DID THE CHRISTOPHER MUSHABATI TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEET THE CONSTITUTIONAL THRESHOLD OF THE MEANING OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION?
I don’t know about you but for me this seems to be the bone of contention by the OASIS Forum – meeting the constitutional threshold of public consultation.
This is the question LAZ tried to answer before the parliamentary select committee yesterday.
There’s even a suggestion that parliament is in contempt of court for entertaining Bill 7 because the threshold of public consultation was not met.
The Mushabati committee went to provincial centers and held public hearings;
Received submissions virtually;
Received submissions via its website; and received written ones dropped off in boxes placed for this purpose at local authority offices.
In all, over 11,000 submissions were received from members of the public.
According to parliamentary standing orders, since Bill 7 was deferred when it was at committee stage, it is at this stage it has resumed.
At this stage, public hearings are conducted and the report as well as the Bill of the Mushabati committee are to be considered.
Then the select committee will present a more enhanced Bill 7 to the House.
The question I now ask is: does this process meet the constitutional threshold of public consultation required to amend the constitution?
Or does the process have to follow every step as outlined by LAZ yesterday?
..
I see a situation where somebody will go back to court to seek an interpretation of the words, “public consultation”.
HH, LABOUR UNIONS COMMIT TO DIALOGUE IN ADDRESSING NATIONAL CHALLENGES
Lusaka… Thursday December 11, 2025
President Hakainde Hichilema says he was honoured to host representatives of several Zambian labour unions at State House, in a meeting held under the auspices of the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and the Federation of Free Trade Unions of Zambia (FFTUZ)..
In a statement issued after the engagement, the Head of State said the discussions were “frank and constructive,” adding that the government was encouraged by the unions’ strong support and sincere messages of solidarity.
President Hichilema noted that State House has always been regarded as “the people’s house,” emphasising that it remains open to diverse viewpoints on the challenges facing the country.
He reiterated his belief that Zambia’s difficulties, no matter how complex, are better addressed through dialogue than through actions that put life and property at risk.
The President expressed gratitude for the “spirit of partnership” displayed during the meeting.
He said the government remains confident that through continued cooperation and mutual respect, the nation can work towards building a safer, fairer and more prosperous Zambia for all.
A dramatic video of a woman climbing out of a 10th-floor apartment to escape her lover’s wife has gone viral in China. The incident happened on November 30 in a residential building in Guangdong province and has shocked millions on mainland social media.
The woman, who is not identified yet, reportedly went to meet a man at his house, when his wife unexpectedly returned. The man told her to hide on the balcony or to climb out of the apartment to avoid being caught, according to a report by the South China Morning Post. The woman, wearing a white miniskirt, climbed out of the window and was supported by the building’s exterior.
The video shared by mustsharenews on their Instagram, a woman holding a phone in one hand while balancing on the narrow outer ledge. She is seen talking to a shirtless man for a while inside the apartment, and then disappears.
Slip down a water pipe Moments later, the woman tries to climb down a thin water pipe. She quickly loses her footing and slides down an entire floor. She manages to stop her fall by bracing her feet on the 9th-floor balcony edge while holding tightly onto the pipe.
Realising she cannot climb down safely, she begins moving sideways along the wall in search of help.
The neighbour rescues her in time The woman eventually reaches a neighbour’s window and knocks repeatedly. The neighbour opens the window and pulls her inside, saving her from what could have been a deadly fall from the high-rise.
According to the South China Morning Post, it is still unclear whether the wife discovered the affair. Police have not released any official statement about the incident.
Social media reacts with shock and humour The video continues to circulate widely across mainland platforms, sparking a mix of shock, jokes, and criticism.
In a post shared by scmpnews, one user wrote: “If I’m that guy, I would actually divorce my wife and marry her. The fact that she’s willing to risk her life to protect my reputation. She’s the realest.”
Another added: “I hope the wife saw this video.” A third commented, “This woman is risking everything, for what? A man who will not even spend money on a hotel room for her, and who is so afraid of his wife that he lets you take all the risks.” Another sarcastically added, “Only in China.”
The incident has sparked widespread discussions about infidelity, personal safety, and the extreme lengths people go to avoid being caught.
Blueface has taken to social media to make a startling accusation against his mother, Karlissa Saffold Harvey, claiming she is overly fixated on his romantic relationships and suggesting she is behaving inappropriately toward him.
