A YOUNG and vibrant legal mind, Simon Mwila, has frowned upon the dirty politics being practised by Copperstone University alumnus Chishimba Kambwili.
Mwila, said Kambwili’s latest verbal explosions were not only irresponsible but politically destructive, especially coming barely months after his release from prison over his undisciplined mouth.
Mwila was unimpressed with Kambwili publicly attacking his PF presidential rival Brian Mundubile with unverified allegations of corruption, theft and issuing invoices for roads allegedly not done, while theatrically predicting his arrest and boasting of having dirt on him.
The outspoken said such conduct had nothing to do with genuine politics or accountability, but amounted to political cannibalism, where opposition leaders feast on each other instead of offering solutions to the suffering Zambian people.
He advised Mundubile to immediately report Kambwili to the police for criminal libel and further take him to court for defamation of character, arguing that public threats and should not be tolerated under the guise of politics.
“As we approach 2026, one must ask a serious question. Is this the level to which the opposition has reduced itself?” Mwila wondered.
He said the bitterness, jealousy and open hostility among opposition leaders is no longer a secret and explains their failure to unite and their embarrassing performances even in simple by-elections.
“Young people are not interested in personal vendettas, secret files or political blackmail,” Mwila said.
He further noted that at present, the opposition has no coherent message to the Zambian people, with its loudest voice being accusation and insults instead of solutions.
KANCHIBIYA MP, SUNDAY CHANDA, PROPOSES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A STRUCTURE FOR CHURCH/STATE DIALOGUE
MEDIA STATEMENT For Immediate Release
ON STRENGTHENING STATE–CHURCH CO-EXISTENCE FOR NATIONAL UNITY
Kanchibiya, 6th January 2026-
Zambia’s identity as a Christian Nation is not merely constitutional language; it is the moral foundation upon which our national unity, peace, and democratic stability have been built.
From our earliest democratic transitions to moments of national tension, the Church has stood as a custodian of conscience, while the State has stood as the custodian of order. These two institutions have historically worked not in competition, but in complementarity, each strengthening the other for the common good.
It is therefore important that, as a nation, we deliberately guard and strengthen this co-existence.
The Church must be free to offer moral guidance and constructive critique without fear or intimidation. Equally, the State must be respected as the legitimate authority mandated to govern, protect, and develop the Republic. Where differences in perspective arise, they must be handled through dialogue, not hostility; through engagement, not escalation.
However, our current engagements between Government and faith leadership are often reactive, crisis-driven, and episodic. This creates an environment where misunderstandings can harden into unnecessary public confrontations.
In this regard, I respectfully propose the establishment of a Presidential Faith and Social Cohesion Roundtable, meeting on a quarterly basis, composed of:
1. The Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB),
2. The Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ),
3. The Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ),
4. Other Faith-based organizations, and
5. Key social ministries of Government.
Such a structured forum would institutionalize dialogue, transform engagement from confrontation to consultation, and provide a consistent platform for moral, social, and national cohesion discourse.
Zambia does not benefit from a polarized moral space. When public institutions and faith leadership drift into open confrontation, the greatest casualty is public trust.
I therefore call upon all stakeholders to recommit themselves to mutual respect, structured dialogue, and collaborative social action. Our people are best served when law walks with conscience, and authority listens to truth.
Zambia needs neither a silent Church nor an intolerant State. Zambia needs partnership, not polarization.
May we continue to choose unity over division, dialogue over discord, and national interest over institutional rivalry.
FODEP WARNS AGAINST PLANS TO DESTABILIZE CHAWAMA AND KASAMA BY-ELECTIONS
The Foundation for Democratic Process –FODEP- has expressed concern over allegations that some political parties are planning to disrupt peaceful campaigns in the upcoming Chawama parliamentary and Kasama mayoral by-elections.
According to the Electoral Commission of Zambia -ECZ-, there are plans by certain parties to deploy hostile cadres to disrupt campaigns in the two areas.
And in an interview with phoenix news, FODEP Executive Director Elijah Rubvuta is appealing to political parties to respect the country’s democracy and peace.
Mr. Rubvuta has stressed that political party leaders must ensure their members preach peace and focus on issue-based campaigns in both Chawama and Kasama, stating that elections are a critical pillar of democracy and should not be disrupted by any individual or group.
He has also urged the ECZ and the Zambia Police to ensure all stakeholders strictly observe the electoral code of conduct.
KAOMA HUBBY BEATS WIFE TO DEATH AFTER SHE DENIED HIM CONJUGAL RIGHTS
A WOMAN of Kaoma District in Western Province has díed after she was allegedly beaten by her husband on New Year’s Day, in a case police say was initially disguised as su!c!de but later confirmed as múrder.
Western Province police commanding officer Rae Hamoonga identified the victim as Kashiba Kahinda, who was allegedly assaulted by her husband, Michael Kahyata, 44, after she declined his demands for conjugal rights.
Kahyata is now in police custody facing a murdèr charge.
Mr Hamoonga said the incident occurred around 17:00 hours in Folkland Township, Kaoma, after Kahinda had returned home from a crossover church service with her children.
“Preliminary investigations and statements from the children indicate that the deceased was múrdered and later hanged,” he said.
According to police, Kahyata was displeased that his wife had spent the night away from home and demanded intimacy, which she refused.
Later in the day, he allegedly assaulted her inside their house. The children attempted to intervene but were threatened.
Mr Hamoonga said the suspect later staged the death to appear as su!c!de, instructing the children to enter the bedroom, where they found their mother hanging.
He then cut the cloth used with scissors, causing the body to fall onto the bed, before informing neighbours that his wife had taken her own life.
Suspicious members of the public attempted to restrain him, but he escaped.
He was apprehended on January 2 in Folkland area by a relative of the deceased and handed over to police.
Venezuela was a “gangster state” and it was “morally right” for the US to send troops and seize its then president Nicolás Maduro, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said earlier.
“President Trump rightly pointed out how destabilising Venezuela is for the region, drug running, human trafficking, harbouring terrorists,” she told the Today programme.
“We can’t just sit back and say there is nothing we can do all the time.”
However, when asked it about Greenland, she said “it is not for sale” and that “we should be even presenting any kind of ambiguity”.
“I think Venezuela is different. I wish there had been another way but I cannot… say anything except I’m glad Maduro is gone,” Badenoch said.
US Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright will meet with oil executives this week to discuss US companies once again standing up drilling for oil in Venezuela, a spokesperson for the Energy Department said.
Wright will meet with the executives at the Goldman Sachs Energy, CleanTech & Utilities Conference in Miami, the spokesperson said. Bloomberg News first reported on Wright’s planned meetings.
The meetings come as much of the industry has been blindsided by President Donald Trump’s decision to capture Nicolás Maduro and his subsequent insistence that private companies would pour billions of dollars into rebuilding Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, an industry source told CNN.
As of Monday, major companies and trade associations were still waiting to hear from the White House, the industry source said, and had little clarity on what comes next.
These meetings are expected to be the first of many, two energy industry sources said, as Wright faces the difficult task of persuading major oil companies to invest billions of dollars to return to a market where many suffered significant financial losses. One source characterized the effort as nearly impossible.
“With both the geopolitical issues facing the country and with migration out of the country, a lot of the expertise has left the country,” said one oil and gas industry source who has spoken to Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum about Venezuela. “One of the objectives the United States is going to face here is just providing basic infrastructure and keeping the lights and water on.”
In other words, standing up a US presence in Venezuela’s oilfields won’t happen overnight, or even in a year, the source said.
“This is probably going to take at least a decade,” the source added.
Company safety is going to be “absolutely paramount and a necessary condition for a necessary level of investment to unfold,” another industry source said.
