As a member of Tonse Alliance Council of Leaders, am challenging the newly elected MP for Chawama to state his allegiance, if it’s to Miles Sampa who gave the PF party to Chabinga or it’s to FDD under the able leadership of SC Chifumu Banda whom Miles is referring to in this post.
I need to check the amended constitution if FDD expels the new MP for Chawama they can replace him with another person, that’s if his allegiance is not to FDD that sponsored him.
We need sobriety from Miles Sampa and his team, the people of Chawama did not vote because Miles went to campaign in Chawama. Chawama residents voted to protect the legacy of ECL and against what the ECL family has passed through at the hands of UPND government, let that sink in Miles.
Ba Bright Nundwe distance yourself from people who want to use your position for their political mileage. It’s time for you to serve the people of Chawama, otherwise you will be an 8 month MP.
ACCEPT DEFEAT AND MOVE ON — NJOBVU ADVICES UPND’S MORGAN MUUNDA OVER ECZ APPEAL
Democratic Union President Ackim Antony Njobvu has taken a swipe at the losing UPND candidate in the Chawama parliamentary by-election, Morgan Muunda, accusing him of shifting goalposts after defeat and attempting to perform duties that legally belong to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).
Reacting to Muunda’s public appeal for ECZ to withdraw the nomination of newly elected MP Hon. Bright Nundwe before his swearing-in on 15th February 2026, Njobvu said it was baffling that a defeated candidate had suddenly turned himself into an investigator, prosecutor and judge.
Njobvu questioned why Muunda was raising “technical issues” after the election, arguing that ECZ had already carried out its due diligence before admitting Nundwe as a duly nominated candidate.
“For ECZ to have admitted him and allowed him to contest, it means a background check was done. Why should a candidate who has lost now start doing investigations that are supposed to be done by ECZ?” Njobvu wondered.
Muunda has alleged that Nundwe did not qualify to stand in the Chawama by-election because the contest was conducted under the 2021 voters’ register and that Nundwe was allegedly not registered in Lusaka Province as prescribed by law. He further cited what he referred to as Section 35 of the ECZ Act, claiming it empowers the Commission to withdraw a nomination.
However, the Consortium for Good Governance and Constitutionalism for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Deputy Chairperson Solomon Ngoma charged that under Zambia’s legal framework, the Electoral Process Act does not empower ECZ to invalidate or cancel a parliamentary candidate’s nomination after an election has already taken place. Contrary to Muunda’s claims, the Electoral Commission of Zambia Act contains no Section 35 granting the Commission authority to withdraw a nomination on eligibility grounds after the fact.
The law is clear: Any person dissatisfied with a nomination or an election outcome must file an election petition within 14 days, in line with Sections 100(3) and 96(1)(a) of the Electoral Process Act.
ECZ’s corrective powers are limited to correcting tabulation errors under Section 76, and even then, only within seven days after results are declared. Those powers do not extend to disqualifying candidates or reopening nominations.
On eligibility, neither the Constitution nor the Electoral Process Act expressly requires a parliamentary candidate to be registered as a voter in the constituency they are contesting. Any constitutional interpretation dispute falls under the jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court, not ECZ.
Njobvu therefore advised Muunda to accept political reality and move on.
“Why don’t candidates just accept that they did not win and focus on the next general election? Continuing to raise confusion over matters that are not within your mandate only exposes desperation,” he said.
The Democratic Union leader concluded by urging Muunda to concentrate on rebuilding political support rather than dragging ECZ into matters already settled by the ballot.
Chawama voted, the people decided, and the law has spoken. Accept defeat, regroup, and campaign for 2026 general elections not from the courtroom of public opinion, but on the ground.
POLITICAL Analyst Bizeck Phiri has warned that continued wrangles within the Patriotic Front risk weakening the party thereby collapsing it.
Recently Patriotic Front Presidential Aspirant Brian Mundubile withdrew his participation from the PF conclave convened by the party’s Expanded Council of Elders, citing bad faith, intimidation, and underhand maneuvers that he says undermined the integrity of the reconciliation process.
Speaking in an interview with RCV News in Lusaka, Professor Phiri expressed concern that if these fights are not addressed within the remaining seven months before the general elections the PF risks not being on the ballot papers.
Professor Phiri cited the Chawama Parliamentary by-elections as what might happen in the forthcoming election if the PF does not unite and work in one accord.
“If the PF does not address the challenges it is facing within its leaders, it will enter the August polls weakened, divided and might not add any positive to the country”, said Professor Phiri.
He expressed concern that the continued fights are not just weakening the PF but making voters lose confidence in the party. Professor Phiri has since called on the PF members to unite and not allow their ego to destroy the party.
He has also expressed concern over continued defections of opposition party members to the ruling party, something he says shows disloyalty to the parties.
Governance and Development Advocates Zambia (GODAZA) has raised alarm over the growing trend of excessive aspiring candidates within political parties.
GODAZA Executive Director Elias Mulenga described the development as a distortion of democratic principles, especially in cases where incumbents are performing well.
He observed that in some constituencies, over twenty individuals from the same party are vying for a single position.
Mulenga argued that such behaviour undermines party discipline and creates unnecessary internal friction.
He pointed out that democracy should not be mistaken for disorder or unchecked ambition.
“Article 60(1) of the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Act No. 2 of 2016 clearly states that political parties shall promote democracy and uphold democratic principles,” Mulenga emphasised.
He warned that failure to manage internal competition could lead to fragmentation and voter apathy.
“The UPND Manifesto (2021–2026), on page 15, commits to promoting internal democracy and accountability within the party,” Mulenga highlighted.
He urged party leaders to address the influence of money in candidate selection processes.
“The PF Manifesto (2021–2026), page 12, underscores the importance of party discipline and cohesion as a foundation for national unity,” Mulenga added.
He appealed to the Electoral Commission of Zambia to support parties in enforcing internal democratic practices.
Mulenga stressed that if left unchecked, this trend could compromise governance and destabilise the electoral process.
CHAWAMA RESULTS AFFIRM DEMOCRACY, RULE OF LAW – SIMUUWE
UPND Media Director Mr. Mark Simuuwe says the outcome of the Chawama Parliamentary by-election is a clear demonstration of Zambia’s growing democratic maturity, the rule of law, and the credibility of the country’s electoral institutions.
Speaking on Prime TV’s Media Introspection Programme, Mr. Simuuwe said the results provide an opportunity to celebrate Zambia’s democracy, despite what he described as unwarranted insults directed at Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) officials by sections of the opposition.
He emphasized that the Chawama outcome proves that where the UPND wins, it does so genuinely and transparently, within a system governed by the rule of law.
Mr. Simuuwe noted that the ruling party is steadily closing the gap in constituencies it previously lost, citing areas such as Petauke Central and the recent Chawama by-election. He observed that Chawama has historically been an opposition stronghold, and the desire of the UPND was to democratically wrest a seat from the opposition through the ballot.
He revealed that since 2021, out of nine parliamentary by-elections, seven seats have gone to the UPND, reflecting growing public confidence in the ruling party.
At ward level, Mr. Simuuwe said the UPND has recorded overwhelming success, particularly in Northern Province, where the party has won 14 out of 17 ward by-elections. Nationally, he disclosed that out of 85 ward by-elections, 78 have been won by the UPND.
He stated that elections are scientific and data-driven, adding that when opposition political parties described the Lumezi by-election as a precursor to the 2026 General Election, the UPND agreed with that assessment.
Mr. Simuuwe further said that with Parliament expected to dissolve in the next four months, the UPND’s numbers are increasing even in constituencies like Chawama, both at parliamentary and presidential levels. He noted that support for President Hakainde Hichilema has significantly grown among citizens who have witnessed his leadership and governance style.
He disclosed that the UPND now has Members of Parliament in Luapula, Muchinga, and Eastern Provinces, underscoring the party’s expanding national footprint.
According to Mr. Simuuwe, a winning political party must maintain a strong secondary position in by-elections, something the UPND has consistently achieved. He added that after the era of Dr. Frederick Titus Jacob Chiluba, this is the first time Zambia has had a president with a clear majority mandate since 1991.
Mr. Simuuwe also highlighted President Hichilema’s commitment to women and youth participation, noting that government has taken deliberate steps to empower these groups, including through the enactment of Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 7 into law.
On the energy sector, he said government is addressing load shedding through the rollout of various solar power plants, with members of the public already experiencing reduced hours of power outages. He explained that these improvements are a result of deliberate policy shifts in the energy sector.
Mr. Simuuwe further stated that President Hichilema’s recent visit to China, where Memoranda of Understanding were signed under ZESCO, is already yielding tangible results. He added that the revitalisation of TAZARA has also materialised, stressing that these developments are part of long-term government programmes and not election-driven activities.
