U.S. hijacks another Venezuelan oil tanker in the Indian Ocean — “legalized piracy”
The United States military has seized a Venezuela-linked crude oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking the vessel from the Caribbean for weeks. The ship was reportedly carrying about 700,000 barrels of oil when American forces boarded and took control of it.
Washington says the operation is part of enforcing sanctions and a naval blockade ordered by President Donald Trump against Venezuela’s oil exports. However, critics argue the vessel was intercepted in international waters, thousands of kilometres from U.S. territory, raising serious questions about international law and sovereignty.
The Pentagon openly stated its forces can enforce its will “halfway around the world”, signalling that any tanker linked to Venezuelan oil could now be targeted regardless of location.
Venezuela and several analysts have condemned the action, describing it as economic warfare and legalized piracy on the high seas.
South African authorities have intensified operations targeting undocumented migrants as part of a renewed effort to address border control, crime and pressure on public services.
Law enforcement agencies have increased inspections, arrests and deportations in several provinces, while officials say the move is aimed at restoring order to the immigration system and enforcing existing laws.
Authorities say a significant number of undocumented migrants originate from neighbouring and regional countries, including Abegistan, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, Malawi, Ethiopia and Somalia, among others.
Government representatives maintain the campaign is not directed at any specific nationality but focuses on illegal entry, expired permits and undocumented residence. The operations are also linked to broader plans to strengthen border management and tighten immigration compliance.
The development comes amid growing public debate in South Africa over unemployment, social services and national security, with officials insisting legal migrants and visitors will not be affected.
AFRICAN LEADERS ABANDONED MUHAMMAD GADDAFI AND BLAME THE LIBYAN PEOPLE FOR HIS DEATH!
MUAMMAR GADDAFI, an icon of AFRICA and a champion of AFRICAN sovereignty, was betrayed by the very people who claimed to defend the continent.
When LIBYA was ättäcked and destabilized, no major AFRICAN leader came to its defense. Worse still, some blamed the Libyan people for the fall of their leader, forgetting history and friendship.
Concrete examples:
In 2011, BURKINA FASO’S President BLAISE COMPAORE, despite being close to GADDAFI, ultimately distanced himself to avoid opposing Western pressure.
CHADIAN President IDRISS DEBY, who had been an ally of Libya, also tacitly accepted foreign intervention.
Many other AFRICAN countries chose to side with NATO and Western powers, leaving Libya to face the invasion alone.
GADDAFI was never abandoned by his people, but by those who called themselves his African brothers. His dream of a united and strong AFRICA was betrayed by those who should have supported him.
Today, history reminds us that AFRICA can only count on solidarity when it is courageous and independent. Let leaders remember: betrayal is never forgotten.
-Yusuf Buhari, son of Late Nigeria’s President explains what life has become after he left the corridors of Power
“After Goodluck Jonathan made that call to my dad to congratulate him on his victory as Nigeria’s next President, I used to receive up to 2,000 calls a day from different people. The calls would start coming in as early as 4 a.m. — from old classmates, acquaintances, extended family relatives, former maids, and servants who had once worked for the Buhari family at some point.
There were also callers with bogus, untraceable explanations, but my assistant would simply come up with polite excuses to end those conversations quickly!
But the moment my dad left power and handed the baton to His Excellency Bola Tinubu, the calls dropped dramatically to about 100 a day.
After my dad was buried, they reduced even further to around 20 daily — usually just from siblings and business associates.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Court has ordered the forfeiture of 79 vehicles and 23 properties belonging to DALITSO LUNGU, the son of former President EDGAR LUNGU, after ruling that the assets were proceeds of crime.
The Court found that the Director of Public Prosecutions -DPP, GILBERT PHIRI, had successfully established a case for non-conviction forfeiture of the properties under the law.
Judges further ruled that the evidentiary burden placed on the interested parties had not been discharged, in accordance with the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act No. 19 of 2010.
The judgement was delivered by PIXXIE YANGAILO, ANNIE ONONUJU and IAN MABOLOBOLO, sitting as judges of the Economic and Financial Crimes Court.
The ruling follows an application brought under Section 29 of the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act No. 19 of 2010, seeking the non-conviction forfeiture of DALITSO LUNGU’s assets.
In an affidavit filed in opposition, DALITSO LUNGU stated that his wealth was not acquired from proceeds of crime, a position the Court did not accept.
ZNBC
National prosecution authority write:
DALISTO LUNGU’S ASSETS FORFEITED TO THE STATE IN HIGH COURT DECISION
Lusaka | February 9, 2026 – The Economic and Financial Crimes Division of the High Court in Lusaka has ordered the forfeiture to the State of extensive assets worth over ZMW 24 Million belonging to Dalitso Lungu, son of former Republican President the late Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, after finding that the properties were proceeds of crime under Zambia’s forfeiture laws.
In a judgment delivered today, the Court held that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had successfully established a case for non-conviction based forfeiture under the Forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act No. 29 of 2010. The Interested Parties, who were Dalitso Lungu as the 1st Interested Party and his company Saloid Traders Limited, failed to provide a credible, consistent, and verifiable explanation showing lawful acquisition of the assets.
The forfeiture order covers 79 motor vehicles and 23 parcels of land and real estate, including a shopping mall and filling station in Jack Compound, double storey luxury apartments and an executive residence in Salama Park, Lusaka.
The Court carefully reviewed Mr Lungu’s work history and earnings. Records show that he worked briefly at Varun Beverages Zambia Limited in 2012, earning approximately ZMW5,407 over less than three months. He later worked at the Zambia Revenue Authority for about 34 months, earning a total of approximately ZMW132,396, while also servicing a personal bank loan.
The Court concluded that these earnings, even cumulatively, were insufficient to justify the acquisition of the extensive fleet of vehicles and real estate.
Investigations into Saloid Traders Limited, the company owned by Mr Lungu, revealed that its financial statements, tax returns, bank records, and NAPSA contributions did not demonstrate the capacity to lawfully acquire or maintain the properties.
Claims that the assets were financed through commercial farming, other business income, or family assistance were rejected due to lack of documentary evidence such as bank transfers, tax filings, or lawful property conveyancing instruments.
The Court confirmed the legal principle that, once the State demonstrates reasonable grounds to suspect that property is tainted, the burden shifts to the property holder to prove lawful acquisition, a burden that the Interested Parties did not meet.
The Court ordered that all cited assets be forfeited to the State and directed that they be managed by the DPP in accordance with the law. The Interested Parties were also condemned in costs.
This decision emphasises the State’s authority to recover unexplained wealth and reinforces the principle that property ownership carries a responsibility to demonstrate lawful origin.
The images below provide a glimpse of some of the forfeited assets. More photos and comprehensive details will be shared in due course.
..continued failure to resolve this matter is creating dangerous precedence…
RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE REPLACEMENT OF MEMBERS DEFECTING TO OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES AND FORMATIONS
..those endorsing candidates that no longer belong to the Patriotic Front are engaged in defections and must be replaced immediately as the Party prepares delegates’ list to the General Conference….
Monday 9th February 2026
1. ON FUNERAL AND BURIAL OF ECL
The Patrtic Front Party remains deeply concerned that the mortal remains of the late President, Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, have not been put to rest eight (8) months after his demise in Pretoria, South Africa.
The Party has once again appealed to President Hakainde Hichilema to demonstrate leadership, and abandon all court processes, and actively engage in restarting credible negotiations in order to end this sad and unfortunate crisis.
This is to enable that all parties involved can facilitate and grant the wishes of the ECL family in this matter so that the late President can be put to peaceful rest.
Failure to resolve this matter continues to create a dangerous precedent as President Lungu diligently served the people of Zambia for seven years as President and therefore, deserves unequivocal respect and honour during his life and in death.
2. ON ENDORSEMENTS AND JOINING OTHER POLITICAL FORMATIONS
We have noted that some members of the Patriotic Front are announcing their endorsements or are joining presidential candidates that are no longer members of the Patriotic Front.
This will be regarded and treated as a defections.
To this effect the Provincial and District leadership are directed to immediately replace such individuals especially if they belong to leadership Party structures.
This should be done in liaison with the office of Acting Secretary General, Mr. Celestine Mukandila.
This is because the Party is currently preparing a delegates’ list for those eligible to attend the General Conference and the gathering will be drawn from bona fide party members.
3. COURT MATTERS
The matter of Consent Judgement to hand back the Patriotic Front to legitimate owners is coming before Lusaka High Court Judge, Justice Conceptor Chinyanwa Zulu on 25th February 2025. We hope that this matter will be settled once and for all.
4. GENERAL CONFERENCE
The Party leadership has made a decision that, notwithstanding any other legal or political factors, the General Conference will go ahead and will be held before the end of February 2026.
Further the Electoral Commission of the Party was appointed and has made extremely good progress and those eligible to vote are being contacted.
Further, the process is being handled in a manner that will produce a credible, legitimate and democratically elected leader of the Patriotic Front.
5. MRS. BRENDA NYIRENDA-CHISOPA
Presidential candidates have expressed alarm that the former Acting Secretary General, Mrs. Brenda Nyirenda-Chisopa has not surrendered administrative, financial records and assets of the Party despite repeated requests by the Secretariat.
The Presidential Candidates have stated that they participated in a process commissioned and directed by the Central Committee led by Acting President, Hon. Given Lubinda and expressed deep concerns that this matter remain unresolved. They urged the Party leadership to immediately resolve this matter so as to expedite preparations of the General Conference.
6. ON TONSE ALLIANCE
The Party has stated with emphasis that the only legal and legitimate Tonse Alliance is the one created by the late President, Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu. President Lungu appointed Hon. Given Lubinda and Hon. Raphael Nakacinda to head the Alliance in their capacity as leaders of the Patriotic Front as the Party was the anchor of the Alliance as provided in founding documents and subsequent signed Memorandum of Understanding by our partners.
Therefore, the leadership of Tonse Alliance remains one led by Patriotic Front Acting President, Hon. Given Lubinda and Secretary General, Hon. Raphael Nakacinda.
The Party is aware of a grouping that has broken away and purport to belong to another purported Tonse Alliance. This is regarded as a fraudulent and illegal process by the Party.
Members are encouraged to remain steadfast and loyal to the wishes of the late President and await further guidance to be given.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
The Party has reported the Government of President Hakainde Hichilema to SADC and the Africa Bar Association for his attacks against democracy, the rule of law, and human rights violations.
This is to inform and highlight the regional bodies of the intense attacks and threats against Democracy occuring in Zambia and perpetrated by President Hakainde Hichilema and his associates.