Former two-time heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua was present on Monday at Hendon Cemetery and Crematorium in North London as his close friend and strength and conditioning coach, Sina Ghami, was laid to rest.
The burial followed an emotional joint Janaza prayer earlier held at the London Central Mosque for Ghami and Joshua’s longtime personal trainer, Abdul Latif “Latz” Ayodele.
Both men tragically lost their lives in a fatal car crash in Nigeria, a development that sent shockwaves through the boxing community and among fans of the British-Nigerian boxing star.
Anthony Joshua, visibly somber, arrived quietly at the cemetery to pay his final respects, standing with family, friends, and associates to honour the men who played key roles in his professional journey.
American rapper Cardi B has reacted angrily to a viral claim alleging that her father is a convicted sex offender.
The allegation, which spread rapidly online, claimed that her father was arrested, convicted of attempted rape in the early 1990s, and served jail time in the United States.
Cardi B swiftly shut down the claim, describing it as false and malicious. She stated clearly that her father has never been arrested in the U.S. and stressed that he is an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who would have been deported immediately if he had committed such a crime.
The rapper expressed frustration over what she described as deliberate misinformation and accused people of spreading lies just to stir outrage online. She warned against dragging her family into false narratives and said she would not hesitate to respond with real evidence and documented cases of actual offenders if the attacks continue.
The only son of captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro called on his countrymen to take to the streets to protest his father’s arrest, warning that those who betrayed his family will be found.
Nicolas Ernesto Maduro Guerra, 35, who was also indicted by the US alongside his father and mother in 2020, remained defiant on Sunday, Jan. 4, as he claimed that he will do whatever possible to free his parents and oppose US-backed rule in Venezuela.
“You will see us in the streets. You will see a united people. You will see us wave the flags of dignity,” Maduro Guerra said in a fiery message, according to El Pais.
“They want to see us weak, but they won’t see us that way,” he added. “…I swear on my life , I swear on my dad, I swear on Cilia, that we’re going to get out of this mess.”
The son of the captured dictator also issued a stark warning to anyone who betrayed his family and leaked the location of his father, saying that it was only a matter of time until the traitors are revealed.
Maduro Guerra, who serves in Venezuela’s National Assembly, is one of several officials still in the country who face US charges over their alleged connections to international drug trafficking operations and money laundering.
Other prominent leaders include Venezuela’s minister of defense, interior minister, and its former chief justice and vice president for the economy.
Maduro Guerra, who is known as “The Prince,” was appointed by his father to serve as “Head of the Corps of Special Inspectors of the Presidency” shortly after the elder Maduro came into power in 2013.
Maduro Guerra has been charged with conspiracy to import cocaine and conspiracy to possess machine guns, according to court documents unsealed on Saturday.
The Department of Justice also alleges that the younger Maduro partnered with narcotics traffickers and narco-terrorist groups that dispatched cocaine shipments to the US, which President Trump claimed k!lled 300,000 people a year.
In 2017 alone, Maduro Guerra allegedly shipped hundreds of pounds of cocaine from Venezuela to Miami, Florida, by shipping containers.
A member of Anthony Joshua’s family has claimed the former heavyweight champion is set to retire from boxing.
Joshua was involved in a fatal crash in Nigeria last Monday when his vehicle crashed into a stationary truck on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Makun
The 36-year-old escaped with only minor injuries, but his close friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele d!ed at the scene.
Their funerals took place at a London mosque on Sunday, January 4, with Joshua present to pay his final respects.
Joshua fought just 10 days before last week’s fatal crash, knocking out Jake Paul in Miami on 19 December.
He is yet to speak out on his future in boxing with his promoter, Eddie Hearn, and Matchroom Boxing providing no further comment on their fighter since an initial statement released the night of the accident.
But Joshua’s uncle, Adedamola Joshua, has now claimed the Briton is ready to walk away from the sport.
‘The major thing there is that he has retired from boxing. That is one thing that makes us glad because each time he’s fighting in the ring, we are always carried away emotionally,’ Adedamola told The Punch.
‘Each time he’s knocked down, it is just like the heart is coming out of our chest. All these emotional feelings whenever he’s fighting, it’s too much trauma for us, also.
‘Now that he has said that he’s leaving while the ovation is highest, we are happy.’
Asked by the publication if Joshua has communicated that decision to the family, Adedamola responded: ‘Yes’.
Prior to the incident, the Briton had beaten Jake Paul in Miami, Florida. There had also been rumours of a seismic, all-British showdown with Tyson Fury that would take place in 2026.
Joshua has won 28 of his 33 fights, suffering defeats on just four occasions.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has issued a stark warning to President Donald Trump amid attacks against alleged drug trafficking in Latin America.
“Come get me,” Petro said. “I’m waiting for you here. Don’t threaten me, I’ll wait for you right here if you want to.”
He continued, “I don’t accept invasions, missiles, or assassinations, only intel. Come speak here with intelligence, and we’ll receive you and talk face-to-face with facts, not lies. Stop getting lied to by Colombian political mafias who condemned us to 700,00 de@ths and made us the world’s most unequal country.”
It comes after Trump appeared to hint at a possible military operation in Colombia, with a brutal two-word comment about the country’s “sick” leader who allegedly peddles cocaine to Americans.
The statement was made just one day after the U.S. executed a special forces raid in Venezuela, resulting in the capture of both Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, over alleged drug trafficking charges.
Following Maduro and Flores’ arrest and extradition to New York City, Trump issued threats of military intervention to other South American countries, including Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico, unless changes were made to address drug trafficking crime.
Trump has since suggested that the U.S. would “takeover” Venezuela amid transition, controlling its lucrative oil industry following Maduro’s arrest.
VENEZUELA DEFENSE MINISTER CONFIRMS A DOZEN OF MADUROS COMMANDOS KILLED CUBANS AMONG THEM DURING US RAID ON CARACAS.
A large portion of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s security detail was killed during a U.S. raid that led to his capture on Saturday, Venezuelan Defense Minister Gen. Vladimir Padrino said in a televised address on Sunday.
Padrino did not provide an exact number of casualties but confirmed that the armed forces had been activated nationwide “to guarantee sovereignty.” He also endorsed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez’s assumption of the role of interim president.
Also, Cuba said on Monday that 32 of its citizens were killed during the U.S. operation. In a statement posted on Facebook, Cuba’s presidential office said those killed were members of the Cuban Armed Forces and Interior Ministry who had been deployed in Venezuela on official missions.
“Faithful to their responsibilities with security and defense, our compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism and fell, after ferocious resistance, in direct combat against the attackers or as a result of the bombing of facilities,” the statement said.
Havana condemned the U.S. action as a “criminal act of aggression and state terrorism” and said the government would pay tribute to the dead. The raid on Saturday saw U.S. forces arrest and extract Maduro to New York. Venezuelan officials said a significant number of his security personnel were killed during the operation.
The U.S. action followed weeks of increased military deployments in the region and repeated threats by President Donald Trump against Maduro. Speaking after the raid, Trump said the United States would “run” Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would use leverage gained from its oil blockade and regional military buildup to achieve its policy objectives.
“We want Venezuela to move in a certain direction,” Rubio said.
In a separate statement, Rubio described U.S. restrictions on Venezuelan oil exports as a “quarantine.”
“That means their economy will not be able to move forward until conditions that are in the national interest of the United States and the interests of the Venezuelan people are met,” he said.
In recent months, the U.S. has seized oil tankers linked to Venezuela and deployed warships and aircraft to the Caribbean.
US President Donald Trump has stated that American oil companies could have an expanded presence in Venezuela within 18 months and might even be “up and running” sooner.