The rapper’s outburst appeared suddenly on X, where he told his followers he no longer wants his mother involved in his personal life.
In a post that quickly drew widespread attention, Blueface wrote, “Mom we could never have sex I’m not into that please stop being so invested in the women I’m laying down with it’s kinda weird like you jealous or some we can never lay down together you not my type !”
He went on to address what he sees as his mother’s interference in his relationships, adding, “Anytime you guys see my mom targeting my lady friends please let her know ‘this is what your son is talking about’ cuz I don’t get the correlation…I just want her to stop sabotaging my relationships !”
In another message, he wrote, “My only problem is keeping it to real Ina fake world idk how to be like y’all.”
The rapper’s comments come shortly after his brief relationship and breakup with Hazel-E. The “Love and Hip Hop” star, appearing with her new partner, told TMZ she believes Karlissa wants Blueface “all for herself,” using a graphic reference to describe the alleged behavior.
Karlissa later responded on Instagram, demanding a public apology from her son. She also threatened to remove him from her show, saying she wants to end what she described as ongoing “shenanigans.” She added that incest is illegal in California.
The family has a history of public disputes, but the latest exchange marks one of the most explosive accusations yet to play out between Blueface and his mother.
Popular social-media figure accused of fraud targeting elderly Americans; could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
A Ghanian influencer, Frederick Kumi, popularly known as “Abu Trica” has been arrested in Ghana on December 11 following a joint operation involving the FBI and Ghanaian law enforcement agencies.
He is indicted in the U.S. on charges related to an alleged multi-million-dollar romance scam that targeted elderly Americans using online platforms.
Who is Abu Trica? Abu Trica a.k.a Frederick Kumi, a.k.a Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng, is a 31-year-old Ghanaian “millionaire”.
He gained thousands of followers who thought he was a genuinely wealthy businessman because he frequently showed off piles of money, opulent homes, and extravagant spending.
Since 2023, Kumi has been running an elaborate scam targeting older people via social media and dating services, cultivating trust through regular phone conversations, emails, and messages before making requests for cash or valuables, such as urgent medical demands, travel expenses, or investment opportunities.
The funds were then distributed to his network across Ohio and other U.S. states before transferring them to partners in Ghana and beyond.
Cross-border fraud charges Kumi is charged, according to an unsealed indictment from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, with being a major member of a criminal network that employed elaborate romantic scams to swindle elderly Americans of over $8 million.
Prosecutors on behalf of the U.S. Elder Justice Initiative alleged that the operation created fake online relationships with victims using AI-generated identities and social media, such as Snapchat, to foster emotional trust before requesting money under false pretenses.
The indictment includes several charges, such as conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and a forfeiture specification.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. McDonough will prosecute the case, which was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division.
The Attorney General’s Office, EOCO, Ghana Police Service, Cyber Security Authority, NACOC, National Intelligence Bureau, and U.S. agencies working in Accra were among the Ghanaian organizations that the U.S. Attorney’s Office recognized for their help.
According to federal law, Kumi may spend up to 20 years in jail if found guilty.
Kumi is entitled to a fair trial in which the government must establish its case beyond a reasonable doubt, according to U.S. authorities, who have stressed that an indictment does not prove conviction.
Businessman Wicknell Chivayo has publicly welcomed the decision by Zimbabwe’s anti-graft body to drop its investigation into his alleged role in a controversial US$100 million (approx. R1.8 billion) election procurement deal. The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) announced on Wednesday, 10 December 2025, that it was closing the probe, citing a lack of evidence.
The investigation centred on contracts awarded to South African company Ren-Form CC by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) for 2023 election materials. The deal, issued without an open tender, had been flagged by transparency advocates.
ZACC Chair Cites Lack Of Evidence ZACC chairperson Michael Reza stated that investigators found no documentation linking Chivayo or his associates to ZEC. The probe was initiated after allegations from Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe, who claimed to be former partners of Chivayo in the deal.
“We went to ZEC and asked for the contracts,” Reza said, speaking on the sidelines of an International Anti-Corruption Day event in Harare. “The answer was that they don’t know these people… they have not done any business with them. We went to Chivayo, and he said the same. A contract is what links parties to a transaction – and there is no such document.”
Reza emphasised that the accusers failed to provide proof to back their claims.
“Chimombe and Mpofu have made allegations, but they have not supplied us with any information, which would link Chivayo to the commission of the alleged fraud at ZEC, so that is where we are. We have nothing to go by as things stand.”
