a *different future.*
We commit that under a C-EFF government: • Zambia’s minerals and natural resources will *serve Zambians first* • Ownership and real empowerment will be returned to the people • The economy will be structured around *national development, not foreign interests* • Zambia will never again mortgage its future to international financial institutions
We therefore call upon Zambians to *reject this cycle of suffering and deception* and to never again make the mistake of re-electing the UPND in this year’s General Elections.
Zambia must be governed by Zambians, for Zambians — not by the IMF.
Wherever we want to go our feet will take us there.
SPEED AT THE FALLS, ZAMBIA SHOWCASES TOURISM POWER TO THE WORLD
January 8-2026
MINISTER of Tourism Rodney Sikumba today welcomed American streamer and YouTuber Darren Watkins Jr., popularly known as iShowSpeed, to Livingstone, describing his visit as a powerful endorsement of Zambia’s growing global tourism appeal.
The Minister said hosting a global digital influencer of iShowSpeed’s magnitude at the majestic Victoria Falls places Zambia at the centre of worldwide attention, amplifying the country’s beauty to millions of viewers across the globe.
He emphasized that Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, remains Zambia’s crown jewel whose breathtaking scenery, adventure activities and rich heritage continue to attract visitors year-round.
In a symbolic show of confidence in Zambia’s adventure tourism, Minister Sikumba later joined iShowSpeed in a thrilling bungee jump off the iconic Victoria Falls Bridge, underscoring the country’s readiness to offer world-class experiences.
The Minister noted that engaging influential global figures is a deliberate strategy to market Zambia organically, leveraging digital platforms to reach younger audiences and emerging tourism markets.
He revealed that Zambia’s tourism sector has recorded remarkable growth, with tourist arrivals increasing from about 500,000 in 2021 to approximately 3.5 million local and international visitors today.
Minister Sikumba added that tourism now contributes around 1.5 percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product, demonstrating its rising importance as a key driver of economic growth, job creation and community development.
He highlighted that Zambia’s diverse tourist attractions, ranging from waterfalls, wildlife and national parks to cultural heritage and adventure sports, position the country as a complete and competitive destination.
The Minister expressed confidence that iShowSpeed’s African tour, which has now added Zambia to its list, will further inspire global interest in the country and reinforce government’s commitment to using tourism as a catalyst for sustainable economic transformation.
FROM “HH IS SICK” TO “HATE SPEECH”, HOW FALSE NARRATIVES KEEP CHANGING
By Tobbius Chilembo Hamunkoyo
The latest attempt by sections of the opposition to accuse President Hakainde Hichilema of hate speech is not grounded in fact but desperation.
This accusation emerged only after earlier claims, that the President was sick and secretly flown to South Africa which collapsed completely when he appeared live in Choma at public gathering, addressing citizens at a public rally. Faced with reality, the opposition simply changed the accusation, not because new facts emerged, but because the old lies failed, ala mulelapila (you will suffer), this one is a bull , he has taken you on just as he took you on in opposition.
What the President actually said has been deliberately distorted. Speaking in his mother language, he stated: “Mwakali kunga mwaseluka mu bus izwa ku Choma nkumwa,” meaning, “When you arrived on a bus from Choma, you would be harassed and beaten at Intercity.” This statement referred to past violence and intimidation at Intercity Bus Terminus, which events are widely known and documented during the PF era. The words used were Choma and Intercity, both places. There was no mention of tribe, ethnicity, or cultural identity.
To suggest that this statement amounts to tribal hate speech is either politically dishonest or intellectually careless. Where exactly is the tribe in that sentence? None exists. The President spoke about conduct, not identity; about violence, not ethnicity. Twisting this into tribal rhetoric says more about those making the accusation than about the speaker himself.
Harry Kalaba, in particular, has no message on offer to Zambians and appears not to understand the language he is attempting to interpret.
By misguiding himself and others on a Tonga statement that contains no tribal reference, he exposes a deeper problem, a willingness to invent controversy where none exists.