Further this is to also alert them about the UPND’s clear intentions to undermine and steal the 2026 General Elections through the various schemes the Hichilema government is engaged in to manipulate democratic institutions and undermine the integrity of the electoral system.
The Party will continue to alert and report the crisis facing Zambia’s democracy to more international bodies.
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT As a Party, we have a sacred duty to defend, honour and protect the legacy of both President Michael Chilufya Sata and President Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
We wish to assure our members to remain calm, steadfast and wait for official guidance on matters relating to the Party, its association with political alliances and general guidance.
The Party leadership has thanked the members for their continued loyalty and steadfast as the Party weathers the challenges it faces in order to give the people of Zambia credible and alternative leadership to the failing UPND government.
ISSUED BY; Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba Chairperson of Information and Publicity Member of the Central Committee PATRIOTIC FRONT
NYIRENDA WONDERS HOW PF WILL HOLD CONVENTION AGAINST COURT ORDER
LUNDAZI PF MP Brenda Nyirenda has wondered how the PF will hold a convention when the courts have restrained the party from holding any meetings or conferences in the name of PF.
Nyirenda has also accepted her appointment as Deputy Secretary General in charge of politics for the Brian Mundubile-led Tonse alliance.
However, PF faction Chairperson for Information and Publicity Emmanuel Mwamba says PF has continued to hold meetings despite the court orders and the convention will not be any different.
On Thursday, Mwamba announced that the party had appointed an Electoral Commission to host the general conference slated for the end of this month. Mwamba also said Nyirenda had been tasked with surrendering the preparatory minutes, documents and funds related to the preparation of the conference.
Responding to this in an interview, Friday, Nyirenda said the party needed to wait for the matters before court to be concluded before discussing issues to do with the convention.
“What I know is that anything that is being done is contemptuous so I can’t make any comment on things which are before the court. The matters are in court, so when matters are in court, we need to wait for the final judgment. How can we start running around when we have been guided by the court that nothing should be done? Honourable Nyirenda does not hold any of those things; they remain with the office. So how can they say I must surrender when was I removed from that office? I was removed a long time ago, on the 27th, three days before we were supposed to hold the convention. From that time, this is when they want handover notes from me? I don’t owe anyone any money,” she said.
And in a Facebook post, Nyirenda thanked Mundubile for the appointment and pledged to work hard for the betterment of the nation. Nyirenda was among the 20 members appointed to different portfolios of the alliance on Saturday.
“I wish to thank the Tonse Alliance and incoming 8th Zambia’s president, Brian Mundubile, together with the Council of Leaders for appointing me as Deputy Secretary General in charge of politics in the Tonse Alliance. I wholeheartedly accept the appointment with a resolve to work hard for the betterment of our nation. It’s now time to put our foot on the ground ahead of the big day in August,” wrote Nyirenda.
In a separate interview, Mwamba said the party would proceed to hold the convention and engage in other activities, stating that it would not be stopped by any court processes.
“What we are doing is for the party to survive and to keep the name of the Patriotic Front and our members active. Despite those court orders, we’ve always held meetings, we think that the general conference, which is a convention, is just one of the meetings that we hold. It’s not different from what we hold. We held a central committee meeting last week, we keep on engaging in activities as the Patriotic Front. You saw our team was in Mpika and for us the issue of the general conference is just a meeting like any of these political activities that we are engaged in and will not be hindered or stopped by any court process. The issues of court processes will be done by our lawyers,” Mwamba explained.
“Because we are living in unprecedented times, you have the state that is determined to kill, steal and destroy the Patriotic Front. We will proceed to hold the conference, we think that we have obeyed, we have stalled, we have stopped, it doesn’t yield any good results for us especially that we are just a few months away from filing of nominations and participating in the elections. The PF has to be ready to participate and one of the key issues is to pick its leader. We could have picked a leader through the conclave, we can go to the general conference, [and] we’ll pick a leader. The process in Kabwe or anywhere else, they are welcome and they are being handled by our lawyers but for political purposes, we have to do what is necessary politically not legal”.
He added that PF would do whatever was necessary to survive politically while leaving legal issues to the lawyers.
“We have always stated that the PF is under attack from the state and they are using illegal and political instruments to ensure that the PF doesn’t appear on the ballot. So we stated that we’ll fight this through legal and political means. So, the legal matter and legal part will be handled by our lawyers. As politicians, we’ll do what is required to be done in a political manner.
If you see, there’ve been court orders and court injunctions; we have refused to respect those. We proceed with appointments, with meetings, with participation, we’ve won the Petauke, Chawama and we did very well in Kasama despite the PF not appearing on the ballot and despite those court orders. So, for us, the issues of the legal fight are left to our lawyers. We’ll do what is necessary for us to survive as the Patriotic Front,” said Mwamba.
PEOPLE’S Pact Movement Vice President Robert Sichinga says he will back Socialist Party President Dr Fred M’membe in the August 13 general election.
Sichinga said he was too old to vie for the presidency and would, therefore, campaign for Dr M’membe because he had demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities.
He said he had confidence in Dr M’membe’s leadership style and given a chance, he was capable of delivering social and economic change from bad to a real stable outlook.
“I have known Fred M’membe for 47 years. He was a young man coming from university. So, when his name was mentioned, I had no problem because I knew him as a man of integrity,” Sichinga said .
He said this during a joint press briefing in Kitwe.
Sichinga said he would do everything within his powers to ensure Dr M’membe became president of Zambia.
He said he could vouch for Dr M’membe’s credibility and leadership qualities and that he was clear that the socialist leader was a visionary.
Sichinga said the country needed a young man who was qualified and fit to run the country.
“I supported Mr Hichilema in 2016 when he was approached by the party leadership and even in 2021, I supported Hichilema,” he said.
Sichinga said he was disappointed with President Hakainde Hichilema’s governance style.
He said the Socialist Party and the People’s Pact Movement were the solution to the various problems the country was facing, created by the United Party for National Development (UPND) and previous governments.
Sichinga urged Zambians to rally behind Dr M’membe as he had contributed to the democratic and human rights reforms in the nation.
Sichinga also expressed his disappointment with Hichilema’s handling of Bill 7, which was later en acted as the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act No 13 of 2015.
Dr M’membe is the presidential candidate of the SP and the People’s Pact Movement.
LUNGU FAMILY VOWS NOT TO DEFAULT APPEAL AGAINST REPATRIATION ORDER
By Nelson Zulu
The family of former late President Edgar Lungu has disclosed that it will not default on filing its appeal in the Supreme Court of South Africa challenging the earlier High Court judgement last year that ordered the repatriation of his remains to Zambia.
In an interview with Phoenix News, family spokesperson Makebi Zulu has confirmed that preparations are underway to lodge the appeal on or before the 11 February, 2026 deadline and that the family remains committed to pursuing avenues that will secure a dignified burial for the former President.
The appeal follows a December 23, 2025 decision by the South African Court of Appeal granting the family permission to challenge the earlier Pretoria High Court judgement by Judge Aubrey Ledwaba that ordered Mr. Lungu’s repatriation, after rejecting the family’s request to bury the former President in South Africa and initial denial of permission to appeal on the basis that there was no reasonable prospect of success.
The case has since evolved into an eight-month long legal and political standoff, set against a backdrop of a long-running feud between Mr. Lungu and his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema, and the family’s assertion that the late President expressed wishes about attendees at his funeral.
TONSE PROBLEMS ENDED WHEN I WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT – MUNDUBILE
TONSE Alliance faction President Brian Mundubile says the alliance’s problems ended when he was elected leader.
Mundubile says those who accuse him of being a UPND project are actually the ones doing paid-for tricks with the ruling party to cause confusion in the opposition.
Meanwhile, Mundubile says the current ECZ cannot be said to be independent and has demanded that changes be made to remove “UPND cadres” from running the commission.
Speaking when he appeared on BM8 Unfiltered, Mundubile said as Tonse president, he was talking to PF members and those outside to work with him.
“Problems in Tonse ended. There was a congress last week on 28 January where president Brian Mundubile was elected Tonse president. The process was credible, transparent and accountable, that is where all Tonse problems ended. There could be others who are trying to [bring confusion] but don’t worry about that. As regards Tonse, the fact that it went through a conference and a leader was elected means problems in Tonse ended. What is important to know is how we are going to work with other political leaders. As president of Tonse, who was elected at the congress, I have started talking to other leaders, those we are with in PF and those outside. We have started talking so that we can come together and work,” he said.
“I know that many others want to see the UPND out of power, it’s urgent. The UPND should be removed from power but we can’t guarantee an environment which will be perfect, very quiet, no noise. Because the same people we want to remove from power are the ones who are going behind to sponsor people, that’s why there isn’t total calm. But we will try to unite, that’s why we made sure that we went for the congress and chose a leader, but we can’t achieve that 100 per cent because the people who are sponsoring confusion are the same people who want to remove government through an election, so that is likely to continue”.
Mundubile accused some senior opposition leaders of holding meetings with the UPND to cause confusion in the opposition, adding that they would be flushed out soon.
“You would be very disappointed where we are going. You will find that even senior leaders are compromised. They have been meeting with UPND doing imingalato and when they come around, they want to point at us innocent ones that we are a project [of the UPND]. The same ones saying that, check them properly, they are causing confusion because they are funded by the UPND. So you must be very careful, look out for such leaders who are causing confusion, they are actually funded, those are the ones on a project and they are in the habit of calling others projects, yet they are the projects themselves. So, through my leadership we will ensure that we flush out these elements to stop causing confusion in the opposition,” he said.
“And we will be able to make progress as opposition political parties together with other like-minded people. People who would want transparency, people who would want to act above board, people who would like to provide checks and balances as it were. So check your leaders, try to interrogate them, especially those that are in constant confusion, check them”.
Meanwhile, when asked to comment on recent remarks by President Hakainde Hichilema that the country would have free and fair elections, Mundubile claimed that from the time UPND got into government, the country had never had free and fair elections.
“You have ECZ that is headed by a known UPND cadre, member of the Central Committee of the UPND, madam [Maria] Zaloumis. She’s been a member of the UPND. There is another gentleman who attempted to stand in Chirundu. So it’s managed by party cadres. When we talk about free and fair elections, when you talk about credible elections, what exactly is the President talking about? From the time that they got into government there has never been credible elections held under the UPND, there has never been a free and fair election held under the UPND,” he said.
“Some of the reasons are the reasons I’m giving you. If you have your commissioners coming from a Central Committee of a political party, whether or not they are acting independently, the independence that we expect to see from an electoral body is not enough. To be independent, it should be seen to be independent. In this particular case, you cannot say that you see ECZ to be independent on account of the people that are running it, and by conduct we have seen a number of things go wrong”.