In the mining sector, Mr. Simuuwe said the revival of mines across the country has boosted economic confidence, adding that these achievements are the result of sound governance and policy consistency.
He warned that failure to vote for the UPND would risk reversing key social and economic gains, including free education, timely payment of civil servants’ salaries, Cash for Work, Social Cash Transfer, and other progressive programmes.
Mr. Simuuwe disclosed that government is moving to make free education a statutory right, just as the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) has been entrenched in law. He noted that CDF has increased from K1.6 million at the time the UPND assumed office to K40 million per constituency, transforming service delivery at community level.
He reaffirmed that the UPND Media Team will continue highlighting government achievements and engaging citizens on issues of development, governance, and national progress.
SECULAR Zambian music singer Tianna says she can only marry a man who is a billionaire with sexual discipline, morals, and integrity.
Speaking during a live video response, Tianna said she would not even mind whether a man loves her or not, as long as he has a lot of money.
The remarks followed a question from a male fan who asked what he needed to do to stand a chance of marrying the singer.
According to Tianna, love is not an important aspect of a relationship, as she believes it is fleeting.
“Like for me, money is very important to me. You have to have a lot of money. Love is not really important. It fades. Sometimes, you don’t even need to love someone to be with them. For as long as they are a good person and treating you like a human being, then thats enough. Anyway, that’s just my point of view,” she said.
“I don’t even care if you don’t love me like that. As long as you are a good person, you will treat other people in a good way, even if you don’t love them. Just be a good person in general and be a billionaire.”
Tianna also took a swipe at “understanding girlfriends” who are comfortable dating men who give them K500 per month.
“I know tuma “understanding girlfriends” will say no money is not important. That’s why you find yourself with K500 for upkeep. Men take care of what they love,” she advised.
Responding to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s abuse of a doctor who said he thinks President Donald Trump suffered a stroke, the former Clinton aide Sidney Blumenthal, whose podcast surfaced the claims, demanded release of the president’s full medical records.
“The simple way to clear all this up is to release all of Trump’s medical records including his MRI,” Blumenthal told Raw Story.
Amid widespread speculation about Trump’s health, the 79-year-old president recently told reporters he had an MRI, then said it was actually a CT scan.
Those remarks sprang back into the public square this week, after Professor Bruce Davidson, of Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, spoke to Blumenthal and the Princeton historian Sean Wilentz, co-hosts of the Court of History podcast.
Davidson said: “My impression is President Trump has had a stroke, and I think there’s several lines of evidence supporting that. I think his stroke was on the left side of the brain, which controls the right side of the body.”
Davidson believes Trump suffered a stroke “six months ago or more, earlier in 2025.”
“There’s video of him shuffling his feet, which is not what we’d seen him [doing], striding on the golf course … previously,” Davidson said. “We’ve seen him holding his right hand in his left, cradling. And earlier in the year, in 2025, he was garbling words, which he didn’t do previously, and which he’s improved upon more recently.
“And he’s also had marked episodes that have been noticed of daytime, excessive sleepiness, — medical term, hypersomnolence — which is characteristic of many patients after they’ve had a stroke.
“… Most recently, there was video of him walking down the stairs from Air Force One, holding the banister with his left hand, although he’s right-handed, and all of this is consistent with having had a stroke on the left side of his brain.
“A stroke is an area of infarction. It’s an area of dead tissue.”
Trump and the White House have repeatedly said Trump is in good health. Leavitt addressed Davidson’s remarks in statements to the Daily Beast.
“As the president’s physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, has made clear time and again — and as the American people see with their own eyes every single day — President Trump remains in excellent overall health,” Leavitt said.
“President Trump’s relentless work ethic, unmatched energy, and historic accessibility stand in sharp contrast to what we saw during the past four years when the failing legacy media intentionally covered up Joe Biden’s serious mental and physical decline from the American people.
“Pushing these fake and desperate narratives now about President Trump is why Americans’ trust in the media just fell to a new all-time low.”
Leavitt also attacked Davidson, saying: “These allegations are absolute bulls–t and perhaps even slanderous. The individual making this false claim is a left-wing nutjob and Democrat activist.”
Speaking to Raw Story, Blumenthal said: “The Trump White House should release all of the records that Trump bodyguard Keith Schiller stole from Dr Harold Bornstein, who called the episode ‘a rape.’ One should assume that Trump still has those records.”
In 2018, Harold Bornstein, a New York doctor, told NBC News “he felt ‘raped, frightened and sad’ when Schiller and another ‘large man’ came to his office to collect Trump’s records on the morning of Feb. 3, 2017,” at the start of Trump’s first term.
Bornstein had told reporters he prescribed Trump hair-growth medicine. A Trump representative called the records handover “peaceful, cooperative and cordial.”
Blumenthal, senior advisor to Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001, also took aim at Leavitt.
“Instead of spewing invective in imitation of her boss, she should do everything that she can to provide the press and the public with the actual records, if she cares at all about her credibility,” Blumenthal said.
Now 79, Trump is the oldest president ever to assume office. Instances of him appearing to sleep during events or garbling sentences, and heavy bruising on his hands, have been widely reported. Trump has in turn discussed his health.
This month, he told the Wall Street Journal the bruising was caused by taking aspirin: “They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart. I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?”
Davidson said: “The instruction to take one full aspirin, 325 milligrams daily, is solely, only for prevention of recurrent repeat stroke after partial 50 percent or more blockage, occlusion of a large vessel in the brain. It’s not recommended for anything for the heart, and we were told that President Trump’s chest CT scan was … fine.”
Of Trump’s remarks about CTs and MRIs, Davidson said: “A CT scan of the chest takes three or four minutes, and when you add the abdomen, that’s another three or four minutes. An MRI is what we use to most carefully image the brain.
“You can image the brain pretty well with a CT scan, and that’s emergency imaging of the brain, because it’s more available, but an MRI gives you far more detail, and an MRI takes a minimum of 20 minutes, and they put this over your head, and it’s extremely noisy, it’s a banging sound, and they put headphones to block the sounds. So there is no mistaking an MRI for a CT.”
Davidson said he did not think Trump was suffering from dementia, as some have speculated as the president boasts about passing cognitive tests. Nor did Davidson think the 25th Amendment should be invoked, to remove Trump from office on grounds of incapacity.
But he said he detected evidence of a stroke in Trump’s increasingly brash and autocratic behavior.
“It is common after strokes for people to behave, as some people say, more like they were beforehand. So if President Trump had a brash personality, I think everyone would say, long ago, he appears to have become even more so.”
Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe has pushed back angrily at media criticism, dismissing a provocative question suggesting he was steering African football “for Europe.”
Motsepe characterised the claim as “absolute nonsense,” telling the journalist to “keep quiet” and that the premise was without factual basis.
In defending CAF’s decision‑making, he said African football should be run for Africa by Africans, not dictated by external influences.
The heated exchange came amid widespread debate over CAF’s controversial overhaul of the international calendar.
Critics have argued that moving the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from a biennial to a four‑year cycle aligns the tournament more closely with European schedules, a suggestion Motsepe emphatically rejected.
He stressed that the decision was taken independently and aimed at boosting the long‑term development and financial sustainability of African football.
Motsepe also reaffirmed CAF’s commitment to launching the African Nations League, a new annual national‑team competition set to kick off in 2029, providing more regular competitive football across the continent.
The league is part of CAF’s broader strategy to ensure elite African football is played every year rather than only during AFCON editions.
Supporters of the reforms argue they will increase revenue and exposure for African teams, while detractors remain wary of potential unintended consequences. As the debate continues, Motsepe insists CAF’s vision will ultimately benefit the game throughout Africa.
🚨🇪🇺 Europe Says No: “We Will Not Be Blackmailed” as Trump Threatens Tariffs Over Greenland
Maybe it is time for these countries to partner with China and shove the bully aside.
Trump has announced that from 1 February 2026, the US will impose a 10% tariff on all exports to the United States from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland. Until the US “fully and completely purchases Greenland.”
From 1 June, that jumps to 25%.
Not over trade imbalances, not over subsidies and not over security disputes.
This isn’t diplomacy, it’s coercion. Tariffs being weaponised to force sovereign states into compliance. Economic punishment used as leverage to extract territory and Trump isn’t even pretending otherwise. He’s openly tying trade access to territorial surrender.
The response from Europe has been swift and unusually united.
Sweden’s prime minister put it bluntly: “We will not be blackmailed.” Greenland, he said, is a matter for Denmark and Greenland alone.