“I think we can do it in less time than that, but it’ll be a lot of money,” Trump told NBC News. “A tremendous amount of money will have to be spent, and the oil companies will spend it, then they’ll get reimbursed by us or through revenue.”
The comments came shortly after a US military operation Saturday that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Trump said Americans would have a presence in the country “as it pertains to oil,” but noted that companies would first need to rebuild Venezuela’s crumbling infrastructure before tapping its rich oil reserves.
Currently, Chevron is the only major US oil company operating in Venezuela. ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil left nearly 20 years ago after their assets were nationalized under Hugo Chávez.
“It’ll be a very substantial amount of money,” Trump said of the investments needed. “But they’ll do very well. And the country will do well.” He added that expanded drilling in Venezuela could help reduce oil prices.
Trump also acknowledged that American oil companies were aware the administration had been considering a military operation but said they were not informed in advance.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright is scheduled to meet with executives from Exxon and ConocoPhillips later this week to discuss Venezuelan oil, NBC News reported. Wright is leading the administration’s efforts to rebuild Venezuela’s oil infrastructure.
The Trump administration has made a “major mistake” by not working with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado after capturing President Nicolás Maduro, a former US national security adviser told CNN.
John Bolton said Washington’s threw Machado “under the bus.”
“The Venezuelan people, who voted overwhelmingly for the surrogate candidate that was put in for Machado (Edmundo González Urrutia), are wondering: ‘Does the United States not trust or not trust the opposition?’,” he said In an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.
Working with the remnants of the Maduro regime, rather than using the opposition to try and take over the government, is “a major turning point and a major mistake,” he said.
“Why are we apparently prepared to engage with somebody we’ve sanctioned before to give an illegitimate regime legitimacy?” he asked, referring to acting President Delcy Rodríguez.
Responding to the Trump administration’s claims that installing Machado as president would be chaotic, as she doesn’t have enough support, Bolton said that the US should have been working with the opposition before its attack on Venezuela.
“They didn’t have to tell them the raid was coming, but they should have been working with the opposition as the Trump administration did in 2018 and 2019, with Juan Guaido, to try and fragment Maduro’s regime, to try and find people inside who would be prepared to defect to the opposition, including military leaders, so that people could have been granted amnesty,” Bolton said.
More about Bolton: Following his term as national security adviser between 2018 and 2019, Bolton has become a prominent critic of Trump. He is currently facing a raft of charges over the transmission and retention of defense information.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she hasn’t spoken to President Donald Trump since October, and vowed to return to Venezuela “as soon as possible.”
In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Machado again thanked Trump for “the historical actions he has taken against the narco-terrorist regime.” She said January 3, when the US captured President Nicolás Maduro, “will go down in history as the day justice defeated tyranny.”
In the wake of the capture, Trump said Machado “doesn’t have the support within or the respect” to lead Venezuela and has repeatedly said that the US is in charge of the country.
Senior White House aide Stephen Miller has also dismissed calls for the US to install Machado as president.
“It would be absurd and preposterous for us to suddenly fly her into the country and to put her in charge,” he said Monday, arguing that Venezuela’s military would not view her as legitimate.
The US has instead been working with Maduro-ally and acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who has vowed to cooperate.
Machado, who is under a decade-long travel ban, had been in hiding for more than a year but traveled to Oslo, Norway in December to accept the Nobel Peace Prize. She left Oslo last month.
Machado defended her decision to dedicate her Peace Prize to Trump on Fox and said she wished she could share her gratitude to him for Maduro’s arrest personally, noting she last spoke with Trump on October 10, when her Nobel win was announced.
The United States has expanded its visa bond policy, pulling seven more countries into a system that requires some travelers to lodge thousands of dollars before they can even apply to enter the country.
Under the latest update from the Trump administration, passport holders from Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, and Turkmenistan may now be asked to post bonds of up to $15,000 as part of the visa process. Five of the newly added countries are in Africa, deepening concerns about the financial barriers facing applicants from the continent.
With these additions, the total number of affected nations has climbed to 13, all but two of them African. For many prospective travelers, the cost alone places a U.S. visa well beyond reach.
The changes were introduced quietly last week, according to a notice published on the travel.state.gov website. The State Department confirmed that the new designations came into force on Jan. 1.
The bond requirement forms part of a broader push by the Trump administration to further restrict entry into the United States. Other measures already in place include mandatory in-person visa interviews for applicants from all visa-required countries, along with demands for extensive social media histories and detailed records of personal and family travel and residency.
U.S. officials argue that the bonds, which range from $5,000 to $15,000, are intended to deter visa overstays and ensure compliance with immigration rules.
However, posting a bond does not guarantee approval. Applicants who are denied a visa are entitled to a refund, as are successful travelers who later prove they have followed the terms of their stay.
The newly listed countries now join Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, Gambia, Malawi, and Zambia, which were added to the bond program in August and October of last year.
A 28-year-old woman from Louisiana, Kristin Bass, is facing a first-degree murd£r charge.
Police say she fatally shot her 1-year-old daughter, Acelynn Moss, inside their home on January 1, 2026.
The child’s father, Bradley Moss, said Bass told him she k!lled the victim because she wanted to “send” their daughter to God.
Police responded to a report of a shooting at a residence on Quelqueshue Street in Sulphur on Thursday, Jan. 1, at about 8:21 p.m. local time, according to a Sulphur Police Department news release.
Upon arriving, authorities discovered that a child had been sh0t and k!lled.
Kristin Bass is being held on a bond of $10 million.
Mother accused of f@tally shooting 1-year-old child to send her to God
The child’s father, Bradley Moss, told Fox 8 that he heard a loud boom the evening of the incident and said he then ran into the room to find Acelynn shot and Bass allegedly holding a gun. He stated that their other child, a 2-year-old girl, was in the room crying for help.
Moss further claimed that Bass told him she shot Acelynn in order to “send her to God,” and that she implied she was planning to shoot their other child as well.
“I almost lost two babies,” he told Fox 8. “I lost one because her mama wanted to send her to God. [My older daughter] said, ‘Help me, Daddy.’ And Kristin said, ‘I just sent our baby to God.’ ”
“She said, ‘Now I gotta get her,’ ” he added, referring to the second child.
A look at Bass’ Facebook account shows that her last post was on Dec. 17, 2025, two weeks before the incident.
In the post, she wrote about her religion and asked for prayers.
She wrote: “I feel like I’ve been living my life in ways opposing my religion. And I hope I haven’t been spreading a false idea of what Christianity is. Don’t be fooled if I’ve been foolish.
“Pray for me. Pray for the people who have seen my imperfect practices.
“Pray for my forgiveness and pray for their clarity. Power in the name of Jesus Christ.”
“He Is Our Own Ronaldo” – Tacha Defends Osimhen After Clash with Lookman
Reality TV star and football enthusiast Natasha Akide, popularly known as Tacha, has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Victor Osimhen’s heated exchange with teammate Ademola Lookman.
The Pitch Altercation
Following the Super Eagles’ match against Mozambique, Osimhen faced severe criticism on social media for confronting Lookman on the pitch a dispute that required intervention from teammates and officials to separate the duo.
Passion, Not Disrespect
In a viral video, Tacha who owns a football team herself defended the striker, attributing his behavior to the heat of the moment and his intense dedication to the game. She argued that Osimhen’s frustration was valid, pointing out that he was ignored by teammates about three times when he was in a prime position to score. She insisted that anyone in his shoes would have reacted similarly.
The Ronaldo Comparison
Tacha went further to compare Osimhen to global icon Cristiano Ronaldo, suggesting that critics are hypocritical because there would not be an uproar if Ronaldo had displayed similar passion.