Mundubile demanded that some changes be made at ECZ to ensure that it was run by independent people.
“If you look at the comments that came from the Ghanaian President, I don’t want to put words in his mouth. We live in a global village and the fact that we know what happens in Ghana, what’s going on in Ghana, it’s also possible that the Ghanaians know what’s happening in Zambia.
It’s possible that the Ghanaians have been concerned with how the country is being run. It’s possible that the Ghanaians could be worried with how ECZ is being run. So the statement by the President of Ghana, we really take our hats off to him. The statement is very timely and I hope that government will move in swiftly to make certain changes. We demand that changes be made at the Electoral Commission of Zambia to bring in neutral people, preferably retired judges, people who are going to come in and work and discharge their duties with impartiality,” said Mundubile.
UPND MAY DRIBBLE THEMSELVES WITH ELECTION MINGALATO, WARNS KAMPYONGO
SHIWANG’ANDU PF MP Stephen Kampyongo says it makes government look untrustworthy when a government spokesperson brags about manipulating citizens during elections through mingalato.
He adds that the ruling party could end up “dribbling themselves into a net,” as history has shown that even those who considered themselves master dribblers eventually dribbled themselves.
On Thursday, Information and Media Minister Cornelius Mweetwa, who is also Chief Government Spokesperson, said “mingalato” would be in high gear in the August general elections, stating that “after all, there’s no strong opposition”.
In an interview, Kampyongo said it was regrettable that people had cheapened governance.
He added that Mweetwa should be discussing policy issues not how government would deceive citizens in order to be re-elected.
“It’s just regrettable that people have cheapened governance. The spokesperson for government must be discussing matters of policy, to give hope to Zambian citizens who have experienced enormous challenges. He should be talking about how the government intends to alleviate the poverty levels of our people other than capitalising on their poverty levels by manipulating them. He should wait and see how clever and intelligent Zambian people can be. Let him wait. It makes the government look untrustworthy because you can’t have government priding itself in dribbling, in manipulating citizens because that’s what he’s simply meaning. Mingalato is deception and hope that people will be so dumb, so dull, to continue being dribbled by those they entrusted with authority to govern them,” Kampyongo said.
“But I can tell you, people of Zambia may look dull, may look docile [but] they are more clever than what the government spokesperson thinks and they are bound to teach his government a lesson. He should, by now, be talking about the checklist of the undertakings they made, the promises they made to the people and how they’ve fulfilled them, and how that should be the basis for them to seek re-election back into office. It shows you that they’ve done nothing and they are betting on mingalato for people to give them a fresh mandate, who thinks like that? Does he really think all of us citizens are so dull to see through their manipulation? They may end up just dribbling themselves into the net. We have seen this before in the political history of this country. Even those who thought they were master dribblers ended up dribbling themselves”.
He highlighted that it did not matter how President Hakainde Hichilema mobilised resources for his election campaign because winning an election was not entirely determined by how much resources one put in.
“It’s not about how much resources they mobilise, how much they put in, people have demonstrated that even with the resources put in, if you don’t give them hope and if you have demonstrated that you cannot keep your promises to them, no matter how much resources are mobilised, people are able to make resounding decisions that will kick the UPND out of government. It doesn’t matter the resources you mobilise, it will boil down to the people’s livelihoods. You promised them never to experience loadshedding, how many years of loadshedding did they experience? No matter how you deceive them now, people know how much they’ve suffered. It’s not about the opposition, it’s about the people. The biggest opposition in this country is the people themselves,” said Kampyongo.
“Even when you brag about free education, which free education when children are going to school on empty stomachs? They end up in crowded classrooms where a teacher to pupil ratio is beyond the required standard. The mining sector itself, now, is something else. Mopani, which you have sold for nothing, where shares were moved for nothing, these are the things that he should be speaking to. Yes, you can manage to manipulate and dribble the people with regards to the Constitution amendments, which you have not even budgeted for. You manipulate, you look clever, by changing the Constitution yet you have no money to implement those changes because the budget has already spoken to the activities that you are supposed to undertake, so where are you going to get the money to fund those activities? The delimitation of constituencies and increasing the number of members of parliament comes at a huge cost. The budget that we approved for 2026, there’s no budget line speaking to go to those activities, you can’t continue running a country on mingalato”.
MUNDUBILE RIPS HICHILEMA OVER “INSULTING” K700 PAY RISE
….what good will it do to poor workers?
Monday, 9 February 2026 — Lusaka
Presidential aspirant Hon. Brian Mundubile has launched a blistering attack on President Hakainde Hichilema’s UPND government, condemning the recently announced K700 ($35) pay rise for Zambia’s public workers as “an insult” to the nation’s back-bone.
“Such a pay rise is an insult to our hardworking public workers who break their backs to save lives in hospitals or teach our children in overcrowded classrooms. President Hichilema is insensitive,” declared Mundubile, the lawmaker from Mporokoso and official Leader of the Opposition.
Mundubile, who was recently elected president and chairman of the influential Tonse Alliance, is set to challenge Hichilema in the upcoming 13th August polls.
He argues that the government’s gesture shows a lack of respect for Zambia’s civil servants, who continue to struggle under crushing economic realities.
Why Mundubile Calls HH “Insensitive”
The Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) breadbasket shows a family of six needs K11,500 ($575) monthly just to survive on basics.
A 25kg bag of mealie meal costs K350 ($17.50), monthly electricity bills average K800 ($40), and transport for two school-going children is about K1,000 ($50).
Most public workers earn around K4,500 ($225) before the raise. Mundubile asks: “What will K700 do to tip the scale?”
Sharp Rebuke “It’s not a good thing to mock starving Zambians, more than 70% of whom live in abject poverty on less than $2 per day. The President should have done better with his government than mock Zambians,” Mundubile said, emphasizing his empathy and reputation for championing the poor.
He accused Hichilema of betraying campaign promises, saying:
“Zambian children today sleep on empty stomachs under President Hichilema, who promised manna from heaven but delivered nothing.”
Mumbi hails Mutubila’s remarks over Kasama vote, while saying HH is relying on votes from his region
Former PF secretary general Mumbi Phiri has referred to veteran journalist Frank Mutubila as a “statesman” after he congratulated the people of Northern Province for showing the country how to vote in the manner the people of Kasama voted in the just ended Kasama mayoral by-election, which resulted in the UPND victory.
But Phiri said this was opposed to President Hichilema’s remarks to the people of Southern Province that votes from that area ‘should be kept for him.’
Phiri also charged that President Hichilema must not attribute his “lies” to the Africans, whom she said had the dignity not to lie.
Commenting on the remarks by veteran journalist Frank Mutubila who thanked the people of Northern Province for showing how the country must vote in the just ended Kasama mayoral by-election, Phiri referred to Mutubila as a statesman.
”He’s not like the President who is relying on the votes from his own https://dailyrevelationzambia.com/mumbi-hails-mutubilas-remarks-over-kasama-vote-while-saying-hh-is-relying-on-votes-from-his-region/
🇿🇲 EDITOR’S NOTE | When Parties Become Personal Estates
Zambian politics has long struggled with a structural weakness that is rarely named plainly: many political parties are not institutions in the full democratic sense. They are personal vehicles, built around a founder’s charisma, sustained by loyalty networks, and held together less by ideology than by proximity to one individual.
When that individual exits the stage, the party often enters a succession crisis, not because leadership renewal is impossible, but because the organisation was never designed to outlive the founder’s personality.
The Patriotic Front remains the clearest example. When President Michael Sata died in October 2014, the party did not transition smoothly into an institutional order. It fractured into contestation, improvisation, and myth-making. Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s rise was not merely a political process. It was framed as a spiritual inheritance. Songs were composed. Prayers were organised. Prophecies were sponsored. The narrative was carefully constructed that Sata had “anointed” Lungu as his successor.
This framing mattered because it replaced procedure with mysticism, and party rules with emotional legitimacy.
Fast forward. PF lost power in 2021. Edgar Lungu died in 2025. And the same script has returned almost intact. Competing factions within PF and the Tonse Alliance now speak again in the language of succession by blessing rather than succession by constitution. Different figures are presented as the late president’s preferred heir. Kelvin Bwalya Fube. Makebi Zulu. Brian Mundubile. Each name circulates within its own ecosystem of loyalty, each anchored to the same claim: that Lungu “anointed” someone.
From a sober political standpoint, this is less history than packaging.
Neither Sata nor Lungu formally anointed successors in any binding institutional manner. What is being marketed as legacy is often a tactical instrument, deployed to borrow the emotional capital of the dead for present-day power struggles. It is a politics of inheritance without accountability, and of continuity without consent.
The deeper problem is that parties remain tied to personal brands. In PF, aspiring leaders must position themselves as disciples of Sata, custodians of Lungu, or inheritors of an imagined mantle. The party becomes a shrine of memory rather than a platform of policy. Politics becomes biography.
This should worry all serious democrats, not only PF supporters.
Even the ruling UPND, often praised for organisational resilience, must confront the same institutional question. The party outlived its founder, Anderson Mazoka. President Hakainde Hichilema sustained it through fifteen years in opposition and ultimately led it to power. This is no small achievement.
But the question that defines mature political systems is never only survival under one leader. It is whether the party can survive beyond him.
Democracy requires parties that are larger than individuals, with internal rules that are respected, succession plans that are credible, and ideological anchors that do not depend on funeral narratives. Political movements cannot remain estates administered through loyalty and posthumous symbolism.
Zambia cannot build durable democracy on anointment politics. Parties must learn to outlive their founders, not by myth, but by institution.
We have a deep problem, as a country, which is that just about everyone and their cousin wants to be President.
A deeper crisis is that the clamour for State House is almost entirely fueled by disgustingly selfish motivations.
I mean, it is now an open secret that the good of Zambia is, at best, a periphery consideration for the large majority of politicians seeking elected office – across parties.
Individuals enter politics simply because they want a turn at the feasting table.
So, yes, we are now in the deep end of the insanity that takes hold ahead of every election.
Rather amusing, if tragically so, is that even ordinary citizens get caught up in the mindless frenzy to decide who will continue or take over the self enrichment project our politics are.
Politicians are allowed to loudly declare their deep desire to hold office without so much as making half a convincing argument on the why?
Why the F… do you want office???
But it’s not August 2026, I want to talk about. President Hichilema is going to win this election.
It is 2031, that I have a low key and rising sense of panic about.
What will happen when the current President is constitutionally barred from standing for another term? When an internal UPND stampede for succession will add to the ongoing opposition chaos?
You see the UPND has a weak to absent internal democracy. That combined with a President who is both overwhelmingly dominant over the party and then has no recognisable transition plan makes for a totally mad 2026 – 2031 term of office.