Denmark’s foreign and defence leadership called the threats “completely unacceptable”, stressing that sovereignty and international law are not bargaining chips. Norway backed Denmark outright, stating clearly that allies should not threaten allies.
France called the tariff threats “unacceptable” and warned Europe would respond together if they materialise. Germany echoed that line. The UK labelled the move “completely wrong” and reaffirmed that Greenland’s future belongs to Greenlanders and Denmark, not Washington.
Even the EU itself stepped in, warning that these tariffs would damage transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous spiral, while reaffirming that territorial integrity and sovereignty are non-negotiable principles under international law.
This is how the United States treats its allies!
Not as partners and not as equals. But as instruments to be pressured, threatened and economically punished the moment they refuse to comply. This is what “partnership” looks like when power is asymmetric and restraint disappears. Loyalty is expected, but sovereignty is optional.
If tariffs can be used to coerce allies into territorial concessions, then the so-called rules-based order collapses into raw power politics. The language stays polite. The methods don’t.
For years, Washington has accused others of “economic coercion.” But this is what it actually looks like, used openly, against friends and for the whole world to see.
Europe’s reaction matters because it signals something deeper: the cracks in automatic alignment with the US are widening. Not quietly, but very publicly and once allies start saying “no” together, it becomes very hard to pretend the old hierarchy still holds.
Moves like this don’t strengthen Western unity, they expose its limits.
Many countries must now be asking themselves what the real cost is of being an ally to the US.- Abu Sayed
A Utah judge on Friday heard arguments from defense attorneys seeking to remove the entire prosecution team in the high-profile murder case of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, citing an alleged conflict of interest.
The motion was brought by lawyers representing the man accused of killing Kirk, who is identified as Tyler Robinson and charged with aggravated murder and related offences.
The defence argued that the Utah County Attorney’s Office cannot prosecute the case impartially because a senior prosecutor’s daughter was present at the rally where Kirk was fatally shot and later discussed the incident with her father
According to the defence, this connection creates an appearance of bias, particularly given prosecutors’ decision to pursue the death penalty. They urged the court to disqualify the entire office and appoint an independent prosecutor to ensure a fair trial.
Prosecutors rejected the claims, arguing that the daughter was one of many people in attendance and did not witness the shooting itself. They maintained that the alleged conflict does not meet the legal threshold for removing the prosecution team and described the motion as an attempt to delay proceedings.
The judge did not issue an immediate ruling and is expected to consider further arguments before deciding whether the prosecution team will remain on the case. The matter will be revisited at a later court date.
Utah judge hears motion to disqualify prosecutors in Charlie Kirk murder case
A Utah judge on Friday heard arguments from defense attorneys seeking to remove the entire prosecution team in the high-profile murder case of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, citing an alleged conflict of interest.
The motion was brought by lawyers representing the man accused of killing Kirk, who is identified as Tyler Robinson and charged with aggravated murder and related offences.
The defence argued that the Utah County Attorney’s Office cannot prosecute the case impartially because a senior prosecutor’s daughter was present at the rally where Kirk was fatally shot and later discussed the incident with her father.
According to the defence, this connection creates an appearance of bias, particularly given prosecutors’ decision to pursue the death penalty. They urged the court to disqualify the entire office and appoint an independent prosecutor to ensure a fair trial.
Prosecutors rejected the claims, arguing that the daughter was one of many people in attendance and did not witness the shooting itself. They maintained that the alleged conflict does not meet the legal threshold for removing the prosecution team and described the motion as an attempt to delay proceedings.
The judge did not issue an immediate ruling and is expected to consider further arguments before deciding whether the prosecution team will remain on the case. The matter will be revisited at a later court date.
The same outsized influence that popular podcaster Joe Rogan had in helping Donald Trump get re-elected in 2024 could cripple the president’s last three years in office, now that he seems to have turned on the president.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Rogan’s recent comments opposing the administration’s immigration enforcement policies represent a “watershed moment” that could intensify public opposition to Trump.
Days after an ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good, Rogan questioned the immigration enforcement tactics: “Are we really going to be the Gestapo? ‘Where’s your papers?’ Is that what we’ve come to?” Observers compare his intervention to Walter Cronkite’s famous declaration that the Vietnam War was unwinnable, suggesting Rogan may be ahead of shifting public sentiment.
Lee Drutman, senior fellow at the New America think tank, emphasized Rogan’s reach: “He has a huge audience, and a lot of people listen to him, both directly and indirectly. So when he says ‘enough with this ICE brutality!’ he is clarifying an uncertain and possibly ambiguous moment for many people, and coming down firmly on the side of civil liberties.”
Pollster and Fox News analyst Doug Shoen concurred, characterizing Rogan as “the weathervane.” He noted, “The killing of Good could well be an inflection point in public opinion.”
Rogan’s discontent with the administration extends beyond immigration enforcement. According to Wall Street Journal reporters Joshua Chaffin and Katherine Sayre, he has previously questioned the military operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, objected to renaming the Kennedy Center, accused the Trump administration of “gaslighting” the public regarding the Jeffrey Epstein files, and criticized Trump for mocking Hollywood producer Rob Reiner following his death.
Political analysts and observers alike were shocked on Saturday after Donald Trump launched a new economic attack on an ally.
The president over the weekend took to Truth Social to declare an attack on Denmark.
“We have subsidized Denmark, and all of the Countries of the European Union, and others, for many years by not charging them Tariffs, or any other forms of remuneration. Now, after Centuries, it is time for Denmark to give back — World Peace is at stake! China and Russia want Greenland, and there is not a thing that Denmark can do about it. They currently have two dogsleds as protection, one added recently. Only the United States of America, under PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP, can play in this game, and very successfully, at that!” Trump wrote. “Nobody will touch this sacred piece of Land, especially since the National Security of the United States, and the World at large, is at stake. On top of everything else, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Finland have journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown. This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet.”
He went on to announce, “Starting on February 1st, 2026, all of the above mentioned Countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Finland), will be charged a 10% Tariff on any and all goods sent to the United States of America.”
“On June 1st, 2026, the Tariff will be increased to 25%. This Tariff will be due and payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland. The United States has been trying to do this transaction for over 150 years. Many Presidents have tried, and for good reason, but Denmark has always refused,” Trump added.
The tirade didn’t sit well with numerous onlookers, such as MS NOW national security analyst Barry R McCaffrey.
The expert wrote, “These are the actions of an unstable dictator governing by whim.”
“Did Congress get consulted on seizing or buying Greenland?” he added. “Trump has wrecked our global reputation. We are seen as a rogue nation.”
Covie, who has 160.4K followers, chimed in with, “Europeans told him that Greenland is not for sale so he’s punishing American consumers with higher prices???”
Rep. Don Beyer, a Democrat, replied, “Trump has no legal authority to tariff American allies to bully them into backing his brainless attempt to seize Greenland.”
“This is against the law, it’s a total disaster for America, and Republicans in Congress and the Supreme Court need to find their spines and stop it,” Beyer wrote.
Investor Katie Jacobs Stanton weighed in with, “I don’t know how our country rebuilds trust with our allies after all this chaos. The damage to our reputation and relationships is increasing and only makes us less safe and isolated. Come on Congress, stand up and show some courage.”
Rep. Marcy Kaptur said, “Military threats on NATO allies and tariffs that raise prices on hard working Americans and NW Ohio manufacturers have to stop. We need a united front and new sanctions against Russia — not mob extortion tactics against our friends to seize their land!”
Military threats on NATO allies and tariffs that raise prices on hard working Americans and NW Ohio manufacturers have to stop. We need a united front and new sanctions against Russia — not mob extortion tactics against our friends to seize their land! https://t.co/HtbmdLGFfm
MAGA allies sounded the alarm over the weekend, with one Trump-associated attorney issuing a panicked plea to Senate Republicans.
It started when Curtis Houck of Newsbusters, which purports to “expose and combat liberal media bias,” reported on a video of a liberal political commentator giving her views on what Democrats should do once they finally retake power.
“The blue tsunami means that Congress is going to haul Elon Musk, Big Balls, and a bunch of other peoples’ a– in front, and say what kind of crimes did you commit?” said actress and podcaster Jennifer Welch. “I think they commit crimes every day.
Houck flagged the segment insisting on “accountability,” and said Welch “— an influential Democrat podcast — promises mass prosecutions of President Trump, Republicans writ large if Democrats retake power because that will be the only way to achieve true national reconciliation.”
“Jim Acosta adds Supreme Court seats must be added if Democrats retake Congress in November so Donald Trump could be hauled off to jail,” Houck added when posting the interview between Acosta and Welch.
That raised some alarms for former GOP staffer Mike Davis, who has made headlines for his social media comments in the past, and was rumored to be on Trump’s list for attorney general.