Challenging his critics and the coaching staff, she dared them to bench the striker for the next game because she wanted to:
“see something.”
Public Reaction
The video has divided fans. While some agreed with Tacha that Osimhen’s “temper” is a result of his commitment, others maintained that his reaction on the pitch was unacceptable regardless of the circumstances.
U.S. MOVES TO BLOCK FOREIGN GRABS ON VENEZUELA’S OIL MONEY
The Trump admin just stepped in to freeze a courtroom feeding frenzy, where foreign creditors were circling Venezuela’s crown jewel: oil giant Citgo.
Over $20B in claims were on the table from ConocoPhillips to Siemens, hoping to get paid through Citgo’s forced sale.
The claims, from foreign companies and creditors, were based on trying to seize shares in Citgo, Venezuela’s U.S.-based oil refiner, as repayment for unpaid debts, expropriations, and defaulted bonds.
In total, over 20 companies have lined up to grab a piece of Citgo in a court-ordered share auction, overseen by a U.S. judge in Delaware.
But now, the U.S. government is stepping in, saying no one can touch those assets unless they approve it because Citgo technically belongs to the opposition “interim government” the U.S. still recognizes, not Maduro.
That intervention could delay or derail payouts for years, throwing a wrench into what many companies saw as their long-awaited payday.
Essentially, the U.S. just upended years of legal warfare and corporate scheming by reminding everyone who’s really in charge of Venezuela’s assets.
Citgo is one of the last big Venezuelan assets abroad, control over it could influence Venezuela’s economic recovery, debt repayments, and foreign relations (or pay off its past).
ISRAEL JUST VETOED TURKEY’S F-35 DREAMS AND THERE’S NOTHING TRUMP CAN DO ABOUT IT
Turkey wants back into the U.S.-led program, and Erdogan says it would strengthen NATO security and ties with Washington.
Trump wants to sell F-35 stealth fighters to Turkey, but Israel just said absolutely not, and they actually have the power to stop it.
Turns out the F-35 isn’t just an American plane.
It’s packed with Israeli technology, and Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister just made it crystal clear that tech isn’t going to Turkey “even if they do get those airplanes.”
This is what happens when you build a multinational fighter jet.
Everyone who contributed technology gets a say in who gets access to it. And Israel is using that veto stamp hard.
Turkey was originally part of the F-35 program until they bought Russian S-400 missile systems, which got them kicked out and sanctioned by the US.
Now Trump’s considering letting them back in, but Israel sees Turkey as their main rival in the Middle East.
Israel’s Deputy FM pointed out their defense cooperation with Greece “has never been closer” while Turkey relations are “at their lowest ever.”
The message is obvious: we trust Greece with our technology, not Turkey.
So Trump can consider the sale all he wants.
But unless Israel changes its mind about sharing its tech, Turkey’s F-35 dreams are staying grounded.
Beijing just quietly told its biggest banks to open their books and reveal how much exposure they have to Venezuela, signaling that even China is getting nervous about Trump’s foreign policy wild card.
Apparently, Chinese regulators are asking lenders to disclose their financial ties to Maduro’s regime, after years of oil-backed loans, debt rollovers, and economic lifelines.
Why now? Because after the U.S. raid on Caracas, the legal and political risk around Venezuela’s assets (especially Citgo) just went vertical.
And if Trump’s threats toward Colombia escalate? China’s financial footprint in the region could get caught in the blast radius.
Let’s not forget, China has poured over $50B into Venezuela since the Chávez era.
But with oil repayments in limbo, U.S. sanctions back in play, and American military moves adding chaos, Beijing’s asking a very simple and overdue question:
How exposed are we if this whole thing goes sideways?
If China starts pulling back or rethinking its role in Venezuela, Maduro may lose his last real lifeline, and the U.S. could find itself reshaping Latin America with more power than it even intended.
VENEZUELA BRIEFING BLOWS UP IN CONGRESS: “WE’RE NOT AT WAR”
Trump’s top officials just gave Congress a classified briefing on the Venezuela operation, and it went about as well as you’d expect.
Republicans left insisting everything’s fine.
House Speaker Mike Johnson was adamant:
“We are not at war. We do not have U.S. armed forces in Venezuela, and we are not occupying that country.
This is not a regime change. This is a demand for change of behavior by a regime.
The interim government is stood up now, and we are hopeful that they will be able to correct their action.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the briefing “posed far more questions than it ever answered” and called the plan “vague, based on wishful thinking and unsatisfying.”
The tension centers on what Trump actually said: that the US would govern Venezuela until a proper transition happens.
That sounds a lot like occupation, which Republicans say isn’t happening.
Schumer, along with Senators Tim Kaine, Adam Schiff, and Rand Paul, are forcing a vote this week on a war powers resolution requiring congressional approval before further military action.
Even Democrats who praised the “brilliant execution” of capturing Maduro are asking the obvious question: “What happens the day after?”
🇨🇴 THE GREAT ESCAPE: SHADOW TANKERS ATTEMPT TO BREAK THE BLOCKADE
While the world focuses on the fallout in Caracas, a high-stakes game of cat and mouse is playing out in the Caribbean.
At least sixteen sanctioned oil tankers that had been trapped by Trump’s “complete blockade” since mid-December fled Venezuelan ports following the capture of Maduro.
This massive movement appears to be a desperate attempt to evade the U.S. Navy’s “quarantine” by overwhelming American forces with outbound vessels heading in multiple directions simultaneously.
These “shadow fleet” vessels had been sequestered for weeks, unable to move as U.S. military assets, including the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Iwo Jima, tightened the chokehold on the regime’s oil revenue.
By Saturday, satellite imagery confirmed the ships had disappeared from their docks, with at least four spotted sailing east using “spoofing” tactics to broadcast fake locations as far away as Nigeria and the Baltic Sea.
Trump has been clear that the oil embargo remains in “full force” during this transition.
While the administration has signaled a potential carve-out for major customers like China, the military focus remains “almost exclusively” on interdicting these sanctioned shadow vessels.
South Africa has begun building a massive concrete wall along its border with Mozambique, marking a dramatic new chapter in the fight against car smuggling and illegal immigration. The barrier is rising in KwaZulu-Natal, where criminal syndicates have long exploited porous border crossings to traffic stolen vehicles and undocumented migrants.
The project’s first phase, covering 8 kilometres, was largely completed by late 2024, with additional sections set to roll out through 2026. Authorities say the wall is a necessary security measure to protect South Africa’s economy and strengthen border control.
But the move has sparked fierce debate across the continent. Critics warn it sends a troubling message; Africa building walls against Africa at a time when regional unity and free movement are loudly promoted. Supporters argue crime leaves no choice.
As concrete replaces open crossings, the wall is fast becoming a powerful symbol of fear, frustration, and fractured African solidarity.
U.S. TO MEET WITH OIL GIANTS TO DISCUSS VENEZUELA ENERGY COMEBACK AFTER MADURO’S ARREST
Sec. Wright is meeting this week with oil execs from Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and others to talk about restarting Venezuela’s energy sector now that Maduro is out of the way.
The talks will happen at the Goldman Sachs Energy Conference in Miami, just days after Maduro was detained and flown to New York on narco-terror charges.
Chevron is the last oil supermajor still standing in South America, and now the U.S. wants to open the floodgates.
U.S. understand that today the power is reshaping in the Western Hemisphere.
The world is shifting fast into zones of regional influence and the U.S. is securing the backyard, beyond remaining itself as a global power.
Venezuela is energy-rich, strategically placed, and already crawling with Chinese and Russian interests.
The U.S. achieved a high rank of energetic independence, but still knows it cannot afford to leave that space open for the other global powers.
These meetings are about who owns the future of Latin America.