Point is, once the next election is over, we will find ourselves in a place we have not been in since President Chiluba – with a sitting President who cannot stand for the next election.
We know, of course, how it went with FTJ, and, dear God, we hope HH will not put us through another – I want to stay change the constitution for me – migraine.
The point, simply, is 2031 will be unchartered territory. A real test of our democracy.
Will any of the political entities have their house in order by then and be able to democratically choose a candidate to contest the election, in an orderly fashion??
Or is the madness we are seeing in the opposition also engulf the ruling party樂?
Citizens First (CF) President Harry Kalaba on Sunday received a thunderous welcome when he toured Bauleni Market in Lusaka, where hundreds of traders and residents turned out to greet him.
Kalaba, accompanied by senior party officials, moved freely through the busy market as enthusiastic marketeers chanted slogans and expressed confidence in his leadership, describing him as their preferred presidential candidate ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Several traders said Kalaba’s message of economic renewal and good governance had resonated strongly with ordinary citizens struggling under the high cost of living.
“Harry Kalaba understands our problems. We are suffering with high prices, and we believe he is the right person to fix the economy,” said one marketeer, who identified herself as Mary Phiri.
Another trader, Mr Joseph Banda, said the crowd’s reception was a clear sign that the people were ready for change.
“The welcome you have seen today is not staged. It is organic. Kalaba is our candidate because he speaks for the poor and the hardworking Zambians,” Banda said.
Addressing the crowd, Kalaba thanked the people of Bauleni for the warm reception and pledged to prioritise the welfare of marketeers and small-scale traders if elected into office.
“I am humbled by the love you have shown me today. This confirms that Zambians want leadership that listens, leadership that serves, and leadership that puts the people first,” Kalaba said.
He added that markets play a critical role in the country’s economy and must be protected and empowered.
“When we form government, we will ensure that marketeers operate in a safe, clean and supportive environment because you are the backbone of our economy,” Kalaba said.
The visit to Bauleni Market is part of Kalaba’s ongoing nationwide engagement with communities as he consolidates support ahead of the next general elections.
GPZ PROPOSES REFORMS ON FORMER PRESIDENTS’ BENEFITS, TWO VICE PRESIDENTS
…..the current system that withholds retirement benefits from former presidents who remain politically active is unjust and must be changed
Lusaka… Monday February 9, 2026 (SMART EAGLES)
The Golden Party of Zambia (GPZ) has proposed sweeping constitutional and governance reforms, including amendments to the benefits of former presidents and the introduction of two vice presidents.
GPZ President Jackson Silavwe said the current system that withholds retirement benefits from former presidents who remain politically active is unjust and must be changed.
“A former president has already earned their pension through service to the nation. It is unfair to deny them what they rightfully deserve simply because they choose to remain active in politics,” Mr. Silavwe told journalists in Lusaka.
Under the GPZ proposal, a sitting president who loses power through general elections would retain full retirement benefits regardless of whether they choose to retire from politics or continue participating in public affairs.
Mr. Silavwe emphasized that former presidents should be treated with dignity and respect, noting that they remain constitutional leaders even after leaving office.
“Former presidents are not rebel leaders. They are political leaders whose authority was granted by our constitution. It is essential to treat them as integral members of our governance system, not as enemies of the state,” he said.
In a separate proposal, the GPZ has called for the creation of two vice presidential positions, with clearly defined roles aimed at improving governance efficiency.
According to Mr. Silavwe, the First Vice President for Administration would serve as the second-in-command to the president and would assume office in the event of a vacancy in the presidency.
This vice president would also act on behalf of the president when the Head of State is out of the country or incapacitated, and would oversee disaster management through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU).
“The administration vice president will be the one most delegated both within and outside the country and will be responsible for coordinating disaster response and mitigation,” Mr. Silavwe explained.
The proposed Second Vice President for Operations would be responsible for government business in Parliament and would serve as an ex-officio Member of Parliament.
While participating in debates and responding to questions, the vice president for operations would only vote in the event of a tie.
“We need to take parliamentary business very seriously. We cannot afford a vice president who is divided between executive and legislative duties. We need someone whose sole responsibility is parliamentary business,” Mr. Silavwe said.
He added that the reforms are intended to strengthen governance, accountability, and respect for democratic institutions.
The Golden Party of Zambia says it intends to present the proposals to the Zambian people as part of broader constitutional and governance reforms.
*Opinion | The Politics of Silence, Insults, and Desperation in the Mundubile Camp*
_By Michael Zephaniah Phiri Political Activist_
Recent events within the opposition space raise serious questions about leadership, accountability, and the ethics of silence. What the public is witnessing is not merely disagreement, it is a pattern of confusion, insults, and factional manoeuvring that demands scrutiny.
A series of public attacks by Lilian Mutambo against long-serving PF members and senior figures has unsettled many within the party. What concerns observers most is not only the tone of these remarks, but the absence of any public rebuke from Hon. Brian Mundubile, who is frequently associated with the leadership of a Tonse Alliance structure whose legal standing remains unclear. In politics, silence is rarely accidental. It often signals comfort, if not consent.
*Questions That Will Not Go Away*
There are persistent questions, widely discussed within political circles about internal disagreements following the Bill 7 episode. These discussions centre on expectations of mobilisation, control of resources, and trust among allies. While no formal disclosures have been made, the resulting divisions are visible and undeniable. When internal disputes spill into public insults, leadership must either intervene or accept responsibility for the outcome.
The conduct of former Secretary General Davies Mwila, who publicly called on those associated with Bill 7 to “apologise to the people,” further exposed these tensions. To many, this appeared less like a national moral appeal and more like an internal political signal—an attempt to restore order without addressing the root causes of disagreement.
*Institutional Confusion and Political Overreach*
The confusion deepened when appointments and titles began to emerge under a Tonse Alliance banner that lacks formal registration. Announcements of positions such as “National Chairperson for Elections” have only reinforced perceptions of disorder, raising legitimate concerns about credibility, legality, and respect for established party structures.
This disorder does not strengthen the opposition; it weakens it.
*The Risk of Trading Legacy for Leverage*
The entry of Tasila Lungu Mwansa into this contested political space has understandably drawn public attention. Her surname carries national weight because of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s legacy. That legacy, however, cannot and should not be used as a bargaining tool in factional struggles.
If Tasila Lungu Mwansa believes in a particular political direction, transparency is her safest ally. Ambiguity, especially when coupled with figures whose loyalty has previously been questioned, creates the perception of manipulation rather than leadership. History shows that political legacies are often diluted not by opponents, but by opportunists who promise protection while delivering isolation.
*Chawama and the Politics of Selective Gratitude*
The recent Chawama by-election offered a clear lesson. Genuine grassroots mobilisation, not political noise or opportunistic alliances, determines outcomes. Attempts to rewrite that reality, by sidelining those who did the work and elevating those who failed at the ballot, only expose a growing disconnect between leadership ambitions and ground truth.
*Conclusion: Leadership Is Action, Not Silence*
Political leadership is tested not when supporters are obedient, but when allies are attacked unfairly. Remaining silent while insults fly, institutions are confused, and legacies are leveraged is not strategic restraint, it is abdication.
Zambians are discerning. They understand the difference between unity and coercion, between strategy and desperation. Any political project built on silence, intimidation, and confusion will ultimately collapse under its own weight.
The question is no longer who is speaking loudly but who is choosing not to speak at all.
K23.2 BILLION RELEASED IN JANUARY 2026 TO KEEP SERVICES RUNNING, PAY OBLIGATIONS ON TIME, AND KEEP ZAMBIA MOVING FORWARD
By Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane, MP, Minister of Finance & National Planning
Fellow citizens and friends of Zambia,
Our 2026 National Budget is a turning point because it is the first budget that we are implementing after stabilizing our economy under the IMF-supported Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Programme. For the last three years, we worked to fix the fundamentals—stronger fiscal discipline, lower and steadier inflation, improved reserves, reduced arrears, and restored credibility with citizens, markets, and cooperating partners. Now, the focus is clear: we are converting that stability into growth, investment, jobs, and continued cost-of-living relief.
That is why we are treating infrastructure as productive capital—not consumption. Every kwacha put into roads, electricity, and water supply and sanitation services lowers the cost of doing business, reduces everyday transport and logistics burdens, supports value chains, attracts private investment, and improves household welfare. Zambia is no longer stabilizing for its own sake; Zambia is positioning for growth.
Against that backdrop, the Government—through the Ministry of Finance and National Planning—released K23.2 billion in January 2026 to keep public services running and to sustain priority national programmes. These releases were structured to cover what keeps the country moving: the public service wage bill, debt service (domestic and external), the dismantling of arrears, statutory and social transfers, day-to-day operations, and capital expenditure that keeps infrastructure activity on course.
Here is how the January releases were applied.
First, K4.9 billion went to the Public Service Wage Bill—paying personal emoluments for health workers, teachers, security personnel, and overseas allowances for diplomats serving in our missions abroad. In plain terms, this is about protecting continuity: clinics function, schools run, and security services remain operational.
Second, K7.4 billion was applied to debt service and arrears, because credibility is not something we announce—it is something we demonstrate through consistent payment discipline. Of this amount, K6.6 billion went to domestic debt service, K310.1 million went to external debt service, and K439.9 million was used to dismantle domestic arrears owed to suppliers of goods and services.
Third, K7.7 billion was released for transfers, subsidies, and social benefits—to support livelihoods, protect vulnerable citizens, and keep key institutions delivering. This support included K1.5 billion to Grant-Aided Institutions (including hospitals and universities), K768.9 million in school grants to advance the Free Education Policy, K300 million for the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), and K120.8 million for the Local Government Equalisation Fund.
Within this same social-support category, K4.9 billion was released to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to settle outstanding obligations to farmers who supplied maize in the 2024/2025 crop marketing season. Let me be direct: the Government is not currently in arrears to farmers. Where reports of unpaid farmers may arise, they are most likely linked to administrative or banking processing bottlenecks between individual farmers and their banks—not because Treasury failed to fund the obligation.
We also released K147.5 million to clear outstanding dues under the Cash for Work Programme. This was done to restore integrity and confidence in the programme’s administration. With those outstanding dues addressed, the revised Cash for Work Programme will restart on a clean slate in March/April 2026.
Fourth, to keep Government institutions functioning and programmes executing without interruption, K1.8 billion was released for the implementation of programmes and other general operations—aligned to approved workplans and day-to-day service-delivery requirements.
Fifth, we released K1.4 billion for capital expenditure, because growth is built, not wished into existence. Of this amount, K655.5 million supported road infrastructure, K67.8 million supported the Rural Electrification Authority (REA), K201.9 million supported water infrastructure projects, and K440.2 million supported infrastructure development coordinated across ministries nationwide.