Davis wrote an impassioned plea to Senate Republicans, telling them to “wake the f— up” before it’s too late.
“Dear Senate Republicans: When Democrats control the White House, Senate, and House again, they will 100% nuke the legislative filibuster. And pack the Supreme Court. And add new states, with two new Democrat senators each. And gut all election integrity,” Davis wrote. “Wake. The. F—. Up.”
ActionSA and DA call for urgent debate over SANDF’s Iran naval drills
ActionSA and the Democratic Alliance have called for an urgent parliamentary debate following claims that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) defied President Cyril Ramaphosa’s instructions regarding Iran’s participation in recent naval exercises.
The controversy follows the arrival of Chinese, Russian and Iranian warships on South African shores earlier this month for a multinational naval drill.
Reports suggest President Ramaphosa had instructed that Iran’s role be reconsidered or limited, amid diplomatic sensitivities.
Defence Minister Angie Motshekga has since appointed a board of inquiry to investigate whether an order for Iran to withdraw or downgrade its participation was ignored by defence officials.
Both ActionSA and the DA argue the matter raises serious concerns about civilian oversight of the military and South Africa’s foreign policy posture, warning that any breakdown in the chain of command could have significant constitutional and diplomatic implications.
nezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado’s gifting of her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump raised eyebrows around the world Friday—but it wasn’t the first time that the winner of the prestigious award gave it away.
Last month, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the peace prize to the 58-year-old opposition leader “for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
Machado joined a notorious group of Nobel Peace laureates who either waged or advocated for war, as she backed Trump’s aggression against her country. This has included a massive troop deployment, military and CIA airstrikes, bombing of boats allegedly transporting drugs, and the abduction earlier this month of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Trump has ordered the bombing of nine other countries during his two terms, more than any other president in history. US forces acting on his orders have killed thousands of civilians in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. While running for president in 2016, Trump vowed to “bomb the shit out of” Islamic State militants and “take out their families,” and then followed through on his promise.
Despite being passed over by Trump for installation in any leadership role in Venezuela so far, Machado presented Trump with her framed Nobel medal along with a certificate of gratitude during a Thursday meeting at the White House. Trump subsequently posted on his Truth Social network that “María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”
In 1943!!!
“Nobel Literature laureate Knut Hamsun famously gave his Nobel medal and diploma to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels as a gesture of admiration for the Nazi regime, following his support for the occupation….”
AFCON final overshadowed by controversy ahead of Morocco–Senegal clash
The Africa Cup of Nations final between hosts Morocco and defending champions Senegal has been overshadowed by controversy after Senegal complained about poor security arrangements ahead of the match.
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) said its players were “put in danger” when they arrived in Rabat on Friday.
The team was reportedly swarmed by fans at the train station, with players forced to push through crowds to reach their bus without adequate protection.
The FSF described the situation as unacceptable for a tournament of Afcon’s stature.
Despite the off-field tension, attention now turns to a highly anticipated final between two of Africa’s strongest teams.
Morocco are chasing their first Afcon title since 1976 and face immense pressure playing on home soil. Head coach Walid Regragui admitted that expectations are naturally higher for the hosts.
Senegal are aiming to win their second Afcon title in three tournaments and reach their third final in four editions, confirming their status as a dominant force in African football.
However, they will be without captain Kalidou Koulibaly, who is suspended for the final.
Tactically, Senegal are expected to dominate possession, while Morocco may sit deep and look to counter-attack, relying on the pace and creativity of Brahim Díaz and Ez Abde.
The final, the first Afcon meeting between the two nations, kicks off at 9pm South African time at Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, where both teams will battle for continental glory.
Several White House officials revealed to NBC News that President Donald Trump is growing increasingly “worried” over Canada regarding its ability to defend its borders, with one official saying that Trump’s concern stems from his “vision of ‘solidifying’ the Western Hemisphere,” the outlet reported Sunday.
“Trump is really worried about the U.S. continuing to drift in the Western Hemisphere and is focused on this,” said one Trump administration official regarding Trump’s concern over Canada, speaking with NBC News under the condition of anonymity.
Trump’s fixation on Canada is couched in his efforts for the United States to acquire Greenland, which he’s claimed is vital to national security. On Saturday, Trump slapped eight European nations with new tariffs over their apparent objections to the U.S. acquisition of Greenland, tariffs that he said would increase until the arctic island is under the United States’ control.
According to Trump, the security of Canada’s northern border, another Trump administration official said, was part of his efforts to acquire Greenland and secure the security of the entire Western Hemisphere.
“At the end of the day, this is to stop Russia and China from having a further presence in the Arctic,” said a senior Trump administration official, speaking with NBC News under the condition of anonymity. “Canada stands to benefit from the U.S. having Greenland.”
Greenland is currently a territory of Denmark, though operates autonomously with its own government. Its prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said last week that the island’s inhabitants would prefer to stay under Danish control. When Trump was asked about Nielsen’s comments, he revealed he was unaware of who he was, but condemned his comments nonetheless.
“I disagree with them,” Trump told reporters last week when asked about Nielsen’s remarks. “I don’t know who he is, don’t know anything about him, but that’s going to be a big problem.”
Michael Cohen, the former personal attorney to Donald Trump, issued a shocking walk-back Friday, sharply criticizing New York prosecutors while weighing in on the legal battles still surrounding the president’s hush money conviction.
The remarks came in a Substack post titled “When Politics Blind Justice,” where Cohen framed the latest appeals court decision in the case as more than a procedural development. A three-judge appellate court panel recently reopened Trump’s effort to move the case from state to federal court, Cohen wrote, which would allow a judge to scrutinize whether some evidence implicates acts taken while Trump was president.
Cohen, who testified in both civil and criminal trials against the MAGA leader, said his perspective comes from experience.
ALSO READ: These signs show Trump’s maddest threat yet might be blocked … amid the blizzard of crazy
“And as courts now reconsider where the Bragg and James cases belong, how they were brought and how they were tried; that experience is relevant. More today than ever,” Cohen wrote Friday.
He went on to accuse Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Leticia James of blurring the lines “between justice and politics” to boost their own profiles.
“I felt pressured and coerced to only provide information and testimony that would satisfy the government’s desire to build the cases against and secure a judgment and convictions against President Trump,” he wrote as he recounted his experiences with both offices.
“Whatever the outcome,” Cohen added, “justice must be more than effective; it must be credible. When politics and prosecution become indistinguishable, public trust erodes; not just in individual cases, like mine and Trump’s, but in the system itself.”
He added: “That erosion serves no one, regardless of party, personality, or power.”
The appellate panel instructed U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein to review his earlier ruling that kept the hush money case in state court instead of removing it to federal court. According to Cohen, Trump has long viewed the federal court system as “more favorable” to him.
Jet Li says visiting the U.S. still makes him emotional. 🕊️
“I feel sad when I go to the U.S. because I always think of Aaliyah,” he once shared, explaining how traveling to the United States often brings back memories of her and how deeply her passing affected him.
The two starred together in Romeo Must D, a global box-office success that introduced Aaliyah to the world not only as a singer, but also as an actress. Released alongside her hit song “Try Again,” the film marked a defining moment in her career.
Aaliyah’s time in the spotlight was brief, but her impact was immense. With three studio albums and a lasting influence on music, fashion, and dance, her legacy continues to inspire generations.
Her final project included the video for “Rock the Boat,” and her presence remains, in the culture, the music, and the hearts of many. One in a Million, forever. 🤍
CF PRESIDENT HARRY KALABA UPHELD DIPLOMATIC PROTOCOL IN CONGRATULATING PRESIDENT MUSEVENI
Lusaka, January 18 – The Citizens First (CF) wishes to place on record its full support for the congratulatory message issued by CF President, Mr. Harry Kalaba, to H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni following his re-election as President of the Republic of Uganda.
The CF recognizes that Zambia is a sovereign member of the African Union (AU) and a responsible actor within the continental and regional architecture. It is on this firm basis that President Kalaba proceeded to congratulate President Museveni, following and in line with the official position already communicated by the African Union. This action was timely and non partisan; it was grounded in established diplomatic norms, continental solidarity, and respect for inter-state relations.
It is important to draw a clear contrast with positions taken by the UPND leader in the case of Tanzania where congratulatory messages were extended in circumstances where the East African Community (EAC), SADC, and the African Union themselves had raised serious concerns and did not endorse either the electoral process or its outcome. In such instances, unilateral endorsements not anchored in regional or continental consensus only serve to undermine collective institutions and weaken Africa’s voice.