Police earn rare praise from Mwila for restraint during Archbishop’s DEC appearance
ANXIOUS hearts were calmed yesterday as Zambia Police opted for restraint when Lusaka Archdiocese Archbishop Dr Alick Banda appeared before the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC), a posture that has earned rare praise from opposition-inclined lawyer Simon Mwila.
Mwila, said many Zambians watched the Archbishop’s appearance with clenched jaws, not because the cleric should be above the law, but because past encounters between citizens and law enforcement during politically sensitive moments have often ended in blood and tears.
However, unlike the dark chapters many still carry in memory, police officers yesterday chose a different script.
There were no baton charges, no trigger-happy scenes and no unnecessary use of force as officers maintained order while the situation threatened to boil over.
According to Mwila, instructions were issued, lines were drawn and the tense moment was managed without spiralling into the kind of disorder that has previously left families counting coffins by nightfall.
He said it was impossible to view yesterday’s conduct without being dragged back to the Patriotic Front era when policing of public and political events was synonymous with fear.
Mwila recalled the deaths of Mapenzi Chibulo, a young woman shot dead during political unrest, and Nsama Nsama Chipyoka, a public prosecutor whose life was cut short in circumstances that, he said, should never occur in a country governed by law.
“These were not statistics but human beings. Families were shattered and trust in institutions was deeply damaged,” Mwila noted.
He said for that reason, the conduct of the police during Archbishop Banda’s DEC appearance deserved acknowledgement.
Before availing himself to the DEC headquarters over a Toyota Hilux he dubiously received as a gift from his PF comrades back in 2021, Archbishop Dr Alick Banda with the help of opposition leaders rounded up scores of supporters and gathered them in the Cathedral of the Child Jesus for a solidarity mass where they prayed for him to find strength as he faced the authorities.
After the hour-long service, the priest, dressed in a black clerical robe and a purple zucchetto (hat), led his supporters on foot to the DEC offices, singing hymns and reciting the Hail Mary and the Lord’s Prayer as they marched towards the premises of the commission.
However, as the procession neared the DEC offices, police officers intercepted the group and only allowed the Archbishop, three priests and three lawyers, leaving the rest of the faithful stranded along the road.
When approached by journalists for a comment after the DEC appearance the Archbishop remained mute.
ACTING MAYOR ENDORSES PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA FOR 2026, BACKS BYWELL SIMPOSYA FOR KASAMA MAYORAL RACE
JANUARY 5, 2026
Kasama Acting Mayor and Deputy Mayor, Mr. Felix Musonda Kangwa, has endorsed President Hakainde Hichilema for the 2026 General Elections and UPND mayoral candidate Mr. Bywell Simposya, saying the decision is driven by development needs for the people of Kasama.
Speaking at a press briefing in Kasama this morning, Mr. Kangwa said he and other civic leaders chose to support President Hichilema because of his sound policies and the many social interventions his government has implemented. He stressed that the endorsement was not based on personal interest but on the desire to see Kasama develop.
“We cannot support what we do not know. This decision is from my heart,” Mr. Kangwa said, adding that the UPND should continue promoting peace, humility, and unity, which he said the party has consistently demonstrated.
Musowa Ward PF Councillor Joseph Chitenbo of Lukashya Constituency also endorsed President Hichilema and Mr. Simposya, stating that politics should be about development, not enmity. He noted that government resources have continued to reach communities regardless of political affiliation.
Meanwhile, Mr. Levy Ngoma, the Special Advisor to the President for Political Affairs, said he was delighted after learning that some civic leaders have appreciated what President Hakainde Hichilema is doing.
Mr. Ngoma described the development as remarkable, noting that civic leaders in Kasama are supporting key government policies, including free education, the enhanced CDF allocation of K40 million per constituency, mine revival, construction of schools and health centres, provision of safe and clean drinking water, and the maintenance of peace and order in society.
He thanked the civic leaders for their support and said people are joining the party because of its good policies. He added that anyone who supports the President, even in the future, is welcome, stressing that no one should be demonized.
Other party officials present to receive the endorsements from civic leaders included UPND Vice Chairperson for Elections, Mr. Likando Mufalali, Commerce and Industry Minister Chipoka Mulenga, and other party officials.
The endorsements comes just a day after 12 other civic leaders endorsed President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND mayoral candidate, indicating how the policies of President Hakainde Hichilema are impactful. The Kasama mayoral seat fell vacant following the death of Mayor Theresa Kolala.
SAKWIBA SIKOTA CONDEMNS BLOCKING OF LAWYERS AT DEC OFFICES DURING QUESTIONING OF ARCHBISHOP BANDA
By Nelson Zulu
Lawyer, Sakwiba Sikota has expressed outrage over the blocking of Lawyers from accessing the Drug Enforcement Commission –DEC- premises during the questioning of Archbishop Alick Banda yesterday.
Mr. Sikota says despite the generally peaceful conduct by police, he finds it shameful that some Lawyers were denied entry.
He has questioned the legal basis for police officers to choose which Lawyers can be present during questioning, citing concerns about respect for the rule of law.
Mr. Sikota adds that such discretion undermines constitutional guarantees, overshadowing any positive aspects of the police operation and has called on authorities to respect constitutional rights, ensuring law enforcement actions remain lawful, fair, and credible.
Yesterday, Mr. Sikota, Makebi Zulu, and opposition Socialist Party Leader Fred M’membe were among the Lawyers blocked from entering the DEC premises during the questioning of Archbishop Banda.
I’LL ONLY STEP DOWN WHEN WE HOLD A CONVENTION – LUBINDA
GIVEN Lubinda says he will only step down from his position as PF faction Acting President when the party holds a convention, as stipulated in the PF constitution.
And Lubinda says he is very confident that the court will rule in favour of the party and give back PF to its legitimate owners.
Speaking when he featured on Diamond TV, Sunday, Lubinda said contrary to claims by some PF members, there is no provision in the party constitution which says that an incumbent president must resign if he is re-contesting the position.
“People are saying I must declare interest and therefore do what if I declare interest? Because I already declared interest when I paid the K200, 000 expression of interest. That was declaration of interest. If you can kindly ask those people to give you an example of any political party whose president steps aside because they are re-contesting their position.
The constitution of the Patriotic Front says that the president of the party shall declare themselves dissolved at the national council. The party president actually opens the convention and dissolves himself and hands over to the national chairman so there’s no provision in the constitution that calls for the incumbent president to resign.
I was appointed vice-president by Edgar Chagwa Lungu before his demise. I was appointed in September 2021, just after he handed over instruments of power to President Hakainde; that is when he appointed me vice-president so there’s no dispute about that, that’s very clear,” Lubinda explained.
“It didn’t have to be through a central committee, you’ve just read what it [constitution] says and nowhere in here does it say that the president will appoint a vice-president subject to ratification of the central committee, nowhere, whoever tables that argument is being trivial and being mischievous and economical with the truth.
You have read, there is Article 54, it states [that] upon the demise of the incumbent president, the vice-president assumes the functions of president. So there’s nothing about me usurping any power from any office, it is the constitution of the Patriotic Front.
I’m glad that you are asking these questions because this answers the malice that is being spread around. There is no political party in Zambia or anywhere else which has a provision that the president must resign before the next election”.
Asked whether PF should be considered dead if the upcoming rulings do not go in favour of the party, Lubinda said he was confident that the party would be retained but that the party would use another avenue to prepare for the general elections if the judgement is ruled against them.
“We are very hopeful that the court judgments will go in our favour, we are quite confident and our confidence emanates from the fact that we listened to the arguments in both cases. We listened to the arguments in the main case that was heard here in Lusaka by the high court of Lusaka, where honourable Stephen Kampyongo stood and gave testimony on behalf of the eight members of parliament.