So what is the message of these January releases?
In January 2026, the Treasury releases reinforced three signals that matter most to citizens and markets: continuity, credibility, and clean execution. Continuity means essential public services and core Government functions did not stall. Credibility means our obligations were met in a way that sustains confidence in the Government’s payment culture and fiscal discipline. Clean execution means we did not merely release resources—we closed out legacy payment lines so that key programmes can move forward without distortions from carry-over arrears.
And let me emphasize this: the way we treated FRA dues to farmers and Cash for Work reflects the discipline of the 2026 Budget. We are settling verified obligations in an orderly manner, and we are resetting priority social interventions so they can deliver results predictably, on time, and with accountability.
That is how Zambia moves forward—from stabilization into a growth-oriented phase that is practical, jobs-focused, and visible in everyday life.
PRESIDENT HICHILEMA SAYS HE WAS NEVER AFRAID OF LOSING POPULARITY OVER IMF ENGAGEMENT
By Chamuka Shalubala
President Hakainde Hichilema says he was never afraid of being unpopular with voters when engaging the international monetary fund –IMF- to support Zambian programmes.
Delivering a key note speech at the ongoing Mining Indaba in South Africa this morning, President Hichilema emphasized that Africa must change the narrative of relying on IMF-constructed programmes.
With Zambia’s 38-month IMF programme completed and six reviews passed, President Hichilema says there is need for a growth-supporting programme, particularly for the mining sector.
He has called for country-led initiatives, saying it has to be the other way round where countries construct programmes and ask the IMF to support such programmes.
And President Hichilema also highlighted Zambia’s aim to achieve 1 million metric tons of copper production this year and urged African countries to get organized, stating that only Africans can accelerate their own growth agenda.
SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGIST WARNS GROUPINGS AGAINST ENDORSEMENTS AHEAD OF AUGUST POLLS
SOCIAL Anthropologist Dr. James Musonda has expressed concern over sudden support for the ruling UPND government by some associations during an election year, labeling it “organized cadreism”.
This follows Our-Civic-Duty Association -OCIDA’s recent endorsement of the UPND ahead of the august elections, citing the party’s economic discipline, respect for institutions, and national unity.
But in an interview, Dr. Musonda has emphasised that associations like OCIDA should unite the country, not align with specific parties.
He recalls similar undertakings during the Patriotic Front regime, citing “Christians for Lungu” and had warned that such associations risk being targeted if the ruling party loses, stressing the need for neutrality.
Dr. Musonda has urged groupings to instead prioritise national interests over partisan loyalties, promoting a more inclusive and stable political environment.
President Peter Mutharika of Malawi and his Vice-President Dr Jane Ansah made calls for prayers so that God would give Malawi rain due to a dry spell. I find this weird and truly ridiculous. Praying is okay, but praying for rain in Malawi’s case shows a failure to understand nature and science, and it is truly an insult to God.
If Malawi is facing water problems and agricultural disruption from dry spells, the starting point of the conversation should be infrastructure development, not prayer.
Malawi is home to one of the largest freshwater bodies on the planet, Lake Malawi, a lake that holds about 8,400 cubic kilometres of water. It is not a seasonal dam, it is is a permanent, renewable freshwater reserve capable of supplying the whole of Malawi’s domestic, agricultural, and industrial needs many times over.
The issue here is not that God forgot to give Malawi water. The water is already there and in abundance. The real issue is that the country has not invested adequately in the required pipelines, pumping stations, treatment plants, irrigation canals, and national distribution systems to move that water from the lake to farms, towns, and cities.
Malawi only needs US$3 billion to push water from Lake Malawi to every village and city, only US$3 billion. Malawi loses US$1.5 billion to corruption every year. Malawi needs prayers to help stop corruption, not to ask for water, it is there already, it only needs pumping.
Malawi already has a price reference point for the Salima to Lilongwe Water Supply Project, which is designed to move lake water inland to the capital, it will cost only US$315 million. Prayers do not lay pipes. Fasting does not build dams. Church services do not construct irrigation schemes.
If anything, believers could argue that divine provision has already been made through geography. A country blessed with a lake of that magnitude has been given a natural strategic resource. The responsibility of leadership is to convert that natural resource into food security through engineering, not religious sermons.
Nations that take water security seriously, like Israel in the region where Jesus was born, build transfer canals, national irrigation grids, and agro-water corridors. That is how they drought-proof agriculture.
So when leaders respond to climate change problems primarily with calls for national prayers, it raises a governance question. Are they capable to lead? Are they mobilising faith, or are they substituting policy failure with religiosity?
Malawi does not need rain water to survive during dry spells. It needs infrastructure to utilise the water it already has in Lake Malawi. I have always said that religion is misused especially in Africa, what we need is more common sense and not prayers. Religion is misused to cover incompetence and to mask corruption by the political elite.
Lake Malawi has more than enough water to supply the entire country many times over. It holds an estimated 8,400 cubic kilometres of freshwater. Malawi’s population is about 20 million people. So even if each person used 100 litres of water per day, that equals 2 billion litres per day, or 0.002 cubic kilometres per day, which is about 0.000024 percent of the lake’s capacity.
At that rate, the lake could theoretically supply the country for thousands of years without depletion, because natural inflows from rivers and rainfall continue to replenish it. So dont misuse God’s name, build infrastructure, the money is there, don’t just steal and abuse it.
Malawi must look at what Ethiopia did. The Ethiopian leadership did not ask Ethiopians to pray for divine intervention. They built a dam called the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam to generate electricity to power national development, industry, and water infrastructure across the country.
Malawi already has Lake Malawi, it just needs to build infrastructure to pipe and push the water around the country. Stop the looting, build infrastructure! the country for thousands of years without depletion, because natural inflows from rivers and rainfall continue to replenish it. So dont misuse God’s name, build infrastructure, the money is there, don’t just steal and abuse it.
“Send me to Jail”: Man Refuses to Return 2,5 Million Accidentally Deposited Into His Account
This young man allegedly received 2,5 million into his account by mistake. He then allegedly transferred the money to another account immediately, preventing a reverse transaction from taking place.
The police searched for him while he was in hiding until they eventually arrested him. When ordered to return the funds, he allegedly stood his ground and refused, stating that he would rather be sentenced to prison.
Even when asked to return the remaining balance, he reportedly insisted that he be jailed instead, as he would not be returning the money.
“I TASTED LIFE FROM THE GHETTO AND LIVING THE AMERICAN DREAM AS A SUPERSTAR… BUT AFRICA IS HOME!”
-Superstar Akon shares a deeply personal and motivational narrative urging Africans in the diaspora to return to and invest in the continent.
“I arrived in America at just 7 years old and lived between two worlds—growing up in the projects and later achieving the American Dream as a global superstar. By the grace of Allah, as the Quran reminds us in Surah At-Takwir (81:29), “And you do not will except that Allah wills.”
When I reached the crossroads of choosing the perfect place to retire, I realized Africa is that place.
For any African living in the diaspora, no matter how long you’ve been overseas or how successful you’ve become, there is only one true home: Africa.
That is why Africans abroad must come back home and invest—in our land, our people, and our future”.
MEMORY LANE: Remembering the end of the Angoni-British war of 1898
By Gumbi Kaziguda Jele
ON this day, 128 years ago, Inyandezulu Mphezeni KaZwangendaba, the Ngoni King, officially agreed to meet the British to discuss peace talks during the 1897-1898 Angoni-British War.
The Ngonis led by HRH Prince Nsingo, a son of King Mphezeni and also his Crown Prince, had earlier on revolted, resisting the presence of whites in the Ngoni Kingdom.
That was in December 1897 and by January 1898 the British had managed to bring in reinforcements from neighboring Malawi to fight the Ngoni army.
By end of January 1898, the Angoni army was defeated and the following month, on the fourth of February, the leaders of the Ngoni army including Prince Nsingo were captured and placed in jails.
On the February 5, Prince Nsingo and his Lieutenants were Court Martialled and sentenced to death by a firing squad.
The group was executed by a firing squad in the afternoon of February 5, 1898.
Two wives of Prince Nsingo namely Indlunkulu (Queen) Mkuchwa Mbazima and Indlunkulu Zikhalo Ngulube had long escaped their villages following the capture of their husband.
A column under a British Officer, Lane Poole was used to hunt them down catching up with them along the Vubwi valley. The two were shot dead and buried in a shallow grave just there in the Vubwi valley.
By then King Mphezeni had by then long left his base and thus did not witness the public execution of his son and his peers.
The appearance of the Ngoni leader on the political scene after he had escaped his Chimphinga Royal Palace ultimately ended the war.
Following his appearance at the ruins of Chimphinga Royal Palace, the British command subsequently arrested him and took him to Fort Manning (present day Mchinji district in Malawi).
Later on, when intelligence reports indicated that Ngonis had armed themselves and were preparing to rescue him from captivity, he was again moved to a secret location in Vubwi.
This photo was taken in July 1899 when the Ngoni King was in captivity. He was then released in the same year of 1899 and allowed to continue ruling his people.
The death of Prince Nsingo and other Ngoni military men was a huge blow to King Mphezeni and had a profound impact on him. He never recovered fully and died in September 1900.
He had died around the Mpanga area under Inkosi Saili but the elders took his body to his capital, Lowengeni, where he was buried.
His mother, Indlunkulu Soseya, who was a very old woman in 1900 did not attend his funeral as she was based far away at the eDingeni royal palace. She too died in 1900 but in October.
ECONOMIST CHISANGA RULES OUT SPECULATIVE KWACHA RISE
Economist Kelvin Chisanga has ruled out the notion that the recent appreciation of the Zambian kwacha is driven by short-term speculation.
In a statement, Monday, Chisanga emphasised instead that it reflects improving foreign-exchange market conditions and a convergence of fundamental factors.
He stated that the movement of the currency from around K20.00 to approximately K18.70 per US dollar in early February represents meaningful strengthening, underpinned by real economic flows, balance of payments effects, and moderated speculative activity.
Chisanga remarked that stronger foreign-exchange inflows, particularly from copper export earnings, have been the key driver, with mining companies converting US dollars to meet local operational expenses.
The Economist observed that higher export receipts and improved repatriation of foreign earnings have increased the supply of US dollars in the domestic market, easing liquidity pressures and supporting a more orderly exchange-rate environment.
He explained that immediate demand for foreign currency has moderated, as the dollar has weakened, discouraging market participants from hoarding.
Chisanga said import pressures remain contained due to sufficient local supplies, while improved confidence has reduced precautionary and defensive dollar buying by businesses.