The CF President’s conduct demonstrates a clear appreciation of Zambia’s international obligations, diplomatic etiquette, and foreign policy traditions. It underscores the CF’s belief that Zambia must always act consistently with multilateral processes and established continental positions, rather than personal or partisan impulses.
As a party, Citizens First understands its mandate: to restore credibility, consistency, and principle to Zambia’s engagement with the world. When CF forms government, Zambia will leverage its historical position within the AU, SADC, and other multilateral forums to actively and constructively influence the continent toward enhanced democracy, good governance, constitutionalism, and the rule of law.
Africa’s democratic journey will be strengthened not through grandstanding, but through principled leadership, respect for institutions, and coherent diplomacy. This is the path CF is committed to charting for Zambia and for Africa.
THE Citizens First has announced it is more than ready to partner with other opposition political alliances as the country heads towards the August general elections, stressing that unity among opposition parties is key if the UPND regime has to be voted out.
Speaking in an interview, CF president Harry Kalaba said the party has consistently demonstrated willingness to work with like-minded political players in the interest of the country and Zambians who have always demanded for a united opposition.
Dr Kalaba said the initiative by Zambia’s elders and senior citizens to unite the opposition was commendable and hoped that the elders shall be able to reach out to all opposition political leaders to counsel them about the need to work together.
Dr Kalaba has projected that should the opposition fail to unite and remain fragmented, Zambians themselves, who have the power to elect governments shall ensure that they change the leadership.
“I have always been ready to work with progressive alliances for the good of Zambia. This is not something new. Citizens First believes that opposition unity is critical if we are to offer Zambians a credible alternative,” he said.
Dr Kalaba has dismissed assertions that he had been the only leader who had not found it prudent to work with other opposition political parties, stating that he had been a proponent of a united opposition.
He explained that Citizens First had previously participated in several alliance discussions, including the defunct United Kwacha Alliance (UKA), but said disagreements over principles and terms had always led to the collapse of such efforts.
“Citizens First has been part of many alliance initiatives, including UKA. Unfortunately, some of these alliances failed because we could not agree on specific terms and shared values. An alliance must be built on mutual respect and clear objectives,” he said.
Commenting on the recent Chawama parliamentary by-election, Dr Kalaba said the result was a clear signal of growing public dissatisfaction with the ruling party.
“The Chawama by-election victory is not only for the FDD; it is a victory for the entire opposition. It has proved that the UPND is a rejected party by the people,” he said.
Zambia Must Prosper Party leader, Kelvin Fube Bwalya is set to scoop the leadership of the Tonse Alliance faction led by Dr. Dan Pule.
Inside sources disclosed that the dynamics in the Alliance favoured KBF against Mporokoso MP, Brian Mundubile
“The so-called ECL Movement has no political party and is no longer the anchor party. It has therefore lost significant influence and dominance. It’not like the PF Tonse were the party was guaranteed to provide a presidential candidate”
Details have emerged that the architect, former State House Special assistant for politics, Zumani Zimba has lost the plot and influence and his schemes have ended up weakening the PF faction in Tonse Alliance called “ECL Movement”.
The movement is hoping that the delegates will elect to elect Mundubile.
●KBF demanded that the so called “ECL Movement” is an illegal and undefined entity and should have less numbers.
● KBF rejected that the proposal that the Vice Chairperson elected should be the running mate.
● Mprokoso MP, Hon Brian Mundubile led a team that included Shiwangandu MP, Stephen Kampyongo, Lunte MP, Hon. Mutotwe Kafwaya, former Secretary General Davies Mwila, lawyer Derby Aongola, and Zumani Zimba and Chanoda Ngwira.
● Zumani Zimba has proposed that Dan Pule must vacate his position as Chairperson since he was a candidate and that after the election of the new Chairperson will become the presidential candidate. Tonse Alliance faction Chairperson Dan Pule also is hoping to win the leadership.
UPHOLD THE LAW AND REJECT ILLEGAL ATTEMPT TO OVERTURN CHAWAMA NOMINATION
The Consortium of Civil Society Organisations on Governance and Constitutionalism strongly urges the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to reject in the clearest possible terms the call attributed to Mr. Morgan Muunda of the United Party for National Development (UPND), a losing aspiring candidate, that it must invoke powers that the Commission does not possess in order to nullify the nomination and eventual election of Mr. Bright Nundwe of the Forum for Development and Democracy (FDD) as candidate for Chawama Constituency.
At the outset, it is important to place the matter squarely within the law. The Electoral Commission of Zambia Act, which Mr. Muunda purports to rely on, contains no Section 35 granting the Commission authority to invalidate a candidate’s nomination. Elections in Zambia are governed primarily by the Electoral Process Act, and Section 35 of that Act does not confer any power whatsoever on the ECZ to cancel or invalidate a nomination on the grounds alleged by Mr. Muunda.
The law is settled and unambiguous. Where a person is dissatisfied with the nomination or election of a candidate, the Electoral Process Act provides a specific and exclusive remedy. Mr. Morgan Muunda’s only lawful option is to file an election petition within fourteen (14) days under Section 100(3) read together with Section 96(1)(a) of the Electoral Process Act. Attempts to short-circuit this process by inviting the ECZ to act outside its mandate are legally untenable and constitutionally dangerous.
The Consortium further notes that the ECZ’s corrective powers under Section 76 of the Electoral Process Act are strictly limited to the correction of errors committed by an electoral officer in the tabulation of results, and only within seven (7) days after the declaration of results. These powers do not extend to revisiting nominations or disqualifying candidates after the fact.
Beyond the immediate dispute, the Consortium takes the considered view that the argument suggesting that a candidate must be a registered voter in the very constituency they seek to contest raises a serious constitutional question. Neither the Constitution of Zambia nor the Electoral Process Act expressly provides that a parliamentary candidate must be registered as a voter in the constituency they wish to contest. This issue, if contested, is one that properly belongs before the Constitutional Court for authoritative interpretation, not before the ECZ through administrative pressure.
We therefore call upon the ECZ to defend its institutional integrity, adhere strictly to the law, and resist being drawn into actions that would be illegal, unconstitutional, and capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral process.
Finally, the Consortium appeals to Mr. Muunda and to all persons intending to contest elections in August 2026 to familiarise themselves with the Constitution and electoral laws. Political ambition must never override the rule of law. Zambia’s democracy is best protected when disputes are resolved through lawful, orderly, and constitutional means, not through misdirected demands on independent institutions.
Issued by
Solomon Ngoma DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON Consortium of Civil Society on Governance & Constitutionalism
PEOPLE’S PACT PETITIONS ECZ AND ATTORNEY GENERAL TO HALT DELIMITATION PROCESS
By Nelson Zulu
The opposition People’s Pact has petitioned the Electoral Commission of Zambia -ECZ- and Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha in the Constitutional Court seeking an order to halt the implementation of the delimitation process scheduled for April this year on the basis that the process is illegal.
The pact is asking the court for a stay of the 2025/2026 delimitation exercise and an injunction preventing certification of the final voters register, which is due on 30th April 2026, arguing that the ECZ’s sequence of operations contravenes constitutional provisions governing boundary changes.
Pact Vice President for Strategy Peter Sinkamba submits that the voter registration data were captured before the legal finalization of new boundaries and before the dissolution of parliament and councils, raising alleged breaches of article 58(6) and article 57(6) of the constitution.
Mr. Sinkamba alleges that certifying the register on 30 April will create an irreversible legal lock under the Electoral Process Act and risk mass disenfranchisement, since voter cards issued under the existing 156 constituencies could be mapped to 211 constituencies after.
He also argues the impending provisional register inspection window from 9 to 23 February 2026, saying voters currently lack the constitutional certainty required to verify their registration details against legally finalized boundaries.
The petition also contends that the ECZ has not demonstrated compliance with the population quota requirement set out in article 58(5) and notes uncertainty over which delimitation report the commission intends to rely on, whether a 2019 report or a post-2022 census report will be used and insists that maintaining the status quo of 156 constituencies pending judicial determination is the balance of convenience that will protect the credibility of the august 13, 2026 election.
The UPND’s defeat in the Chawama by-election has done more than change the political scoreboard; it has also ignited curiosity about the missing man in the room, the party’s Chairman for Elections and long-time strategist, Hon. Gary Nkombo. In a constituency where handshakes, footwork, and face-time often decide outcomes, his absence from the campaign trail was hard to miss and even harder to explain.
Now, with the votes counted and the dust settled, the silence persists. Supporters and political observers alike are left wondering whether Chawama was a calculated gamble, a strategic oversight, or simply a case of the general showing up after the battle had already been lost.
Whatever the explanation, the questions remain, and in politics, unanswered questions often speak the loudest.