Similarly, Konsonde Mwenda, Emmanuel Mwamba, and others have failed to present any coherent alternative vision, relying instead on recycled outrage.
This growing dependence on propaganda is not accidental. It is happening at a time when the government’s results are becoming visible, load-shedding has reduced, farmers have been paid, rainfall has been good with a bumper harvest expected, Bill 7 has been concluded, and the US dollar is steadily falling against the kwacha. These realities leave little room for credible opposition messaging, hence the rush to manufacture controversy and deep propaganda.
Zambians are watching, and many are no longer persuaded by noise without substance. Propaganda cannot replace facts, and misinformation cannot compete with lived reality. As the saying goes, “ala mulelapila ba opposition”, because “alebomba umuntu.” The President is working, and with each passing day, empty narratives are running out of space.
THE STATEMENT FROM THE HEAD OF STATE IS WORRING – HOWARD KUNDA
President Howard Kunda of Zambia Wake-up Party (ZAWAPA) has condemned a statement made by President Hakainde Hichilema urging voters in South Province to support qnd the UPND over 1 million votes, implying that they would face negative consequences if they did not. Kunda’s condemnation likely reflects concerns about the integrity of the electoral process and the potential intimidation of voters and opposition parties participating in the forth coming General Election.
Such statements can lead to polarized opinions and may influence public sentiment leading up to elections. Kunda’s stance highlights the importance of fair and free elections, where voters should feel empowered to make their choices without coercion.
The Currently Government as been on record with intimidation statements and failure to adhere to their own promises and with this statement, we as ZAWAPA are very concerned over the safety and sovereignty of our country mother Zambia.
I want to assure our people in all parts of the Country that once we are voted in everyone will be treated equally and none will be beaten or treated unfairly for Zambia is our Nation and we are one people. We are a Christian Nation and therefore, peace must be preached and we have come to offer ourselves as your preferred leader to spearhead peace and Development for all Zambia’s regards of tribe and geographic location.
🔴 GLOBAL | After Maduro Shock, Trump Signals De-Escalation With Colombia
The temperature across the Americas remains high as Donald Trump pivots from open threats to sudden diplomacy, inviting Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro to the White House just days after accusing him of cocaine trafficking and floating military action against Bogotá.
The reversal followed an hour-long phone call between the two leaders on Wednesday, their first direct contact since Washington’s controversial abduction of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro. Trump said the call covered “the situation of drugs” and “other disagreements,” striking a markedly softer tone.
“It was a Great Honour to speak with the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I appreciated his call and tone and look forward to meeting him in the near future.”
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Petro confirmed the shift while addressing large crowds gathered at Bogotá’s Plaza Bolívar, protests he had earlier called to defend Colombia’s sovereignty after Trump’s warnings. “If we don’t speak, there is war. Colombia’s history has taught us that,” Petro told supporters, adding that dialogue had now been re-established.
He said he briefed Trump on Colombia’s anti-drug operations and raised both Venezuela and narcotics trafficking during the call.
Only days earlier, Trump had described Petro as “a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States,” warning he should “watch his a**” and suggesting a military operation in Colombia “sounds good.”
These remarks came amid heightened regional tension after the US operation in Caracas drew condemnation across Latin America.
Petro, Colombia’s first left-wing president, accused domestic political rivals of fuelling the crisis by misleading Washington.
“Those people are responsible for this crisis – let’s call it diplomatic for now,” he said, while reiterating his opposition to the US action in Venezuela, which he labelled “abhorrent.”
Despite the volatile rhetoric at the top, security cooperation continues largely uninterrupted. Colombia’s defence minister told US media that joint work involving the Navy, Coast Guard, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI remains intact, underlining the depth of bilateral ties.
Over the past two decades, Washington has provided Bogotá with roughly $14bn in military and security assistance, making Colombia the cornerstone of US counternarcotics strategy in the region and a designated Major non-NATO ally.
Analysts caution that the détente may be fragile. “The relationship between presidents Trump and Petro is volatile and unpredictable,” said Anthea McCarthy-Jones, a Latin America specialist at the University of New South Wales.