We also listened to the defence that was adduced by one Ng’ona and based on that, we think that in that particular case, the likelihood is that the matter will be judged in our favour.
We also read the submissions in the ex-parte that was granted to Ng’ona and Chabinga in the Kabwe case and in that case too, we are confident that the court will pass ruling in our favour and because of that, we are confident that we’ll get back the Patriotic Front come 9th and 12th of January,” he noted.
“However, in the most unlikely event that the judgment and the ruling go against us, then we’ll have to say goodbye, we’ll have to use another avenue to prepare ourselves for the general elections. Because like you and many citizens have been worrying, we cannot continue to wait, time is not with us anymore.
We can’t continue to wait for the PF to be given back to us. If in this last ditch hope, it doesn’t come our way, then certainly, we have to find another vehicle to use. I’ve said this many times to various journalists and various media houses that the Patriotic Front is not necessarily the paper that President Hakainde has denied us of possession, the Patriotic Front are the members of the party”.
Lubinda highlighted that despite government’s efforts to “destroy the PF”, the party is still standing strong and the structures are still intact.
“Are decisions of the party being followed by the members, if yes, then it means that we have the locus. Are we recognised in Parliament, if no, that doesn’t matter to us because we know that the institutions of governance are the ones that are in the forefront of ensuring that they create problems in the Patriotic Front.
Fortunately for us, after five long years of treachery exerted on us by this executive, we still stand strong, our structures are still intact and members are already campaigning to lead the party. No one would have been campaigning to lead this party had this party been as fragmented as President Hakainde would have wanted it to be. I agree entirely that time now has become of the essence, time is now an imperative and we have to make sure that we push ourselves to holding an elective convention as soon as possible to identify our flag carrier and to renew the mandate of the central committee of the party,” said Lubinda.
“It is our prayer that these two matters that [are] before court are not going to be adjourned unnecessarily. We are hoping that this time, they’ll bring this to finality, that there’ll be closure to this matter. But like I said, time does not allow us to continue to wait so in the event that we don’t get what we are hoping we can get, as I said before, members of the party will have to decide on what other umbrella they can use to prepare for them to redeem the Zambian people.
Because there cannot be any redemption of the Zambian people if the Patriotic Front continues to wallow in this question of whether they are going to get back legality or not”.
🇿🇲 EDITORIAL | August Alibi Coming for the Opposition
Zambian elections are not lost in August. They are lost months earlier, quietly, procedurally, and often invisibly. What happens in August is usually just the announcement of decisions already baked into structure, numbers, and organisation. This is the danger the opposition is walking into.
Right now, the opposition is not behaving like a formation preparing to win power. It is behaving like one preparing an excuse. The pattern is familiar. Emotional convergence around a single grievance. Media saturation. Moral absolutism. And the gradual neglect of the mechanics that actually decide elections. When the results come, the cry will be rigging. But rigging thrives where preparation collapses.
UPND understands this terrain because it survived it. For two decades, it lived in opposition, losing repeatedly but learning relentlessly. It learned how ECZ works. How delimitation reshapes arithmetic. How turnout matters more than outrage. How ground organisation beats press statements. Today, this institutional memory is its sharpest weapon.
While the opposition is concentrated on symbolic battles, ECZ is executing its mandate. Constituency numbers are shifting under the amended legal framework. Voter registers are being updated. Administrative boundaries are being locked in. These are not political debates. They are technical processes. Ignore them now, and you will only discover their impact when it is irreversible.
At the same time, UPND is doing what winning parties do in election years. It is redeploying political capital to strategic regions. Northern Province is not trending online, but it is being worked. Kasama is not loud, but it is active. Presidential political operatives are embedded. Structures are being rebuilt ward by ward. PF’s organisational decay there is no longer theoretical. It is visible.
The opposition, by contrast, is centralising its energy around confrontation rather than construction. It is mistaking mobilisation for organisation. It is confusing sympathy with votes. It is turning legal processes into political theatres while neglecting agent recruitment, coalition discipline, fundraising coherence, and constituency-level messaging.
This is how elections are lost.
When August arrives, the opposition will say the system was unfair. That institutions were captured. That democracy was compromised. Some of that may even be partially true. But it will ring hollow because the warning signs were visible months earlier. A distracted opposition is an unprotected opposition. And an unprotected opposition always meets a prepared incumbent.
Politics is not a sermon. It is arithmetic. It is logistics. It is timing. It is attention. Right now, the opposition is spending its attention on the wrong battlefield. UPND is not forcing this mistake. It is benefiting from it.
If this trajectory continues, August will not be a shock. It will be a script. The opposition will lose, then litigate narratives instead of votes. Rigging will become the explanation for failures that were organisational, not electoral.
There is still time. But time in politics is unforgiving. Those who waste it preparing excuses rarely win power.
UPND COMMENDS CATHOLIC CHURCH FOR AVOIDING POLITICISATION OF DEC PROCESS
The United Party for National Development (UPND) has commended the Catholic Church for declining to associate itself with opposition political leaders who attempted to politicise the appearance of Lusaka Archdiocese Archbishop Alick Banda before the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC).
UPND Media Director Mark Simuuwe said the Church’s decision to remain non-partisan during the matter demonstrated maturity, responsibility and respect for the rule of law.
Archbishop Banda appeared this morning before the DEC, where he was formally warned and cautioned in connection with investigations into the alleged unlawful possession of a Toyota Hilux motor vehicle believed to be state property.
Speaking on Millennium TV, Pulse television program, Mr. Simuuwe said the UPND enjoys cordial and longstanding relations with the Catholic Church, noting that many of its members, including senior government officials, are practising Catholics.
He stressed that the party values its continued cooperation with the Church and will keep working together in delivering development and promoting national unity across the country.
Mr. Simuuwe reiterated that investigations by law enforcement agencies must not be politicised in the manner some politicians and stakeholders attempted to do by turning the matter into a public spectacle.
He said there was nothing sinister in the decision by the DEC to summon Archbishop Banda, even though the motor vehicle in question had been seized over two years ago.
“The law does not prescribe a time limit within which a suspect must be investigated before being summoned,” Mr. Simuuwe said.
He explained that the fact that two individuals have already been convicted and jailed in connection with the same motor vehicle was sufficient basis for the DEC to also summon the end user of the vehicle to explain how he came into possession of state property.
Mr. Simuuwe likened the matter to a criminal suspect who may evade arrest for many years but is still subject to the law once apprehended, stating that Archbishop Banda was not an exception.
He said it was wrong for some individuals to drag the name of the Catholic Church into an issue that involves an individual, emphasising that Archbishop Banda, like all citizens, falls under the Constitution and is not immune from the law.
Mr. Simuuwe further cautioned against portraying the matter as politically motivated simply because the Archbishop has previously taken positions on political issues.
He said the Church should instead take a leading role in confronting wrongdoing and promoting accountability, adding that it would be unjust for the law to punish those already convicted while sparing the end recipient of the vehicle.
The UPND Media Director also commended Catholic youths for refusing to turn up in solidarity during the DEC process, describing their decision as a demonstration of respect for the rule of law and national values.
He reaffirmed the party’s position that in Zambia, no one is above the law and that law enforcement agencies must be allowed to carry out their duties without interference.
🇿🇲 FLASH NEWS | Hichilema’s Public View Deflates Opposition Evacuation Claims
President Hakainde Hichilema stepped into public view on Monday, making an unscheduled stop at the Daniel Munkombwe Toll Plaza in Choma, a move that appeared aimed at shutting down online speculation about his health.