Coronocracy 2026: Uganda Votes, the Crown Stays …behold ‘King Museveni’ returns to the thrown
Amb. Anthony Mukwita-Sunday Reflections-
18 Jan. 26.
Uganda has once again performed its favourite national ritual: the election that looks suspiciously like a coronation. Twenty-one million voters, fifty thousand polling stations, and a result so familiar it could have been photocopied from the last cycle.
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the octogenarian president who has been in power longer than most Ugandans have been alive, emerged with 71.65% of the vote, an outcome announced by the Electoral Commission with the same solemnity one might expect at a royal investiture.
The numbers were tidy, the process orderly, and the conclusion inevitable. Democracy, in Uganda, is less about choice and more about choreography.
The opposition played its assigned roles in this tragicomedy. Bobi Wine, the pop star turned politician, spent much of the campaign encircled by security forces, his rallies throttled, his internet throttled, his oxygen throttled.
Dr. Kizza Besigye, Museveni’s former physician and perennial challenger, was once again sidelined by the familiar cocktail of arrests, prosecutions, and prolonged detentions.
Counting Besigye’s jailings is like counting rainy seasons, recurring, predictable, and never gentle. At the time of the polls, he was effectively neutralized, proving that in Uganda, opposition is not defeated at the ballot box but managed through the police docket.
Museveni’s longevity is no accident; it is constitutional engineering at its finest. Term limits were removed in 2005, age limits scrapped in 2017, and every institution that might have checked his power–courts, parliament, police, army–has been domesticated into loyal pets.
The constitution itself has become a rubber band, stretched, and reshaped to fit the contours of one man’s ambition. Uganda’s democracy is now a minimalist art installation: a ballot box, a soldier, and a constitution sculpted into modern furniture.
And just offstage, the oil drums hum. Uganda is poised to begin pumping its newly discovered oil deposits in 2026, promising billions in revenue.
The timing is exquisite. If you were scripting a leader’s perfect season, you’d write: “Win big, then open the taps.” The treasury will sing, the party will dance, and the president will remind everyone that stability has a price, and he accepts mobile money.
Is this the legacy of African democracy? Institutions as décor, elections as anniversaries, leaders as monarchs in civilian clothes.
Across the continent, Museveni’s peers nod approvingly. Paul Biya in Cameroon, Teodoro Obiang in Equatorial Guinea, Alassane Ouattara in Côte d’Ivoire, all have demonstrated that ballots can be ritual objects, not instruments of rotation
Coronocracy has a ring to it: government of the people, by the palace, for the pipeline.
So yes, Uganda held an election. And yes, a president won. But the crown didn’t move. The voters attended, clapped politely, and went home to watch the same movie next season. The concern is this movie can play out anywhere in Africa if unchecked.
Democracy in Uganda is less about change than about continuity, less about ballots than about coronets. Eternal power until death do us part, an African love story written from Cape to Cairo.
–Analysis by Amb. Anthony Mukwita, Author & International Relations Analyst
⚠️ FIFA Confirms 2026 World Cup Will Remain in the United States, Mexico, and Canada Despite Online Rumors
There’s been a lot of online speculation claiming that FIFA has decided to strip the United States of hosting the 2026 World Cup and move the tournament to the United Kingdom. Some posts even suggest this was a “last-minute shock decision.” But here’s the truth: these claims are false.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is still scheduled to be hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with matches planned in dozens of cities across all three countries. FIFA has not officially announced any change of host, and all confirmed statements show that the tournament will continue as planned.
So why are these rumors spreading?
Some media outlets and social media users have speculated about the possibility, often tied to political debates in the U.S. and concerns about safety or organizational issues.
There have also been opinions and suggestions from commentators and political figures about FIFA reconsidering venues, but these are not official decisions.
Headlines suggesting a move to the UK are clickbait or opinion pieces, meant to grab attention rather than report confirmed facts.
It’s important to understand that FIFA would never make such a major change quietly. Moving a World Cup is an enormous logistical challenge involving stadiums, hotels, transport, security, broadcasting rights, and millions of fans worldwide. Any real decision would be covered by all major sports news outlets instantly.
✅ What we can confirm:
The 2026 World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Matches are scheduled across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
FIFA continues to work with host cities to ensure safety, security, and smooth operations.
The takeaway? Ignore rumors suggesting the USA lost the World Cup hosting rights. This is a case of speculation being shared as fact. Fans can continue planning for what will be the largest World Cup in history, featuring expanded teams, new stadiums, and exciting matches across North America.
Stay informed, check credible sources, and don’t let clickbait headlines cause unnecessary panic. The 2026 World Cup is still coming to North America, and excitement is only growing as the
Samuel Eto: Explains Why is going to be difficult for Bafana Bafana players to play in top 5 leagues in Europe
Cameroon football legend Samuel Eto’o has shared his honest views on Bafana Bafana following their AFCON campaign, saying South African players still struggle to cope with pressure at the highest level.
Speaking on CRTV Sports during an interview aired on 17 January 2026, Eto’o said the lack of experience in high-pressure environments is one of the main reasons why South African players find it difficult to break into Europe’s top five leagues.
“South African players have talent, but football at the highest level is about mentality,” Eto’o said. “At AFCON, we saw that when the pressure increased, Bafana Bafana struggled to manage key moments. That strong mentality is what was missing.”
The former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker added that European football demands consistency under pressure every week. “In Europe, you play big matches all the time. You must be mentally strong. That experience helps players grow, and it’s something South Africans still lack.”
Despite his criticism, Eto’o believes the future can be bright. He said if South African football can fix its mentality and expose more players to tough environments, Bafana Bafana could go far in future tournaments.
“They have potential,” he concluded. “If they learn to handle pressure, South Africa will surprise many people.”
“Papa Never Accept U” – Netizens Drag Alleged Daughter Over “Davido’s Oldest Daughter” Bio
The paternity drama involving Afrobeats superstar Davido and teenager Anu Adeleke has taken another turn as social media users spotted bold claims on the young girl’s official Instagram page.
The Bio Controversy
Despite Davido’s adamant denial backed by his claim of five negative DNA tests Anu appears to be doubling down on her identity. Netizens observed that she has updated her Instagram bio to read “Davido’s oldest daughter” and lists her full name as “Mitchelle Anuoluwapo Adeleke.”
The Standoff
While the singer has threatened legal action and insisted the chapter is closed, Anu’s mother recently accused him of dishonesty and demanded a new DNA test supervised by the U.S. embassy. Meanwhile, Davido’s ally, Tunde Ednut, has publicly defended the singer, arguing that Anu lacks the specific physical traits shared by Davido’s confirmed children: Imade, Hailey, Dawson, and the twins.
Public Reaction
The audacity to publicly claim the Adeleke name on her profile before being accepted by the family has drawn mockery from online observers.
One user, twitgameboy, commented:
“Papa never accept u, u don put am for your bio say you be – Davido oldest daughter Smh.”
Samuel Eto’o Rejects Plan to Hold AFCON Every Four Years
Samuel Eto’o, President of FECAFOOT, has reportedly opposed the proposal to stage the Africa Cup of Nations every four years, according to multiple reliable CAF sources cited by Digital B Agency.
Contrary to circulating social media claims, Eto’o is said to be in strong disagreement with CAF leadership over the plan.
Eto’o argues that the AFCON is a crucial platform for showcasing African talent. Spacing the tournament over four years, he believes, would delay opportunities for players to be noticed and transferred to international clubs, slowing the growth and export of African football talent.
Julius Malema Reveals He Once Planned a ‘Black AfriForum’ to Champion Black South Africans’ Rights With Former Judge President John Hlophe as Legal Leader — A Civil Organisation That Could Have Challenged Groups Like AfriForum and Freedoms Under Law
EFF leader Julius Malema recently shocked many by revealing that long before his current political prominence, he envisioned creating a civil rights organisation for black South Africans, modeled on AfriForum, the well-known group that advocates for Afrikaner and minority rights. Malema said the idea was meant to provide black South Africans with legal and civil advocacy similar to what AfriForum offers for white communities, filling a gap he believed existed in the country’s civil society.
⚖️ John Hlophe: The Legal Brain Behind the Plan
Malema disclosed that he wanted former Judge President John Hlophe to serve as the organisation’s main legal strategist. He even compared the role Hlophe could have played to Gerrie Nel, the high-profile prosecutor who later became a key figure in AfriForum’s private prosecutions.
The plan included leveraging Hlophe’s courtroom expertise and legal influence to counter organisations like AfriForum, Freedom Under Law, and other advocacy groups — but with a focus on protecting and promoting the rights of black South Africans.