He said the imbalance between a stronger dollar supply and softer demand has mechanically supported the kwacha through trade dynamics.
Chisanga said that from a market perspective, the exchange-rate adjustment has been calm and technically supported, indicating staility rather than volatility.
He said the kwacha’s current performance reflects a convergence of improved FX inflows, trade-related dynamics, and strengthened market confidence.
The Economist emphasised that sustaining this trend will depend on continued export performance, disciplined fiscal management, and consistent macroeconomic policy implementation.
OPINION: A DUAL-PARTY SYSTEM CAN SAVE AFRICAN DEMOCRACIES
By Nokwanda Mamba #SDN, 9 February 2026
The banning of political parties by Burkina Faso dictator Ibrahim Traoré was very wrong because the decision was not informed by the will of the people, but by his hunger for power.
The banning of political parties was the final nail in the coffin for democracy. It put an end to the hope of a return to civilian rule that he promised would be achieved by 2025 after assuming power in 2022. This is how dictators operate: they rise to power making promises that never materialise, only to later destroy democratic institutions and create their own dictatorships.
Traoré banned political parties simply because he believed they were divisive. He forgot that this is the beauty of democracy. We can never be the same; we cannot all place our trust in the same individuals to lead. Democracy is about choice. However, if we are to preserve our democracy as Africans, we need to adopt a dual-party system, just like in the USA, the UK and Ghana. During elections, two major political parties would compete for power alongside independent candidates. People would be at liberty to vote for either political party and also to elect independent candidates.
We already know that Africans often do not follow political ideas but influential individuals. That is why people form multiple breakaway parties that end up dividing nations, as Traoré would say.
In a dual-party system, instead of creating many breakaway parties, aggrieved individuals would be allowed to compete independently and still garner a huge following. Diversity exists even within party ranks, and we cannot run away from that. This is what gives birth to smaller parties. A dual-party system would likely control this by limiting the number of parties that contest for power.
Banning political parties altogether may work in the short term, but it becomes a disaster in the long run. Traoré himself has survived numerous coup attempts, which is a sign that he is not loved by everyone in that country. He is not a supreme leader, but a human being after all.
TEEN REPORTS PARENTS TO POLICE OVER FORCED ABORTION OF SIX-MONTH PREGNANCY
AN 18-YEAR-OLD woman of Namwala District has reported her parents to the police for allegedly administering a concoction that aborted her six-month pregnancy as they arranged her marriage to a man of their choice.
Police have since started investigating the parents over the suspected incident, which happened on January 1 this year.
After the woman’s alleged ‘successful abortion’, her parents invited their preferred man on January 16 so that they could get their daughter into marriage.
However, the daughter turned down the marriage and ran away to go and stay with her aunt within Namwala.
Information about her carrying the boyfriend’s baby was known in August last year, but her parents were not in support of the relationship.
Southern Province police commanding officer Moono Namalongo said in a statement yesterday that his officers are investigating the teenager’s parents for allegedly procuring an abortion.
Mr Namalongo said the suspected traditional medicine was administered on the woman on January 1, but that the matter was only reported to the police on Friday last week.
“On January 16, 2026, the intended suitor was invited to the parents’ home and the woman was handed over as a wife but she resisted,” he said.
“The man allegedly forced her to accompany him to his residence, but she was rescued by members of the public.”
Mr Namalongo added: “She later sought refuge at her aunt’s residence. On February 6, 2026, she reported the matter to the police.” He said no one has been arrested yet.
EFF Slams ActionSA After Fatal Shooting Of Nigerian National During Anti-Drug Operation
A fatal shooting during an anti-drug operation in the Windsor area of Johannesburg over the weekend has ignited a political controversy, with ActionSA’s Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate, Cllr Xolani Khumalo, at the centre of the storm.
ActionSA confirmed on 9 February 2026 that a Nigerian national suspected of drug trafficking was shot during the operation, in which Khumalo participated.
In a press statement, Khumalo said the party supports “every decisive and lawful measure to dismantle this scourge and confront the violent resistance of criminals who have grown comfortable believing they are untouchable.”
He added that ActionSA’s 10-Point Action Plan to Fix Ekurhuleni prioritises law enforcement and safety, including specialised units, crime-mapping technology, and reskilling of Community Policing Forums to combat lawlessness.
However, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have condemned both the shooting and its political use. EFF spokesperson Sinawo Tambo described the approach as “shallow and irresponsible Trump-style politics” and said, “The attempts to weaponise fear and anxiety through rhetoric is not working, they are now killing suspects as a political campaign, and pointing to South Africans, asking you to cheer.”
Tambo criticised the use of extra-judicial killings as a measure of political commitment, stating, “The measure of a political party’s commitment to fight crime will now be how many dead bodies of criminals your Mayoral Candidate can show the electorate?” He warned that such tactics set a dangerous precedent, suggesting that electoral success is being equated with violent outcomes rather than governance and policy.
The EFF also highlighted how ActionSA previously leveraged the death of DJ Warras in Johannesburg to launch a campaign, asserting that the party is now repeating the pattern in Ekurhuleni. “ActionSA is proposing that for a political party to show its commitment against crime, you must show us how many dead bodies of criminals you can produce,” Tambo said.
Supporters of Khumalo argue that his involvement in anti-drug operations demonst
ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION: TRUE ECONOMIC REVIVAL OR A MERE ATTEMPT TO HOODWINK VOTERS?
By Sean Tembo – PeP President
1. In the past 4 and half years, the Zambian people have endured, among other tribulations, persistent loadsheding, regionally biased appointments to public offices and high exchange rates.
2. As opposition leaders, when we raised the above issues and proposed some solutions, the Government in general and President Hakainde Hichilema in particular, dismissed our concerns, and referred to us as noisy and jealous of the current Government.
3. It was a well established fact that loadsheding was caused by Government’s decision to export our electricity to neighbouring countries such as Namibia, but President Hakainde Hichilema personally argued that we needed to export electricity to earn dollars. That was despite the structural harm that loadsheding has caused to our economy since 2021.
4. It was also a well established fact that the reason the Kwacha was losing value against major currencies, is because President Hakainde Hichilema and his Government gave tax holidays to the mines, which reduced the amount of forex that the country earned, while the demand for forex remained the same in terms of having to import fuel and related products. The argument put forward by President Hakainde Hichilema and his Minister of Finance, in 2022 when they introduced the tax holidays, was that it will attract more investment in the mining sector, and that copper production will increase from about 900,000 metric tonnes at the time, to over 3 million metric tonnes in 3 years time. Fast forward 3 years later, copper production for 2025 was around 860,000 metric tonnes. Not only short of the production target that we were promised, as a justification for the tax holidays, but actually a drop from the production levels before the tax holidays were introduced.
5. It was also a well established fact that public offices were dominated, and still are dominated by President Hakainde Hichilema’s kith and kin, not by accident, but because the President did not attach priority in embracing all the ten provinces of Zambia, despite having been overwhelmingly voted into office, by all the ten provinces in 2021. The President’s argument has been that, for as long as his tribes-mates qualify for the public offices, then why shouldn’t they be employed? But what about people from other regions that also qualify?
6. However, now that we are in 2026, and the country is going to elections on 13th August, we have seen some changes. All of a sudden, Government appears to have significantly reduced electricity exports, with the end result that the country is now enjoying a more stable supply. The current situation in fact renders credence to what we have always argued; that when you cut electricity exports, the local generation capacity is more than adequate to meet the demand. Except for times when we have a drought. Therefore, the terrible loadsheding that the country has been subjected to in the past few years, has not been due to circumstances beyond our control, but rather, because of a conscious choice made by President Hakainde Hichilema and his Government to deny the people of Zambia electricity. To export our electricity.
7. Again, now that we are in 2026 and it is an election year, we are witnessing a strange phenomenon whereby some of the President’s tribes-mates that occupied public offices, are being fired, and individuals from other provinces are being appointed to act in these positions. Again, these actions by Government, albeit small and insignificant, render credence to what we have always argued; that public offices should reflect the face of the entire nation, and should not only be a preserve of the President’s tribes-mates. That the phrase “One Zambia One Nation” should be practiced and not just preached.
8. Again, now that we are in 2026, and it’s an election year, we have seen that the Kwacha is appreciating significantly. This is largely due to three factors, the first of which is significant and the other two are minor. The first is that the $3.2 billion tax holidays given to the mines by President Hakainde Hichilema and his Government in October 2022, expired in October 2025. The Government is mute on whether these tax holidays will be renewed or not, especially given the fact that their primary purpose, to increase copper production to 3 million metric tonnes in 3 years, has not been achieved.
9. The other two minor factors that have contributed to the appreciation of the Kwacha is compelling the mines to remit the gross proceeds of their mineral exports back to the country, and curtailing dollarisation of the economy through the central bank enforcing a rule that all local payments must be made in Kwacha. Suffice to mention that these two policy changes are akin to the provisions of Statutory Instrument number 55 of 2012 and 35 of 2013, to which Mr Hakainde Hichilema, then an opposition leader, was vehemently opposed to, and which the then PF Government was forced to withdraw after a strong backlash from Mr Hakainde Hichilema’s accomplices in the mining sector. Again, the President has not told us whether he has had a change of heart in his policy position, or whether these two policies are merely a temporal measure until the August general elections? The above notwithstanding, the current appreciation of the Kwacha renders credence to our pepertual argument that, with proper policing of the mining sector, the value of the Kwacha, and by extension, the stability of our economy, can be sustained. But can President Hakainde Hichilema be trusted with properly policing the mining sector, after the August general elections?
10. The million-dollar question that the Zambian people are now confronted with is whether the positive changes that we are currently witnessing from the UPND Government, in terms of loadsheding, appetite for tribalism and appreciation of the Kwacha, constitute a sustainable turnaround in their approach to the governance of the nation, or they are temporal and merely designed to hoodwink the electorate, ahead of the 13th August general election? Instead of answering this question on behalf of others, I will allow each individual reader to answer it for themselves. But as you answer the above question, I wish to remind you that Zambia is our only home. Therefore, we need to do everything in our power to make it a better place for ourselves and our children. The Future is in our hands. The Future is SET ✌
MUNDUBILE PF FACTION APPOINTS TASILA LUNGU AMID MOURNING, SPARKING MORAL AND POLITICAL DEBATE
By Augustine Chewe
The Brian Mundubile-led faction of the Patriotic Front (PF) has ignited controversy following its decision to appoint Ms. Tasila Lungu as National Youth Chairperson, a move critics describe as politically opportunistic and insensitive, coming a few months after the death of her father, former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu (ECL).