“It oscillates from threats and inflammatory language to attempts at diplomacy.”
For now, the invitation to Washington signals a pause in escalation, even as Trump’s broader posture remains confrontational across the hemisphere. With Venezuela still under emergency rule, regional protests ongoing, and US warnings echoing from the Caribbean to the Andes, diplomacy and brinkmanship continue to move side by side.
Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi says he has offered to personally settle the team’s unpaid match bonuses at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco if the Federal Government does not clear the arrears before Saturday’s quarter-final tie against Algeria.
Ndidi, quoted on Thursday, January 8, by BBC journalist Oluwashina Okeleji, said he made the commitment to ensure that the bonus dispute did not disrupt preparations. “I’ve been pushing the team to train and play the game vs Algeria. I’ve been doing this since the second game. I’ve now made a commitment to the staff and players that I’ll personally pay the bonuses if the authorities fail to before Saturday,” he was quoted as saying in an X post.
“I don’t want these unpaid bonuses to affect our preparations. I told players and coaching staff that I’d personally make the payments if they don’t get it,” he added.
The development comes amid tensions in the Super Eagles camp over outstanding payments for the three group-stage matches and the round of 16. There were reports on Thursday of players and officials considering boycotting travel to Marrakech and missing training sessions in protest.
In response, the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, said the Federal Government was fast-tracking payments between Thursday and Friday. She explained that group-stage bonuses had already been released and cleared regulatory approval, and that future disbursements would no longer face such delays.
“The Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria have successfully streamlined the foreign exchange processing to ensure our players are rewarded without further delay,” she wrote on X. “Going forward, the process will be fully streamlined to ensure faster, more predictable disbursements aligned with international best practice. All group stage bonuses were fully released and have now cleared the necessary regulatory stages.”
She added that the new process would allow funds to be converted quickly into the players’ preferred foreign currency. “We have implemented a fast-track conversion process to move funds into foreign currency, honouring the players’ preferences. The final transfers to domiciliary accounts are currently in flight. Players can expect these funds to reflect starting today (Thursday) or tomorrow (Friday).”Nigerian Travel Packages
Ndidi and the squad arrived in Marrakech on Thursday and continued preparations ahead of Saturday’s clash with Algeria.
ARCHBISHOP BANDA WILL BE SUBJECTED TO ZAMBIAN LAW, NOT VATICAN – MWEETWA
CHIEF Government Spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa says government cannot report Archbishop Alick Banda to the Vatican.
Mweetwa says government is not answerable to the Vatican, adding that in the archbishop’s case Zambian law is applicable.
Meanwhile, former secretary to cabinet Leslie Mbula says the law doesn’t discriminate, therefore Archbishop Banda should face it.
Responding to a News Diggers editorial which suggested that it would have been wiser to report Archbishop Banda to the Vatican to allow internal processes to run their course, Mweetwa said government cannot be entangled in Vatican issues.
“You can’t entangle us in the issues of the Vatican and whatever, no! As government, we are just there to ensure that there is rule of law, period! The issue of the Vatican, why do you want to invoke the Vatican, for what? The law which is applicable in Zambia is Zambian law, let us not hyperbolic this issue. There is no drama about it, why do you want us to go to the Vatican? Are we answerable to the Vatican, we are not. So, this issue should not be taken out of context. This is a simple issue of the law, rule of law, this is a juridical matter and not a political matter. Why do you want us to report to the Vatican?” wondered Mweetwa.
“We are not the prosecutors, and we should not be passing commentaries, while these proceedings are in place. Otherwise, we risk the fact that when the matter goes to court, if at all it reaches the courts, we will be said to have had premeditated thoughts over this matter. So, I only commented yesterday, because we needed to clarify one or two things, we are not here to comment about that issue. How many people are appearing before the courts of law, that the government is not talking about? Why should we talk about one person?”
Meanwhile, Mbula said the law doesn’t discriminate, therefore, Archbishop Banda should face it.