Why the Plan Never Took Off
The organisation never became a reality. According to Malema, Hlophe opted to pursue a political path instead, joining the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) after leaving the judiciary following his impeachment in 2024. Malema suggested that Hlophe’s decision was influenced by financial pressures after losing his judicial salary. As a result, the envisioned “Black AfriForum” remained an idea rather than a functioning institution.
類 What This Means for South Africa
Malema’s revelation highlights ongoing debates in South Africa over representation, legal advocacy, and civil rights. While AfriForum has long fought for minority rights and taken legal action on social and political issues, Malema’s idea suggested that black South Africans lacked a comparable civil structure outside political parties to champion their legal and socio-economic interests.
This disclosure also raises questions about how civil advocacy and politics intersect, and whether influential legal figures can shape rights-based organisations without being drawn into partisan politics
…..as UPND Morgan Muunda, petitions ECZ not to validate his election, citing nomination irregularities.
Bright Nundwe’s election as Chawama lawmaker has taken a turn, as the UPND losing candidate in the Chawama parliamentary by-election, Morgan Muunda, has petitioned the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) not to validate his election, citing irregularities in his nomination.
Mr. Muunda stated that the newly elected Chawama lawmaker should not be sworn in, claiming that he did not qualify for nominations in the Chawama by-elections because he is not a registered voter in Chawama.
He also stated that ECZ’s acceptance of Mr. Nundwe’s nomination violated the law and Mr. Nundwe’s missing in the 2021 Chawama constituency register, must prompt ECZ to declare his election as Chawama Member of Parliament null and void.
Mr. Muunda is hopeful that the Commission will act lawfully by utilizing its mandate under Section 35 of the ECZ Act, which specifies the criteria for validating a candidate’s nomination.
Following Tasila Lungu’s extended absence in the national assembly due to her father’s (Sixth Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu) contentious burial, the Speaker declared the seat vacant, prompting a by-election in the Chawama constituency,which was on Thursday,January, 15, 2026.
Mr. Nundwe emerged winner after polling 8,085 votes, beating eight other contenders. His closest rival was Morgan Muunda of the ruling UPND, who came second with 6,542 votes.
“I appeal to ecz to withdraw the nomination of Mr Nundwe before being sworn in at parliament on 15th Feb 2026.he did not qualify to be mp nominations in chawama bye elections which operated under 2021electrol register where he is not registered in Lusaka province as prescribed by law. The ecz act section 35provides for laws doing vote protection against fraud. It’s the duty of ecz mandate to reconsider and do the lawful action by using it’s mandate on section 35provides it to pronounce by law a candidate who meets the criteria of elections mp nominations.”
BRIEFING | Miles Sampa Turns on FDD as Opposition Unity Frays After Chawama Win
The fragile opposition truce forged during the Chawama by-election is already showing signs of strain, with Miles Sampa launching a public broadside against the Forum for Democracy and Development, an alliance partner in the Tonse arrangement that delivered the seat.
In a now-deleted Facebook post, Sampa dismissed the role of FDD and rival Tonse figures in the Chawama victory, insisting that the win belonged exclusively to the Patriotic Front’s grassroots machinery.
He claimed that the newly elected MP, Bright Nundwe, was “not FDD” but a product of what he called the “genuine True Green PF movement.”
“For the record; the new MP for Chawama is a product and part of the genuine True Green PF movement that is in people’s hearts and will never die,” Sampa wrote, before warning the FDD and the rival Tonse faction to “stay away from him.”
The remarks directly challenge the political reality of the by-election. Nundwe formally contested on the FDD ticket, with the Tonse Alliance adopting FDD as a special purpose vehicle amid unresolved leadership disputes within the PF. That arrangement was meant to project unity and avoid brand confusion. Instead, Sampa’s intervention has reopened the fault lines.
At the heart of the dispute is ownership of victory. Sampa is arguing that PF structures, history, and sentiment in Chawama delivered the win, while the FDD merely provided a legal vehicle. By contrast, the Tonse faction led by Dan Pule has treated the result as a collective opposition success achieved through compromise and coordination.
The language used by Sampa is telling. By accusing alliance partners of “hijacking” the win, he signals that the cooperation was tactical, not ideological. It also reflects deeper anxiety within opposition ranks about who controls political capital generated by Edgar Lungu’s legacy strongholds, and who gets to brand that support going into August vote.
So far, the FDD has chosen silence, declining to respond publicly to the attack. But the damage is already visible. What was supposed to be a moment of consolidation after a morale-boosting by-election has quickly turned into a struggle over narrative, credit, and control.
Chawama has exposed an uncomfortable truth for the opposition. Winning together is easier than agreeing on who owns the win. And if these tensions surface so quickly after a single constituency victory, they raise serious questions about whether opposition alliances can hold under the pressure of a national campaign.
For now, the seat is secured. But the aftershocks suggest that opposition unity remains transactional, brittle, and vulnerable to implosion at the first sign of triumph.
A CHAT WITH A POLITICIAN – A MUST READ FOR POLITICAL LEADERS AHEAD OF 2026 GENERAL ELECTIONS
By Brian Matambo | Lusaka, Zambia
This was a private conversation with a political heavyweight in Zambia. I will not name the person. What matters is the substance of what we talked about, because it captures with unsettling clarity the crossroads at which the opposition now stands as the country approaches the 2026 general elections.
In the wake of the Chawama by-election won by the Tonse Alliance on the FDD ticket, the conversation revolved around one central warning: the opposition risks collective failure, not because the ruling party is invincible, but because ego, celebrity politics, and selfish calculation at the top are blocking strategic clarity.
My counterpart began by drawing a sharp and uncomfortable distinction between ordinary citizens and political leaders. The ordinary people, they argued, are far more alert to the real danger facing the country than the elites who claim to lead them. The failure is not at the base. It is at the top. Leaders are too busy protecting their positions, their visibility, and their personal relevance to confront the existential stakes of this moment. If leaders do not first grasp the danger, the message cannot filter down to the people who actually carry the vote.
I then introduced what I believe is the psychological core of the problem. Many contemporary politicians are not driven by ideology, policy, or national duty. They are driven by the desire for celebrityhood. Politics has become a shortcut to recognition. Artists, musicians, and actors work for years before applause finds them. Politicians, by contrast, want to step straight onto the red carpet. Titles, motorcades, and the intoxicating repetition of “Honourable” become addictive.
This produces a specific fear. It is not primarily the fear of losing state power, because many of these politicians privately know they are unlikely to win it anyway. The deeper fear is losing relevance, losing the limelight, losing the sense of being somebody. That is why stepping aside for a stronger candidate becomes psychologically impossible, even when it is strategically obvious.
This, more than ideology, explains why weak candidates insist on running, why fragmentation persists, and why unity talks repeatedly collapse. It also explains why, as I bluntly put it in the conversation, useless people enter politics. Politics has become an identity crutch rather than a service platform.
We then turned to the by-elections in Chawama and Petauke. We agreed that these were not isolated contests. They were protest votes against the ruling party. The ruling party was deeply unwanted in those constituencies, particularly because of their symbolic association with the late Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu. The electorate’s message was not subtle. Whoever best represented opposition sentiment stood to benefit.
I insisted these elections should have been used as a temperature check by opposition leaders. Instead, some leaders spun third-place finishes as victories, or worse, as proof of relevance. A distant third, especially where the gap between second and third is wide, is not competitive. It is relegation. Dressing it up as success is self-deception.
I openly ridiculed the logic that merely participating among “over 200 registered political parties” is a win. In a high-stakes national moment, participation without impact is political noise, not leadership.
Our discussion then shifted to data, because politics without data is guesswork masquerading as strategy. I shared findings from my own data-driven analysis. Southern Province is structurally difficult terrain for opposition forces, particularly since the emergence of UPND. Historical voting patterns from 1996 onward show deeply entrenched behaviour. Since UPND began contesting seriously in 2001, it has consistently posted above-average results in Southern Province, starting around 72 percent and climbing to over 90 percent support. Parliamentary dominance followed naturally.
By contrast, PF’s performance in Southern Province has historically been marginal, at times falling below one percent, with humiliating vote gaps in certain by-elections. The conclusion is unavoidable. Southern Province is not where elections are won for the opposition. Pretending otherwise is strategic fantasy.
The analysis then broadened to Lusaka and the Copperbelt, where trends are more fluid and therefore more decisive. Here, the data tells a different story. PF once dominated Lusaka, but its support declined as UPND rose, effectively swapping places. Similar patterns appear on the Copperbelt. Unlike Southern Province, these regions respond to performance, economics, and lived experience.