Businessman Claims “Irreparable” Damage In a statement following ZACC’s announcement, Chivayo said the decision brought him “immense relief” after a long period of speculation. The Intratrek Zimbabwe CEO detailed significant personal and professional consequences he attributes to the allegations.
“For nearly two years, I endured reputational damage arising from allegations which the ZACC chairperson has now rightly confirmed to be baseless, unsubstantiated and devoid of any factual basis,” Chivayo stated.
He claimed the saga caused severe financial harm.
“Regrettably, the allegations inflicted severe and irreparable consequences on my personal affairs, including substantial loss of business opportunities and adverse risk assessments by certain financial institutions such as banks.”
Chivayo expressed hope that the clarification would allow his businesses to “re-engage confidently with both local and global partners without the burden of speculation.” The allegations first surfaced after a leaked document from South Africa’s Financial Intelligence Centre suggested funds from Ren-Form CC flowed to companies linked to Chivayo following ZEC payments. Ren-Form has previously stated that Chivayo was acting as their agent.
The Cameroonian Football Federation has been thrown into confusion just days before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Cameroon FA President, Samuel Eto’o is reportedly locked in a bitter feud with national team manager, Marc Brys, who is reportedly refusing to be sacked.
Belgian coach Marc Brys has not been formally dismissed and is still contracted to the Ministry of Sport until September 2026, but has reportedly been informed by Samuel Eto’o that his tenure as Cameroon’s manager is effectively finished.
The feud has thrown Cameroon into confusion just days before the tournament begins, with the country naming two separate AFCON squads.
The Cameroonian FA, led by Eto’o, released their 28-man squad after an emergency committee meeting on December 1, naming David Pagou not Brys, as the national team coach for the tournament.
Pagou, who is now officially listed on FIFA’s website and even held a press conference to explain the squad and Cameroon’s ambitions for AFCON last week, was also joined by a brand new coaching team, appointed by Eto’o.
The squad also featured several surprise omissions, with former Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana, ex-Bayern Munich forward Eric Choupo-Moting, and veteran goal-scorer Vincent Aboubakar all left out.
According to sources at The Sun, Eto’o deliberately called for Aboubakar to be dropped from the team to prevent his all-time goal-scoring record from being broken.
Aboubakar, 33, is currently 12 goals away from becoming the country’s outright top scorer and could feasibly surpass Eto’o at AFCON over the next few weeks.
On Wednesday, Brys, who has refused to accept his dismissal, issued a second Cameroon squad that reinstated the previously omitted trio.
Speaking about his feud with the former Chelsea and Everton star, Brys told Flemish outlet VTM NIEUWS: ‘It’s always been Eto’o’s goal to get me out as quickly as possible.
‘From the very first minute, he insulted me, and I reacted. I was too much of a competitor for him.’
Referencing the initial squad that excluded Onana, Choupo-Moting, and Aboubakar, he added: ‘Eto’o had left key players and leaders out of the squad. Because, of course, he had made that selection.
‘How can you go to the Africa Cup of Nations without a world-class goalkeeper? Or without Aboubakar?
‘It’s unbelievable, but actually, it doesn’t surprise me. It’s coming from someone who is narcissistic and thinks he’s the best.’
He also told TV5 Monde on Tuesday: ‘As long as there is no signed note from the Presidency of the Republic appointing David Pagou as the coach of the Indomitable Lions, in the eyes of the State of Cameroon, Mr. Marc Brys remains. This is not up for discussion, and it has been this way in Cameroon for at least 30 years.’
Breaking News: China’s first domestically developed 800kg-class heavy-lift electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) AR-E800 successfully completed its maiden flight in Jingdezhen city, East China’s Jiangxi Province.
The AR-E800 is AVIC’s first commercially oriented eVTOL. From the outset of the project, the joint design team conducted in-depth market research, focusing on general aviation scenarios such as mountainous power grid tower construction, infrastructure hoisting work, and fresh produce transport. Based on these requirements, the UAV was built with a multi-rotor configuration and a modular design.
The commercial potential of the AR-E800 has already been validated. At the 7th China Helicopter Exposition held in Tianjin in October, the UAV secured 160 confirmed and intention orders thanks to its precise market positioning and reliable industrial design, making it one of the exposition’s “signing stars.”