“Who is Archbishop Alick Banda? Is he a citizen? Is he subject to the law? In South Africa, Mr Zuma was taken to court. Mr Zuma was president. In Venezuela, the President, there is in court. So the law doesn’t discriminate. But what is important is to find out the truth from the Archbishop. What is the truth about him? And the truth shall set him free. That’s what the Bible says. So the drug enforcement, the security ways, are trying to get the truth from him. The truth can set him free,” he said.
Asked if he thought it would have been wise to report the Archbishop to the Vatican, Mbula argued that the offense was not committed in Italy.
“I hear you, but the offence was not committed in Italy. So, the law also has what they call areas of jurisdiction, this is Zambia. It was committed in Zambia and the law is very clear on the steps to be taken. And the law took the steps. And in my view, if I do something wrong, I was secretary to the cabinet, they’ll come for me. Mr Chiluba did something wrong, the law went for him and so on. So please, let’s not over-politicise matters. My view is, let the law take its course. That’s all I can say without undue interference. But then, because then the common person will say, if I were that, they would not have done this. They are doing this to me because I’m a commoner. So, they’ll be saying the law therefore is discriminatory. But the law does not discriminate. We put up these laws so that they could apply to all of us, without exception,” Mbula said.
“So, he should be subjected to the due process of the law that is within the jurisdiction of this country. He’s a citizen of the Republic of Zambia, and the law talks about anybody who commits an offence here in Zambia will be subject to that. But you know, it’s just an enquiry for him to explain himself. Because the truth, if he can come out and say what happened, it shall be revealed. It shall be explicated, It shall be freed consciously and physically”.
On sentiments that the matter has only been resurrected now because the Archbishop has been critical of government, Mbula said it didn’t matter how long the crime was committed, when evidence comes up, it should be pursued.
“What is the right time? Because they say, in my language, they say a case never rots. So it could have been 10 years, 20 years. Once the evidence comes up, they’ll do it. Sometimes it’s a question of gathering evidence. They don’t want to rush. Because if they rush, they’ll think that maybe they are being vindictive, that they want to take their time. And they’re not saying he’s guilty. They call him to find out what the truth is. But it’s important for him to say what happened and then he’ll free himself,” said Mbula.
NCP SAYS PF’S REMOVAL FROM TONSE ALLIANCE DISHONORS ECL’S LEGACY
By Joseph Kaputula
The New Congress Party –NCP- says the Tonse Alliance’s decision to derecognize the Patriotic Front –PF- as a partner has dishonored late former President Edgar Lungu’s legacy.
Yesterday, the Tonse Alliance through its interim chairperson Professor Danny Pule announced that it will no longer recognize the PF as a partner, but will instead work with the Edgar Lungu Political Movement.
But addressing the media in Lusaka this morning, NCP president Peter Chanda says Mr. Lungu’s political will designated the NCP as a special purpose vehicle, with the PF as the anchor party.
Mr. Chanda has questioned the Tonse Alliance’s loyalty to Mr. Lungu, saying they are going against his wishes.
He says the move by Tonse has vindicated him from accusations of having ill intentions against the PF leadership.
And Mr. Chanda says his party is a stable opposition party with no internal conflicts, positioning it as a viable alternative to the UPND.
UNITY IN ZAMBIA’S OPPOSITION: POSSIBLE, YES. PROBABLE, NOT WITHOUT A HARD RESET.
By Brian Matambo | Lusaka, Zambia
As Zambia edges toward the 2026 presidential election, the opposition’s greatest challenge is not the incumbent. It is itself.
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Calls for unity have become the safest language in Zambian politics. They offend no one. They inspire applause. They also change nothing unless followed by discipline, structure, and sacrifice. The recent turbulence within the Tonse Alliance and the Patriotic Front has exposed a deeper truth: unity is not failing because Zambians reject it. It is failing because political actors continue to treat it as a slogan rather than a system.