In a brief message posted on his Facebook page, the President said he had stopped “to say hi to our fellow citizens,” sharing images from the toll plaza as he greeted workers and members of the public.
The appearance followed a day of heightened social media chatter claiming that the Head of State had fallen ill and been evacuated to South Africa for medical attention. The rumours gained traction after political analyst Dr. Sishuwa Sishuwa challenged government to “confirm reports that President Hichilema is unwell.”
Government moved quickly to deny the claims. Information and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana dismissed the reports in blunt terms, replying “nonsense” to the allegations on X.
Kawana later reiterated that there was no truth to suggestions the President had been flown out of the country.
Dr. Sishuwa, while acknowledging that illness is a normal human occurrence, argued that “Zambians deserve to know the condition of their President,” a position that has often surfaced in past debates over transparency around leaders’ health in the region.
Adding to the official pushback, a State House aide in Choma downplayed the rumours with a touch of humour, saying, “The Boss is alive and even watching social drama.”
By late afternoon, the President’s public stop in Choma had effectively punctured the narrative that had dominated online spaces earlier in the day.
The images, being widely shared, have left little room for speculation.
For now, the opposition claims appear to have fallen flat, overtaken by visuals of a President on the road, engaging casually with citizens, and a government keen to stamp out what it describes as baseless misinformation.
ANALYST URGES GOVERNMENT TO CONDEMN U.S. ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE FOREIGN LEADER
INTERNATIONAL Relations Analyst Ambassador Anthony Mukwita has called on the Government to condemn a recent United States attempt to capture a foreign head of state, labeling the action a clear violation of international law.
Ambassador Mukwita warns that failing to denounce such an act sets a dangerous precedent, paving the way for it to be repeated elsewhere.
He argues that the United States is contravening the very laws it helped establish and must be reminded that the global order is governed by rules.
The analyst further notes that this action not only targets the Venezuelan president and his family but also inflicts fear and uncertainty upon the nation’s entire citizenry.
WATCH: I am a lawyer, cries Dr. Fred M’membe after police officers stop him from crossing to DEC with Archbishop Alick Banda, for questioning over a Toyota Hilux allegedly illegally obtained from ZRA by the Archbishop.
FRED M’MEMBE, THE MOST EDUCATED POLITICIAN IN ZAMBIA ..I’m A Lawyer, Are You? Tells OFF Those Mocking Him Following An Incidence At DEC
Dr. Fred M’membe is so far the most educated politician in Zambia and most decorated Journalist.
About Dr M’membe
Dr M’membe is a revolutionary, journalist, accountant, lawyer, economist, and advocate of the High Court and Supreme Court of Zambia.
He holds a Doctorate in business administration (DBA), Binary University of Management and Entrepreneurship in collaboration with the University of Zambia; Master of Arts in Economic Policy Management (M.A. EPM), University of Zambia; Master of Laws (LLM–Taxation), University of Lusaka; Graduate of the Poynter Institute, St Pittsburgh, Florida dedicated to teaching and inspiring journalists and media leaders, and stands for a journalism that informs citizens and enlightens public discourse; Bachelor of Laws (LLB), University of Zambia; and Bachelor of Accountancy, University of Zambia.
Dr M’membe is the Founder and former managing director and editor-in-chief, Post Newspapers Limited; Worked as Financial accountant, Zambia State Insurance Corporation, and as Audit senior, KPMG.
He is a recipient of the following awards: International Press Institute World Press Hero Award, “in recognition of courage and dedication to the principles of opinion and expression”, 2000. United States National Association of Black Journalists Percy Qoboza Foreign Journalist Award, 1999. The Commonwealth Press Union Astor Award, 1996. South African Union of Journalists Pringle Medal Award, 1996.
International Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), “in recognition of his commitment to the defence of press freedom in Zambia and throughout the world”, 1995. International Editor of the Year Award, World Press Review, “for enterprise courage and leadership in advancing press freedom, enhancing human rights, and fostering excellence in journalism”, 1995. Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Award, “in recognition of dedication and commitment to advancing the cause of a free and independent press in Southern Africa”, 1995.
Dr M’membe is a member of the following professional bodies:
The only non-British member of the British Society of Editors. Member of the International Press Institute. Member of the World Association of Newspapers and Editors Forum (WAN-IFRA). Member of the African Media Initiative and African Media Leadership Forum.
Member of the South African Communication Association. Member of the International Bar Association. Member of the International Bar Association’s taxes committee. Member of the Commonwealth Lawyers Bar Association. Member of the SADC Lawyers Association.
His research interests include: Media regulation and accountability, media, ethics, entrepreneurship, marketing research, business ethics, project planning appraisal and control, communication strategies, economic policy management, economic growth and development, dimensions of poverty, information communication technologies, and business growth and development.
Beloved shepherds of the Church, leaders of political parties, and fellow Zambians of goodwill,
I write not as a partisan, nor as a contender for office, but as an elder of this Republic—one who has served, watched, erred, learned, and prayed through many seasons of our national life. Age does not confer wisdom automatically, but it does impose a duty: to speak when silence becomes dangerous, and to speak gently when anger tempts us to destroy what we seek to save.
I write because I sense, across our land, a troubling stillness. Not the stillness of peace, but the stillness of exhaustion. The Scriptures name it well: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12). Our people are not indifferent. They are weary.
To the Church: When the Shepherds Are Divided
The Church in Zambia has long been the nation’s conscience. In moments of darkness, she has spoken when others feared; she has restrained when others inflamed. Yet today, I say this with sorrow, the Church herself appears divided in voice, hesitant in posture, and uneven in moral clarity.
Our Lord reminds us that “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand” (Mark 3:25). When some pulpits comfort power while others challenge it, the flock becomes confused. When unity is sacrificed for proximity, prophecy grows faint.
An African proverb teaches us: “When the drumbeat is confused, the dancers lose rhythm.” The nation is stumbling, not because there is no drum, but because the beat is no longer clear.
The Church must not choose political leaders—but she must choose truth over convenience, unity over tribal comfort, and moral courage over strategic silence. Neutrality in a time of constitutional injury is not peace; it is abandonment.
To Opposition Leaders: When Fragmentation Becomes a Moral Failure
I address opposition leaders with respect, but also with firmness born of experience. Political plurality is a democratic virtue. But fragmentation in the face of systemic capture is no longer virtue—it is negligence.
The Preacher teaches us: “Two are better than one… for if they fall, one will lift up his companion” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10). Yet today, many walk alone, each guarding ambition, while the people fall between them.
Let us speak plainly: when opposition leaders refuse to subordinate personal ambition for a single national purpose, they do not merely lose elections—they forfeit moral authority. History does not remember how many candidates contested; it remembers whether leaders rose above themselves when the nation required restraint.
Our elders warned us: “If you want to cross a river full of crocodiles, you do not argue about who enters first.” You cross together—or you are all eaten.
Unity at this moment does not mean love, nor ideological harmony. It means discipline. It means agreeing that the Constitution, once broken, cannot protect anyone—not even tomorrow’s victor.
To the Church and Political Leaders Together: On Power, Money, and Conscience
What we have witnessed recently is not the failure of public mobilization. The people spoke. The Church spoke. Civil society spoke. What prevailed was the power of money over conscience, coercion over persuasion, inducement over principle.
Scripture warns us with brutal clarity: “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). When money buys silence, loyalty, or votes, it corrodes not only politics but the soul of a nation.
Those who resisted bribery and violence did not lose. They kept their moral inheritance. And nations, like families, survive not on wealth alone but on what they refuse to sell.
To Concerned Zambians: On Silence, Fear, and Responsibility
My fellow citizens, your silence today must not be mistaken for defeat. Silence can be fear—but it can also be discernment. “There is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7).
Yet silence must not become surrender.