The appointment was made on 7 February 2026 during a meeting convened under the banner of the Tonse Alliance, where the Mundubile faction announced a series of sweeping leadership changes. Ms. Lungu, a former Member of Parliament for Chawama Constituency, was among the most notable appointees.
However, the timing of her appointment has raised serious moral, cultural, and political questions. Ms. Lungu is yet to lay her father to rest and is still within a period traditionally reserved for mourning under Zambian customs. Critics argue that the decision reflects a disregard for both cultural norms and the emotional wellbeing of the former First Family. Sources within the Mundubile faction have further revealed growing unease over the motives behind the move.
According to insiders, Mr. Mundubile is said to be attempting to rehabilitate his political standing after previously falling out of favour with the late President Lungu. During that fallout, Mr. Mundubile was associated with sustained public ridicule and attacks directed at ECL through the Munyaule Facebook page—actions that reportedly strained relations irreparably.
Political observers argue that the sudden elevation of Ms. Lungu appears less about empowering youth leadership and more about leveraging the late President’s legacy for political gain. This perception is reinforced by the fact that Ms. Lungu recently lost her Chawama parliamentary seat after being absent from the National Assembly beyond the constitutionally permitted period.
Customary law and societal norms in Zambia place significant emphasis on respect for the deceased and observance of mourning periods.
Analysts contend that ignoring these traditions for political expediency casts doubt on Mr. Mundubile’s judgment and leadership credentials.
Even efforts to manage the faction’s public image appear strained. Mr. Oscar Chavula, a media personality and proprietor of Hot FM, who is reportedly advising the Mundubile faction on public relations, is said to be facing growing challenges in defending and rationalising the faction’s controversial decisions.
As divisions within the Patriotic Front continue to widen ahead of the 2026 General Election, the appointment of Tasila Lungu under such circumstances risks deepening internal resentment and further eroding public confidence in the faction’s moral compass and leadership direction.
REBUTTAL TO EMMANUEL MWAMBA’S REPORT TO THE AFRICA BAR ASSOCIATION (AfBA)
By Tobbius Chilembo Hamunkoyo -LLB /Political Analyst
Emmanuel Mwamba’s decision to report the Chief Justice of Zambia, Dr. Mumba Malila, to the Africa Bar Association (AfBA) is legally misplaced and constitutionally indefensible, as Zambia is a sovereign state whose justice system is governed strictly by its own Constitution and domestic institutions.
Since independence in 1964, Zambia has consistently resolved political and legal disputes through constitutional democracy, with court decisions, whether favorable or not, accepted as part of the rule of law, without any external body exercising authority over the Judiciary.
Zambia’s constitutional order is unequivocal. Article 1(1) of the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act No. 2 of 2016 provides that:
“This Constitution is the supreme law of the Republic of Zambia & any other written Law , customary law & customary practice that is inconsistent with it’s provisions is void to the extent of the inconsistency.”
This supremacy clause confirms that all matters concerning judicial discipline, accountability, and constitutional interpretation must be handled within Zambia’s legal framework. External bodies, including AfBA, have no authority to override or substitute Zambia’s constitutional institutions.
Judicial independence is guaranteed under Article 118 (1), which states that justice shall be administered in a just manner and shall promote accountability of course without interference. However, independence is not absolute immunity. It is a notorious fact that the Constitution deliberately balances independence with accountability through Articles 219 and 236, which establish the Judicial Service Commission and the judicial complaints Commission for investigating alleged misconduct or incapacity of judges.
These provisions represent the only lawful route for challenging the conduct of any judge, including the Chief Justice in Zambia. Bypassing these mechanisms in favor of AfBA is not a constitutional act but a political maneuver which has short legs.
The Africa Bar Association itself is governed by its own Constitution as a professional and advocacy body whose objectives include the promotion of the rule of law, judicial independence, and human rights across Africa. Its role has historically been limited to issuing statements, conducting trial observations, convening conferences, and engaging in professional dialogue in countries such as Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
AfBA has never exercised disciplinary authority over a national judiciary, nor has it overturned court judgments. Its jurisdiction is moral and professional, not legal or coercive. Therefore, Mr. Mwamba’s appeal to AfBA cannot produce any binding legal outcome under Zambian law.
Emmanuel Mwamba’s claim that unfavorable judicial outcomes amount to executive collusion misunderstands the doctrine of separation of powers. The courts are constitutionally mandated to interpret the law, including politically sensitive provisions such as Article 106(3) on presidential term limits.
The Constitutional Court’s ruling on presidential eligibility was an exercise of judicial interpretation, not executive interference. It must be understood that disagreement with that interpretation does not transform it into evidence of judicial misconduct.
As a former Ambassador, Mr. Mwamba carries a heightened obligation to act with restraint, patriotism, and respect for Zambia’s constitutional order. Diplomacy is built on respect for institutions and lawful processes, not on exporting political disagreements to foreign platforms.
Last week Kondwani Banda was in my inbox and later called alerting me that a violent cadre named Sate Sate had been hired by a known Matero aspiring MP to kill me not sure how and why. He was on speaker and had my support staff listen in on his revelation. He warned me to be very careful and prevent the evil plans.
A day later I got to read that Kondwani had been arrested in Nairobi Kenya and still not sure why.
I have never met the young man in person but since he looks out for me and my well being, this morning I will go to the Kenya embassy in Lusaka to inquire on why he has been arrested and why over 48hrs later, he is still in police custody and not released or given bail.
Incidentally this I would do for any Zambian citizen if arrested in a foreign land. I don’t support breaking of any law in Zambia or any other Country but I stand for equal and fair justice application for all Zambians.
As for the intel threats on my life Kondwani revealed, I will wait for him to be out of police custody for more details before my next action.
Psalms 52 “ The Lord is my Shepherd..” Mathew 26:52 “ He who lives by the sword; dies by the sword “
Junior Bally (Benard Mushingwa) responds to Chella Tukuta
When you live in glass houses, don’t throw stones. Don’t act like you are the number one champion, Chellar Tukuta. UPND and the President gave you a job at State House, and you misbehaved.
They took you to Brazil again, you misbehaved, and you repaid UPND with insults. You called the President names and said he’s a failure. Don’t pretend you’re close to him or a big deal in UPND than anyone else.
I’m grateful for what Boss Jito did for me, and complaining doesn’t mean I’m insulting. I’m just a youth trying to improve myself using a skill, and in that, I can make mistakes.
You should stop posting about me . Don’t forget, I have your videos about the insults you said against the UPND government.
PURE BEMBAS NATIVES COME FROM MWINE LUBEMBA CHITI MMUKULU AS THEIR KING AND A TRADITIONAL CEREMONY AS UKUSEFWA PANG’WENA.
They are called Aba Bemba NKONKO simply pure BEMBAS ftom the Chiefs and villages on their NRC
1-Kasama 2-Chinsali 3-Mporokoso 4-Liwingu
Anyone who’s village is not from these BEMBA native areas is not pure BEMBA
Brian Mundubile comes from Mporokoso,hence he is a pure BEMBA.
Chishimba Kambwili comes from Luwingu also a pure BEMBA
Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba is from Kasama, a pure BEMBA
Nevers Mumba comes from Chinsali also a pure BEMBA.
Again,those who come from Luapula as in their villages are not pure BEMBAS
Those who come from Copperbelt or Lambaland like LAMBAS are not pure BEMBAS
Also LAMBA-LIMA deep in the Copperbelt rural are not BEMBAS.
ABA TWA along the Kafue or ULUBUFUBU banks rivers are not BEMBAS but LAMBAS.
Those who come from MPIKA are BISAS and not pure BEMBAS
LALAS from SERENJE are not Pure BEMBAS
SWAKAS from Kapiri-Mposhi are not BEMBAS.
The Northern province has also NAMWANGAS from Nakonde are not BEMBAS
Also from Northern province are the MAMBWES from MBALA are not BEMBAS
LUNGUS or abandoned Lungu in MPULUNGU are not BEMBAS.
TABWAS or Aba Tabwa from KAPUTA are not BEMBAS like MUTALE NALUMANGO
Those who vome from Luapula province are either: -USHI from MANSA -NG’UMBO from SAMFYA -LUNDA from MWANSABOMBWE& NCHELENJE
-KABENDE Tribe from KAWAMBWA -UNGA TRIBE from Part of BANGWEULU -BWILE Tribe from CHIENGI like Katele Kalumba -SHILA Tribe or Abashila who live in the banks of Luapula river.
Zimbabwe’s Mugabe latest former African leader to be mentioned in Epstein files
BBC NEWS-Zimbabwe’s ex-President Robert Mugabe may have had financial ties with Jeffrey Epstein, according to the latest batch of files related to the convicted US sex offender.
In an email exchange from 2015 with Japanese entrepreneur Joi Ito, the disgraced financier suggested they approach then-President Mugabe to provide Zimbabwe with a new currency after the local dollar collapsed because of hyperinflation.
FBI documents from 2017 also released had unverified testimony from a “human confidential source”, who claimed Epstein was a wealth manager for Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and provided the same service for Mugabe.
Being named among the Epstein files is not an indication of wrongdoing. The BBC has asked the Mugabe family for a response.
Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s independence leader and long-time president, died in September 2019 aged 95 – two years after being ousted in a coup.
Epstein, a well-connected US financier and convicted sex offender, was found dead in prison by suicide while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in August 2019. He had been convicted in 2008 of soliciting sex from a 14-year-old girl in Florida and completed his sentence in July 2010. The latest tranche of files released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) show the email correspondence between Joichi “Joi” Ito and Epstein that took place five years later.
In response to the email about providing Zimbabwe with a new currency, with the subject “fertile land for exploration”, Ito, whose email address is redacted, asked if Epstein was friends with Mugabe, to which he replied: “No, but can easily get his attention, zimbabwe would be a great petrie dish, its also supposed to be beautiful.”
Ito resigned in September 2019 as head of MIT’s Media Lab over donations the academic centre had received from Epstein.
The BBC has contacted the FBI for more information about the documents contained in the recent release of Epstein files – as the US financier would have been violating sanctions had he been Mugabe’s wealth manager.
Mugabe was put under US sanctions from 2003 – and US companies and citizens were prohibited from trading or conducting financial transactions with him. Zimbabwe and Mugabe come up in other correspondence in the Epstein files. An email written in April 2012 suggested incorrectly that Mugabe was his death bed in Italy.
The sender’s full name and email are redacted but the message is signed off as “jonathan”. He asks Epstein for possible contacts in the country, adding “they have some great companies if this guy is really done which he is”.
Mugabe was then 88 years old – and appeared fit and well days later on his return from Singapore to lead independence celebrations. One of his old allies, who asked to remain anonymous, told the BBC that such inaccuracies suggested the information on Mugabe was fabricated.