The contradiction is now visible to the public. The Tonse Alliance has moved to expel the Patriotic Front from its ranks, while at the same time prominent PF figures continue to operate in Tonse-adjacent political spaces without consequence. This inconsistency has eroded trust and reinforced the perception that rules are applied selectively. Coalitions do not collapse only because of ideology. They collapse when fairness becomes negotiable.
The internal PF drama has not helped. The incarceration of Raphael Nakacinda has reshaped internal power dynamics and removed a key organiser at a critical moment. In politics, absence creates opportunity, but rarely stability. What followed has been a renewed scramble for control, influence, and legitimacy, with consequences spilling beyond the party into the wider opposition project.
Leadership ambition has further complicated the picture. Given Lubinda, in public reflections, has made it clear that he views the presidency not as a negotiable aspiration but as a personal mandate. Ambition in itself is not a flaw. Politics without ambition is charity. The problem arises when ambition becomes incompatible with coalition building. A leader who struggles to unite a party or an alliance cannot credibly promise to unite a country.
Others stand at a crossroads. Chishimba Kambwili has demonstrated political instinct before and understands timing, alignment, and consequence. Whether he applies that instinct now may define the remainder of his political career. Miles Sampa, by contrast, remains an unpredictable variable in an environment that can no longer afford miscalculations. In a compressed electoral cycle, errors are not corrected. They are punished.
Against this backdrop, Makebi Zulu has called for unity. The appeal is aligned with public sentiment and reflects what many Zambians say openly: the opposition must come together if it hopes to dislodge Hakainde Hichilema in 2026. But unity by appeal alone is insufficient. History shows that coalitions succeed only when guided by enforceable rules, transparent processes, and shared risk.
Winning in 2026 will require more than arithmetic. It will require judgment.
First, the opposition must choose a candidate who is legally resilient. This is not paranoia. It is realism. A politically exposed candidate with unresolved legal vulnerabilities offers the state an opportunity to shift the contest from the ballot to the courtroom. That is not strategy. That is negligence.
Second, the next flag bearer must represent continuity with the positive legacy of Edgar Chagwa Lungu while decisively breaking with the excesses that damaged the Patriotic Front before 2021. Zambians remember humility, accessibility, and faith consciousness. They also remember violence, indiscipline, and the failure to confront tribal rhetoric decisively. Any candidate who carries the latter baggage will struggle to persuade voters that a new chapter has truly begun.
Third, the opposition must present a visible generational renewal. This is not an argument against experience. It is an argument for balance. Zambia’s Parliament and Cabinet cannot continue to look like closed clubs. Younger leaders and women must be elevated to the front line, not as decoration, but as decision-makers. Senior figures must then accept the harder task of mentoring, stabilising, and guiding rather than dominating. That is how political cultures renew themselves.
Fourth, the policy offering must be credible and national in scope. Zambians are listening for commitments on resource ownership, economic sovereignty, diplomacy that restores Zambia’s non-aligned posture, and governance that respects the separation of powers. They also expect consistency in upholding Zambia’s identity as a Christian nation, not as a slogan, but through respect for the church and completion of national commitments such as the National House of Prayer..
Finally, the opposition must reform how it chooses leaders. Backroom consensus has failed repeatedly. The moment calls for an open, structured, and nationally visible process. Public debates. Clear qualification criteria. Transparent rules. Binding commitments to support the eventual winner. Without this, unity will remain performative and fragile.
So, is unity possible in Zambian politics ahead of 2026? Yes. But only if the opposition accepts a hard truth: unity is not declared. It is engineered.
Until personalities submit to process, and ambition yields to structure, the opposition will continue to rehearse unity while practicing division. In elections, that contradiction is fatal.
And so I propose we take all the opposition aspiring presidential candidates to a public widely televised, national, or even global debate. I will provide the production equipment. Uncle Frank will do the interviews. And we all the Zambians at home and abroad will help us choose the flag bear. And the rest must support the winner or be driven into political oblivions.
KAMBA WELCOMES LUBINDA’S NATIONAL CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT
..As he endorses Brian Mundubile.