At this point, my counterpart quoted New Heritage Party President Madam Chishala Kateka who once said that UPND was an attractive opposition, but it is not an attractive incumbent. In power, the party has failed to generate goodwill, tangible improvement, or a season of favour. Unlike previous governments that at least enjoyed a honeymoon period, UPND never truly secured one. Discontent has been present almost from day one.
This is reinforced by contrasting UPND with MMD and PF. Both MMD and PF experienced periods where citizens felt progress or optimism, even if those periods later collapsed. UPND never crossed that threshold of broad public satisfaction.
I added that economic messaging alone is insufficient. Macro indicators, international praise, and flattering foreign headlines mean little to voters whose daily reality is defined by grocery prices, transport costs, and shrinking disposable income. Voters do not live in The Guardian’s economy. They live in Pick n Pay, Choopies, Shoprite, Mtendere Market, in real life on the ground.
I then raised what I believe is one of the most strategically underestimated forces in Zambian politics: the Catholic Church. With millions of adherents, it is a massive moral and electoral constituency. I warned that pastoral messaging focused on injustice, abuse of widows, persecution, and moral authority could decisively shape voter sentiment in the final weeks of a campaign. I noted how quickly even individuals previously aligned with UPND reacted when Archbishop Alick Banda was targeted. Loyalties shift fast when moral lines are crossed.
Eventually, the conversation then returned to opposition fragmentation, betrayal, and manipulation. My counterpart was blunt. Ruling parties fund confusion in the opposition. Some small parties are not meant to win. And I added that their function is to destabilise, delay, withdraw at critical moments, and weaken collective strength. Politicians linger, posture, and wait for inducements. They do not defect early because the best price is paid late.
Judas figures will always exist. Some betray out of malice. Others out of convenience. Others simply because money appeared on the way home. My counterpart lamented that trust, therefore, cannot be assumed. Systems must be built that anticipate betrayal rather than being shocked by it.
POLITICAL ANALYST SAYS ZAMBIA LACKS VIABLE OPPOSITION TO UNSEAT UPND IN AUGUST POLLS
By Joseph Kaputula
Political analyst Francis Chipili has charged that Zambia currently has no alternative political party or alliance that is strong enough to unseat the UPND in this year’s general elections.
Speaking to Phoenix News in an interview, Mr. Chipili explains that the opposition is driven by individuals with self-centered motives, making it difficult for them to collaborate and form a strong opposition.
He is of the view that the opposition has had enough time to unite and form a formidable force but have failed to do so, citing the breakaways from the United Kwacha Alliance and the recent expulsion of the Patriotic Front from the Tonse Alliance.
Mr. Chipili says the only presidential candidate that is well positioned to lead the country is President Hakainde Hichilema despite negatives such as load-shedding and the high cost of living associated with his rule.
…Chabinga is not seeking re-election, expects to flee and settle in South Africa….
Expelled Mafinga MP, Robert Chabinga is selling the deeds of the Patriotic Front for K3million.
Chabinga’s henchmen Victor Kapungwe (Mr. Ground) and Chama Amelika exposed the plot and have warned him that Chabinga doesn’t share the proceeds, they will damage him.
They said Chabinga was not seeking the-election and was seeking a safe exit from Zambia hence the sale.
They warned the would-be buyers of the Party to ensure that they were included in the sale or they would frustrate the transaction.
The duo warned Chabinga that they suffered when they engaged in a process to grab the Party from the real owners.
Get Back to the Patriotic Front Fold, that’s where your legitimacy and strength is, Alexander Nkosi tells Hon Brian Mundubile
Alexander Nkosi Gives Second Advise to Hon. Brian Mundubile
Good evening Brian Mundubile. While time is not on your side, a good leader should learn from history. It looks like you didn’t learn anything from what happened to UKA. You actually even didn’t learn anything from your own MPs betraying you by voting for what you as their leader was against.
If you fully understand what is happening to PF, then you should know that looking at individuals in Tonse, the risk of a repeat of PF drama is higher. A good leader should have foresight. Speed alone is not good, you have to move fast but with balance so that you don’t fall. Why do you think Kalaba is avoiding alliances? He learnt the hard way and wasted a lot of time and lost pace. All you need is to get a water-tight party and use it as a vehicle not an alliance.
Just take deep introspection of what happened in Chawama. FDD was part of the initial introduction of the candidate in Chawama, but while campaigns were still going on, they ended up attending a meeting that expelled PF leaders that were campaigning for a PF FDD candidate in Chawama.
The leader of Tonse you chose even stopped the use of PF materials in Chawama. You now have an FDD MP who is loyal to Lubinda and group that were expelled from Tonse were FDD President is Vice Chairperson.
You are now making the Lubinda faction look organised even if they are equally at fault with their last minute changes in key party leadership. Don’t be surprised if PF supporters throw their weight behind Makebi Zulu because it now looks like your group and Lubinda’s group cannot unite your supporters.
A few days ago the Electoral Commission of Zambia declared Bright Nundwe of the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) as the winner of the Chawama parliamentary by-election, securing 8,085 votes against the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND)’s Morgan Muunda, who trailed with 6,542 votes.
This outcome, in a constituency long regarded as a Patriotic Front (PF) stronghold previously held by Tasila Lungu, daughter of former President Edgar Lungu, has ignited celebrations among opposition ranks. Social media buzzed with mockery of the UPND government, hailing the result as a harbinger of change.
But let’s cut through the hype. This isolated win means absolutely nothing if the opposition remains a chaotic mess of egos, greed, and infighting. Without unity, they are marching toward humiliating defeat in the August 2026 general elections.
Chawama has always been PF territory, a working-class Lusaka enclave where loyalty to the party’s grassroots legacy runs deep.
Nundwe’s victory was secured through unconventional tactics like washing clothes and cooking for residents, but also reflects a local protest vote than a seismic shift in national political permutations.
Voter turnout was modest, with only 18,096 ballots cast, and the margin, while decisive at 1,543 votes, hardly screams a mandate for regime change.
This is not a bellwether for the opposition’s strength; it is a routine result in a PF heartland where anti-UPND sentiments simmer due to economic hardships like rising fuel prices and unemployment. Extrapolating this to presidential polls is not just naive but also delusional.
The Zambian people do crave change. Inflation is still high, jobs are scarce, and the high cost-of-living crisis under President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration has fueled discontent. But translating that into electoral success requires more than scattered by-election upsets. At the presidential level, the game changes entirely.
Zambia’s 50 per cent plus one system will favor the candidate with a consolidated bloc, not a splintered opposition fielding multiple candidates who cannibalize each other’s votes. Remember 2021? Hichilema’s UPND triumphed because the PF was weakened by internal divisions and overconfidence. Fast forward to 2026, and history is repeating itself in reverse.
The opposition comprising PF, FDD, Citizens First, and a dozen others is a hydra of competing ambitions, with leaders more focused on personal fiefdoms than a unified front.
Take the PF’s unnecessary leadership wrangles, and the greed that sees politicians jumping from one alliance to another, for personal gain.
Defections breed distrust and dilute messaging. If the opposition can’t agree on a single presidential candidate or a coherent platform, how can they expect voters to rally behind them? The excitement over Chawama may be misplaced. It is a sugar rush that ignores the marathon ahead. Mocking the government on social media might feel cathartic, but it simply distracts from the real work: forging serious and enduring coalitions.
This is not speculation, it is a pattern. By-elections in strongholds rarely predict national outcomes. In 2016, PF swept similar contests yet faced challenges later. Today, UPND holds the incumbency advantage: control over state resources, media influence, and a narrative of economic stabilization despite global headwinds and increased economic hardships among millions of Zambians. Opposition leaders must wake up.
The people want change, yes, but they won’t hand it to a disorganized rabble. Unite or be humbled, that is the stark reality. Focus on policy, not petty rivalries. Build alliances, not egos. Chawama is no guarantee of victory; it is a warning shot. If ignored, August 2026 will be a rout, not a revolution.
Zambians deserve better than this cycle of false hope. The opposition has the numbers on paper, but without discipline, they’ll squander their advantage. It is time to get serious or get sidelined.
John 8:32 “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Get in touch with us on WhatsApp +263786654620
ZAMBIA MUST LEARN FROM UGANDA ON GOVERNANCE- KALABA
By Dakiyoni
Former Foreign Affairs Minister, Harry Kalaba says ZAMBIA must mature its Democracy to the level of UGANDA and that as a country we must adopt the principles of Democracy in UGANDA.
In his Congratulatory message to President Elect, Gen Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Harry Kabala said the peace and unity being demonstrated in UGANDA is something ZAMBIA must learn from.
Kalaba says as Zambia heads towards the August General Elections, she has alot to learn from UGANDA and its Government.