Zimbabwe is still governed by Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party – and struggled with inflation for decades following the abandonment of the Zimbabwean dollar in 2009.
Several attempts to introduce a new currency failed, but a gold-backed currency called the Zig, launched two years ago, has managed to stabilise the economy after a shaky start – though many people still rely on the US dollar.
Aspiring Lusaka Mayor Simon Mulenga Mwila has said the Patriotic Front (PF) risks weakening itself ahead of future elections if internal divisions and jealousy among members are not addressed.
In a statement, Mr. Mwila said the greatest challenge facing the former ruling party was not pressure from rival political parties but resistance emerging from within its own ranks.
He expressed concern that opposition directed at PF lawmaker Brian Mundubile appeared to be coming largely from fellow party members rather than political opponents.
Mr. Mwila argued that political movements should nurture emerging leaders instead of undermining them, adding that what was being seen in the party resembled internal rivalry rather than healthy debate.
He described Mr. Mundubile as a naturally popular figure who connects with ordinary citizens, suggesting that his growing influence may be unsettling some figures within the party.
He further cited recent controversy surrounding the appointment of Tasila Lungu Mwansa, saying misinformation surrounding the matter appeared to originate from platforms aligned with PF members, which he said pointed to deeper internal challenges within the party.
According to Mr. Mwila, internal rivalry had become so entrenched that it was weakening the party’s strongest figures before external political opponents could even mount serious challenges.
He maintained that Mr. Mundubile currently stood out as one of the opposition’s most popular figures and warned that sidelining leaders with public support could undermine the opposition’s competitiveness in the 2026 general elections.
Mr. Mwila cautioned that continued infighting among opposition leaders could result in an easy victory for President Hakainde Hichilema if alternative leadership failed to present a united and credible front.
He further observed that political jealousy often disguises itself in procedure and rhetoric, but noted that voters are capable of seeing through internal conflicts.
He urged PF leadership to confront the issue honestly if the party hoped to remain relevant and rebuild its political strength.
Mr. Mwila said the future of Mr. Mundubile’s political career would ultimately be determined by citizens rather than internal party gatekeepers, adding that history shows genuine political support cannot easily be suppressed.
He urged the party to reflect on whether it wished to foster renewal and growth or risk declining due to internal divisions.
THE BIGGEST THREAT TO PF IS NOT UPND. IT IS JEALOUSY FROM WITHIN.
There are moments in politics when opposition does not come from rivals across the aisle, but from those who are supposed to be comrades. That is why I find it deeply strange, and frankly troubling, that Brian Mundubile appears to be facing the fiercest resistance not from political opponents, but from within his own Patriotic Front circles.
In any serious political movement, rising leaders should be nurtured, not neutralised. They should be challenged constructively, not undermined emotionally. Yet what we are witnessing around Hon. Brian Mundubile feels less like healthy internal debate and more like jealousy disguised as party discipline.
Hon. Brian Mundubile represents something many political spaces struggle to accept: organic popularity. He connects naturally with ordinary people. His confidence unsettles those who are comfortable with stagnation. His ambition exposes the insecurity of those who have mistaken longevity for relevance. Instead of rallying behind a leader who energises the base, some within the party appear determined to frustrate his rise.
This behaviour is not accidental. It is a pattern. We saw the same thing yesterday with the appointment of Tasila Lungu Mwansa. The very first people to peddle lies that she had declined her appointment were not political opponents. They were Patriotic Front aligned and PF run pages. That alone should alarm anyone who still believes the party’s biggest problem is external forces.
Jealousy within PF has become so normalised that it now eats its own strongest figures before opponents even lift a finger.
Frankly speaking, as things stand today, Hon. Brian Mundubile is the people’s favourite opposition figure with the credibility, intellect, and national appeal to mount a serious challenge to President Hakainde Hichilema. Any attempt to downplay this reality or to push weaker alternatives without public backing is nothing more than political self deception.
If the opposition continues to fight its own most viable leaders, then August 2026 will not be competitive. It will be a landslide victory for President Hichilema. Everything else being paraded as opposition leadership will amount to mere jokes, noise without structure, and ambition without substance.
Jealousy in politics is dangerous because it hides behind procedure, slogans, and moral pretence. But the public sees through it. Voters are not blind. They know when a leader is being attacked not because he is wrong, but because he is rising.
If Patriotic Front is serious about renewal, relevance, and survival, it must confront this truth honestly. You do not fight destiny from within. You either align with it or you get left behind by it. Parties collapse not only because of pressure from opponents, but because of envy at home.
Hon. Brian Mundubile’s political journey will ultimately be decided by the people, not by jealous gatekeepers. History teaches us that when destiny is genuine, resistance may delay it, but it never destroys it.
The real question PF must answer is simple. Does it want to inspire growth, or does it prefer comfort in decline.
Simon Mulenga Mwila – Aspiring Mayor of Lusaka. (MBA, LLM, LLB, Legal Practitioner, Commissioner for Oaths, Notary Public)
LUNGU DIED A SAD MAN AFTER BEING DETHRONED AS PF PRESIDENT – ZUMANI
TONSE Alliance faction Secretary General Chris Zumani Zimba says former president Edgar Lungu died a dethroned PF leader, carrying to the grave the consequences of Miles Sampa’s decision to hand the party to the UPND.
He adds that Lungu entrusted Raphel Nakacinda to integrate PF members into the alliance, since Given Lubinda’s attachment to PF risked destabilising Tonse.
Asked to comment on Tonse Alliance being referred to as illegal on KBN TV recently, Zimba said Sampa’s political relevance to PF was now zero and he could not be trusted to lead the very alliance he once undermined.
“I’ve seen Miles Sampa, the man who sold PF from the hands of PF members and ECL, he threw it in the hands of HH and the UPND. Politically, the man betrayed his own PF members and the former president. Today I see the man dancing around as Tonse Alliance. We formed Tonse Alliance for ECL and all of the PF members who were stranded, and all of us, because Miles Sampa and Robert Chabinga had sold PF to UPND. How can a political Judas Iscariot who transacted PF to the UPND now become Tonse? So, his political relevance to PF is zero to me, so such a man cannot be made to be at the helm of Tonse Alliance. I’ll say no, equally that’s double betrayal to ECL even in death because even ECL would not be happy to see that. So, if Miles Sampa has reconciled with us as PF since he reconciled with our father, let Miles Sampa sit on the floor, he can’t become the leader of the party he sold,” Zimba said.
“Do you know that even in Tonse Alliance we are here because of the actions of Miles Sampa? He has been forgiven, ECL forgave him, but ECL died a dethroned king in PF. So, the consequences of Miles Sampa’s actions in October 2023 still went to the grave with ECL. He never died as a happy PF president because PF was not given to him. PF was still in the hands of Robert Chabinga, and it’s still in the hands of Robert Chabinga, so the consequences of that are still with us today. Today PF can’t be on the ballot. We have forgiven our brother, even I don’t have personal issues with him, but we can’t sit on the ballot as PF because of his actions. So, in as much as we have forgiven him and we embrace him, he should not be arrogant to insult us because we forgave him. Later on, to call us who created the Tonse Alliance illegal when we created it because of desperation after PF was sold to the UPND by himself, that is not right morally”.
Zimba added that it was shameful for Jean Kapata to even claim association with the Tonse Alliance, since she was never part of its founding framework.
“The people calling that general congress illegal don’t even know when Tonse was formed, they don’t even have an idea where the name Tonse came from. They were just brought on board by ECL later and Secretary General Raphel Nakacinda, because, by the PF point of view, ECL entrusted Nakacinda. He didn’t trust his vice-president, Honourable Lubinda. He said, Zimba, you should work closely with Nakacinda. Nakacinda is going to help me bring them in Tonse one by one. Those (Given Lubinda) believe in PF party too much. So, if we bring them as a gang, they will destabilise the alliance. So, Nakacinda was the focal person for ECL, whom he trusted to manage the PF one by one because ECL had already told us that we were to use the ECL PF Movement, not the PF party,” he said.
“So, we were very careful in terms of managing them because some of them were submerged in the idea of fighting Robert Chabinga in court [but] ECL had already graduated because he felt betrayed when Miles Sampa grabbed the party from him and threw it into the hands of the UPND and HH. So, even when ECL was going to UKA, he never went with PF, he went as ECL PF Movement with his followers. He was sitting in UKA as Edgar Chagwa Lungu and started poaching his PF loyalists into UKA one by one. He never wanted to deal with PF as a party. Had UKA cooperated with ECL, ECL wanted to migrate his loyalists’ members countrywide from PF into UKA, they would have become UKA members. So, when we were creating Tonse Alliance, that’s the framework he was still using. Not everyone was entrusted. I’ve seen Professor Nkandu Luo now claiming to be Tonse Alliance, she was not on the table. I’ve seen madam Jean Kapata, it’s quite shameful for her to even pronounce the word Tonse”.
Asked whether Kelvin Fube Bwalya (KBF) exited from the alliance, Zimba said he was unsure if KBF was politically lost or still floating in the alliance.
“I don’t know if we politically lost him or he is still floating, it’s up to him. He wanted to discredit what he subscribed to, that is not acceptable. Political honesty must be emphasised; political integrity is important. So, I’ve never commented on the issue of KBF to date. I do respect him, he’s a good man, but I want to say that political integrity, political honesty and political consistency are very important. His conduct, for me, lacked those three important virtues: political consistency, political integrity, political honesty, and above all, political tolerance. It lacked those. This amended constitution, he is one of the primary movers of the constitution to remove the PF party, one of the key persons or advocates who wanted PF party out so that we maintain the ECL PF Movement is president KBF,” said Zimba.
“The virtual council of leaders meeting we had in January, chaired by president Dan Pule, resolved to remove the PF party and retain the ECL PF Movement. President KBF participated actively and was part of the resolutions. When we were having a ceremonial event to sign the amended constitution at FDD offices, he was one of the key political figures who gladly signed it, and I’m made to believe that he is a state lawyer. So, I don’t know if he signed it blindly, I don’t know whether it was negligence, I don’t know whether it was a strategy to manipulate us, so I don’t know why he signed the amended constitution. For him to somersault and turn, I don’t know. I hope and pray he comes back to Tonse Alliance and works with us”.
Meanwhile, responding on his Facebook page, Sampa said PF was doing well in power until “Dr Theories” was allowed to join and brought fake strategies.
“PF was doing well in power until that ka Dr Theories was allowed to join & brought classroom fake strategies which led to PF losing power. He possesses spirits of losing. I thank God he never showed up in Chawama, otherwise we would have lost,” stated Sampa.