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) Central Committee member Kennedy Kamba has welcomed Acting PF President Given Lubinda’s announcement to hold a national conference to elect a new party leader after the January 12, 2026, Court ruling.
Mr. Kamba, a strong supporter of Brian Mundubile’s presidential bid, said Hon.Lubinda’s announcement has brought hope to PF members who want a democratic process to choose their leader.
“Hon Lubinda’s announcement is a step in the right direction. We need a conference to elect a leader who will take the party forward,” Kamba said. “As a Central Committee member, I’m endorsing Brian Mundubile’s candidature. He’s the people’s choice, and he’s got the vision to lead Zambia.”
Mr. Kamba said Mundubile’s leadership is expected to unite the party and strengthen its presence across the country.
“For us as team Brian Mundubile, this is a way to go. We don’t have time to waste. In fact, this is why as team Brian Mundubile, we have gone further to institute a provincial campaign team in all the 10 provinces,” he said.
He added that he and other PF members of the Central Committee have decided to rally behind Mundubile’s candidature because that’s the wish of the people on the ground, not tribal or regional lines.
“We have settled for Hon. Brian Mundubile because that is what Zambians want. On the ground, people are saying we want Mundubile,” Mr. Kamba said.
Mr. Kamba also called on Lubinda to lift the suspension of all PF members to level the playing field.
“Let Hon. Lubinda also lift the suspension of all those perceived to be supporting Hon. Brian Mundubile for the sake of unity in the party as we go for a national convention,” he said.
He emphasized the need for the PF leadership to allow members to support any aspiring candidates of their own choice without intimidation.
The PF is awaiting the Court’s ruling on January 12, 2026, regarding a dispute between Lubinda’s faction and Robert Chabinga’s faction, who has obtained an injunction restraining Lubinda’s faction from holding meetings or conferences in the party’s name.
Hon. Lubinda has announced plans to hold a convention shortly after January 12, regardless of the court’s decision.
PF IS NOT COMING BACK, NOT EVEN THROUGH AN ALLIANCE It’s very easy to predict election results from country to country if you ask me.
Firstly, this is not only the case of PF but also previous political parties which tasted power and failed to return. Initially, it’s only in the United States where it’s easier for a political party removed from power to be able to return, and that’s because of the two-party system. Third parties there, like for example, the Green Party (GP); operates like any other organization than a political party and particularly, the (GP) advocates for environmental issues. That’s it’s role in the system.
That alone, gives USA an advantage to vote for either A or B in an election, helping them to reduce political disorderliness and unnecessary rivalry in the country. Because small parties know what to do, and U.S. A’ s system is such that some small roles are left to these third parties.
Taking it home (Zambia), parties like Socialist Party of Dr. Fred and Citizens first of Harry Kalaba with no representative in Parliament (for example), would pick a field of interest and contribute positively at their level; knowing that they can’t form government. That said, Americans would always not vote for third parties; to make sure that their votes count, they would definitely vote for candidates likely to win.
Unlike, what we’re seeing in poor countries like Zambia. Imagine small parties like those mentioned above (SP and CF) competing with UPND and making all the noise when they know they would not form government; I guess that’s using resources wrongly-but again that’s our system and type of democracy. Noise yes, because it helps to shape our policies, yet the purpose of making noise points to our poor electoral system and kind of democracy which is not development-centered and disorganized.
Regardless, in Zambia parties have failed to return to power because everyone wants to lead. Everyone wants to become a president. In the United States factions in the Democratic-Republican party came about differences in ideologies, yet in Zambia differences comes due to selfishness, everyone wants to lead and enrich themselves.
Why is PF and it’s alliance a failure?
I will give you an example of the 2001 elections. After a failed Chiluba’s third term; he picked Levy Patrick Mwanawasa as the MMD presidential candidate. Party elites were unsatisfied, they believed they were more deserving, so they left the party and formed their own; the FDD, PF and so on.
At the same time, some opposition parties came together and formed an alliance in order to challenge Levy Patrick Mwanawasa in the 2001 elections, but the alliance failed after they failed to agree on the presidential candidate for the same alliance. This gave MMD an advantage to win that election because the opposition was divided.