The struggle ahead will not be won by rage or reckless protest. It will be won by endurance, by lawful civic responsibility, by economic discipline, by truth spoken calmly and repeatedly. No regime fears insults. But every unjust system fears a people who withdraw consent quietly and persistently.
An African proverb reminds us: “The fire that burns the hut begins as unnoticed embers.” Change need not shout to be unstoppable.
A Final Appeal
To the Church: recover one moral voice. To opposition leaders: embrace restraint before history shames you. To citizens: do not trade dignity for despair.
The Psalmist prayed, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). We are numbering our national days now—not to end them, but to save them.
May we yet be remembered as a generation that bent, but did not break; that suffered loss, but refused to surrender conscience; that chose unity over ego, and truth over comfort.
I speak as one who has walked this road long enough to know: power passes, money evaporates, but moral failure leaves a long shadow.
May God grant us courage without hatred, unity without idolatry, and hope disciplined by wisdom.
Yours in faith, conscience, and country, A concerned elder of the Republic
The article published by Koswe, a known gutter media outlet, entitled “HOW DO I OFFER SOLIDARITY TO SOMEONE WHO CAN’T DEFEND HIMSELF – KALABA” is a complete fabrication, concocted and circulated by individuals whose fingerprints are well known within the corridors of power.
This falsehood is not journalism; it is propaganda. It represents the desperate aspirations of liars who currently preside over the affairs of this country—individuals who have perfected the art of deception, character assassination, and the manipulation of public discourse to silence dissenting voices. When truth becomes inconvenient, they manufacture lies. When moral authority confronts them, they resort to smears.
President Harry Kalaba has never uttered such words, nor does he hold such a position. The attempt to portray him as indifferent or mocking in the face of injustice meted out against a respected Archbishop is not only dishonest but deeply malicious. It is part of a wider scheme to confuse the public, fracture national unity, and intimidate institutions that speak for the voiceless.
For the avoidance of doubt, President Kalaba personally reached out to the Archbishop to convey his solidarity and to assure him of the CF’s unwavering support. While President Kalaba was out of the country at the time, the CF leadership, its membership, and the wider opposition family under the MCC stood firmly in solidarity with the Archbishop, the Catholic Church, and the body of Christ as a whole.
No amount of manufactured lies will erase the truth. The church will not be silenced. The people will not be deceived forever. And history will record who stood for justice and who chose the gutter path of falsehood.
PUBLIC ANGER AGAINST UPND CLEAR – KABIMBA … but there is no opposition with a message to whip it up
Economic Front (EF) leader Wynter Kabimba says there is clear public discontent against the UPND administration but no clear opposition to mobilise it.
And Kabimba said the people might see a UPND post 2026 which may run in the direction of consolidating itself in power and destroying all the democratic credentials achieved so far since 1991, if the opposition did not mobilise themselves.
In an interview with Daily Revelation yesterday, Kabimba said there was clear public discontent against the UPND. https://dailyrevelationzambia.com/public-anger-against-upnd-clear-kabimba-but-there-is-no-opposition-with-a-message-to-whip-it-up/
President Mutharika Reshuffles Cabinet, Abolishes Minister of State Position
His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi, has announced a significant cabinet reshuffle, effective immediately, in exercise of powers conferred under Section 92 (1) of the Constitution.
The reshuffle sees the abolition of the Minister of State position, previously held in the administration formed after the September 2025 elections.
This move aligns with efforts to streamline government operations and reduce overheads amid ongoing economic challenges.
Key highlights of the new cabinet structure include a mix of retained portfolios and new deputy minister appointments to enhance operational efficiency in critical sectors.
Full List of Appointments: 1. President and Commander In-Chief of the Malawi Defence Force and Malawi Police Services, His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika
2. First Vice President, Right Honourable Dr. Jane Ansah, SC, JA Rtd.
3. Second Vice President, Right Honourable Enoch Kamzingeni Chihana
4. Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Decentralization, Honourable Joseph Mwanamvekha, MP
5. Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Honourable Roza Fachi Mbilizi, MP
6. Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Honourable Bright Msaka, SC
7. Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs , Honourable Charles Mhango
8. Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Honourable George T. Chaponda, MP
9. Minister of Health and Sanitation, Honourable Madalitso Baloyi, MP
10. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Honourable Ben Malunga Phiri, MP
11. Minister of Industrialisation, Business, Trade and Tourism, Honourable George Patridge
12. Minister of Transport and Public Works, Honourable Jappie Mhango, MP
13. Minister of Homeland Security, Honourable Peter Mukhito
14. Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Honourable Mary Navicha, MP
15. Minister of Energy and Mining, Honourable Jean Mathanga, MP
16. Minister of Natural Resources, Honourable Alfred Gangata, MP
17. Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Honourable Chimwemwe Chipungu, MP
18. Minister of Labour, Skills and Innovation, Honourable Joel Chigona, MP
19. Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Honourable Patricia Wiskes, MP
20. Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Honourable Shadrick Namalomba, MP
21. Minister of Defence, Honourable Feston Kaupa, MP
22. Deputy Minister of Homeland Security (Operations), Honourable Norman Chisale, MP
23. Deputy Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare Honourable Martha Ngwira, MP
24. Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Technology Honourable Francis Foley, MP
25. Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Honourable Thoko Tembo, MP
26. Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Honourable Chipiliro Mpinganjira
27. Deputy Minister of Industrialisation, Business, Trade and Tourism, Honourable Edgar Tembo
28. Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation, Honourable Charles Chilambula, MP
The press release, signed by Chief Secretary to the Government Justin Adack K. Saidi, PhD., emphasizes that these changes take immediate effect.
Political analysts view the reshuffle as a strategic effort to inject fresh momentum into the administration barely three months after President Mutharika’s inauguration following his landslide victory in the September 2025 elections.
The inclusion of several deputy ministers is seen as a step toward decentralizing decision-making and improving service delivery in key areas like agriculture, health, and education—sectors vital to Malawi’s recovery from recent economic and climatic shocks.
The abolition of the Minister of State role is particularly noted as a cost-saving measure, responding to public calls for fiscal prudence.
Malawians have welcomed the announcements with cautious optimism, hoping the new team will accelerate progress on pressing issues such as food security, foreign exchange shortages, and infrastructure development.
Starlink shut down in Uganda as internet access tightens ahead of crucial presidential elections
Uganda has effectively lost access to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service just days before the January 15 general elections, after the company implemented a service restriction in response to regulatory pressure.
On January 1, 2026, Starlink activated a “service restriction tool,” eliminating all satellite internet connections within Uganda following a directive from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).
The regulator says Starlink is operating without a valid licence to provide telecommunications services in the country.
The blackout comes against a backdrop of political strain. Opposition leader and presidential candidate Bobi Wine has publicly appealed to Elon Musk to restore connectivity, arguing that unrestricted internet access is critical for transparency as Ugandans head to the polls.
The shutdown follows earlier government actions restricting the importation of Starlink equipment, which now requires written approval from military leadership, specifically from General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Commander of Uganda’s Defence Forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni.
Critics saw the December 2025 import rule as part of broader efforts to control communication channels ahead of elections.
Starlink says it has complied with regulatory requirements and stresses that it has neither marketed nor sold terminals in Uganda. It attributed previous usage to terminals brought in from neighbouring countries where the service is authorised and noted it is working with authorities on formal licensing.
In the wake of the outage, some opposition figures have urged citizens to adopt alternative tools such as decentralized messaging apps that can operate without internet access, although such technologies offer limited reach compared with full broadband connectivity.
President Museveni has hinted that Uganda could consider licensing Starlink formally if the technology can demonstrably reduce internet costs, though details remain vague as the election nears.