Similarly, in 2006; there were a number of alliances, like the United Democratic Front (UDF) which had the likes of Michael Sata of Patriotic Front, Mwila of ZRP, Rev. Dr. Nevers Mumba and others. Before the convention, Sata left the alliance. Later the alliance chose Mwila of ZRP as it’s presidential candidate. This forced Nevers Mumba to leave the alliance. Why? Because almost every leader who joined the alliance wasn’t ready to be led.
In the same year on the other hand, UPND, UNIP and FDD formed an alliance UDA and Mazoka who came second to Mwanawasa in the 2001 elections became their presidential candidate. After the death of Anderson Mazoka, Edith Nawakwi thought she would be the presidential candidate for the alliance. But, because UPND was being funded by HH; HH himself, was chosen to replace Mazoka. In this election HH came out third.
After the 2001 elections, HH and Edith Nawakwi became real rivals beyond politics.
Since 1991, the party which got prominence very fast was the UPND but because of Anderson Mazoka’s death; it was replaced by Sata’s PF, making it to stay the longest in the opposition. PF lost 3 times, the fourth time they formed government, under a decade in 2011.
Otherwise, just like in my previous post; the PF factions started after Sata died in 2014 when almost every PF member wanted to become president.
The 2014 PF conventions were split into two parallel disputed gatherings: each, electing a different leader.
The two were, the Edgar Lungu’s Convention and Miles Sampa’s Convention. The ECL’s convention had the likes of Inonge Wina, who was at the time the PF National Chairperson and Davies Chama was appointed at this very convention as the new Secretary General (SG). The Sampa’s convention had Guy Scott (then vice president and acting president) who officially opened it. GBM and Robert Sichinga were some of the party presidential hopeful, present. Chishimba Kambwili, Given Lubinda, Wilbur Simuusa and Christine Kaseba were also vying for the party presidency from this end, but were not present. Daniel Munkombwe was the chairperson at this convention.
On the ECL’s side, ECL went unopposed, and was announced legitimate PF party president while on the other hand Sampa was announced winner and legitimate PF party president.
The party was divided. Later, the high court declared ECL as the duly elected PF presidential candidate, nullifying the results of the Miles Sampa’s convention.
I believe you are following.
Anyway, disputes were resolved, PF was once again a complete piece. Because the people of Zambia loved Sata so much, the PF went round campaigning for ECL saying that he was the one Sata had chosen before his demise, to lead the PF party and country. The people of Zambia reciprocated with their emotional votes. In the 2015 elections, ECL won as president, beating HH and the others.
After ECL won as president, many political careers ended. Especially, for those whose names were appearing at Miles Sampa’s side of a convention.
Fast-forward, ECL was elected for the second time in 2016 and due to selfishness, in 2021 he tried the Chiluba style of pushing for a third term. Despite him succeeding to be on the ballot in the 2021 August elections, he lost to HH of UPND.
In between, a lot has happened; but, because everyone in PF wants to be the presidential candidate for 2026 August elections; the party remains divided since 2021 and this gives the ruling party (UPND) an advantage.
As it stands, PF can’t unite even if they happen to choose their party president, they’re only together because all those aspiring for the party presidency believe that they would be that party’s president. The real drama would unfold after a convention, which might not take place. At the same time, the Tonse Alliance (name copied from Malawi), would completely dissolve as parties would definitely not agree when it comes to who must be the presidential candidate.
Otherwise, how the system works is that; a candidate for an opposition party would only remove the government of the day after their impact is felt on the ground. The only person who had influence in PF was ECL and if chance was there, he had an opportunity to bounce back. Just like HH failed to inherit Mazoka’s influence in the 2006 elections, there’s no leader in the PF who would ride on ECL’s influence and win. They would definitely, have to take their time, build their influence and maybe win in the later future if PF will be there. Equally, the Zambian economy doesn’t suggest a shift in government.
Check out for my upcoming book, title to be shared before the launch ❤