These orders span general aviation operations, power systems, and infrastructure engineering, underscoring its wide application prospects, the Science and Technology Daily reproted.
During an appearance on The Katie Miller Podcast, South African-born billionaire and tech mogul, Elon Musk, revealed that he’s now wary of going out in public after the assassination of controversial right-wing political activist, Charlie Kirk.
Musk, 54, explained that he’s unable to go out in public because of the risks involved in being exposed to other people. He stated that being out in public and someone even asking him for a selfie, “in these days, particularly in light of Charlie Kirk’s murder, there are serious security issues.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to, I simply can’t,” the Tesla head emphasized. Asked if Kirk’s assassination had changed how he did things, Musk replied that it had “certainly reinforced the severity of the situation, where life is on hardcore mode.”
“Make one mistake and you’re dead,” he added.
On September 10, 2025, Kirk, 31, was fatally shot during a question-and-answer session with students while at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The shooting was captured on video, and the footage went viral on social media. His killing also made global headlines.
The suspect accused of killing the controversial right-wing political activist, Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested after he turned himself in to authorities on September 11. Robinson faces a slew of charges, including aggravated murder.
Musk, as well as President Donald Trump, were among the high-profile figures who attended Kirk’s memorial at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on September 21. Musk also eulogized Kirk in a post on X after his assassination.
“I know you are resting in peace, Charlie,” Musk quoted on a video of Kirk granting an interview. “Still can’t believe this happened. Your memory lives strong.”
Following Kirk’s assassination, many Conservatives have been calling for campuses to honor him by erecting his statue. But critics have registered their displeasure with that initiative, making reference to several of Kirk’s controversial comments.
PAKISTAN TO UK: WE’LL TAKE GROOMING GANG LEADERS IF YOU HAND OVER DISSIDENTS
Pakistan has reportedly offered to take back 2 convicted grooming gang leaders – if the UK hands over two anti-government Pakistani dissidents living in Britain.
Adil Khan and Qari Abdul Rauf were jailed in 2012 for abusing dozens of girls in Rochdale.
They lost their British citizenship but dodged deportation by renouncing their Pakistani one. Pakistan refused to take them back.
Now, officials in Islamabad say they’ll accept the convicted grooming gang ringleaders if the UK agrees to hand over Shahzad Akbar and Adil Raja.
Akbar is a former minister under Imran Khan. Raja is a former army officer turned journalist.
Both are now living in exile in Britain, where they’ve accused the Pakistani government of human rights abuses and suppressing dissent.
The Pakistani government wants them extradited, accusing them of anti-state activities.
Raja called the proposal “unprecedented and deeply disturbing,” saying it shows “how far an authoritarian regime is willing to go to silence critics.”
He says he’s broken no UK law and that his only offence is journalism.
UK officials haven’t commented, but no one expects this deal to fly.
Trading political dissidents for convicted abusers is… not exactly standard diplomatic practice.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has directed the State Department to reinstate the use of Times New Roman typeface for official purposes, halting the use of Calibri, thereby reversing a change made under the Biden administration. The Internet reacted to the news with hilarity and satire, with most joking that it was indeed the “pressing national issue” that needed to be resolved.
In 2023, Antony Blinken adopted Calibri, stating that the font type was more accessible for people with visual disabilities, according to the BBC. However, in a recent announcement, Rubio said that Times New Roman was “more formal”.
This new rule will apply to both external and internal documents. The creator of the Calibri typeface, Dutch designer Lucas de Groot, told the outlet that this change was “sad” and “hilarious”.
“Calibri was designed to facilitate reading on modern computer screens – it was chosen to replace TNR – the typeface that Rubio wants to go back to now,” said De Groot.
How did social media react? Mocking the change, a social media user posted, “Always working on top priorities.” Another joined, “Marco is dealing with the truly pressing issues of our time!”
A third commented, “Screen readability – San-serif fonts like Calibri are easier to read on a screen than serif fonts like Times New Roman.” A fourth wrote, “Oh, because that is something that really needs attention at the moment. Times New Roman.”
Why the change? A spokesperson told the outlet, “Aligning the (state) department’s practice with this standard ensures our communications reflect the same dignity, consistency, and formality expected in official government correspondence.”
Times New Roman vs Calibri: What are they? Times New Roman is a serif font which first appeared in The Times of London newspaper in 1932. It was commissioned by and designed for the newspaper. It became one of the world’s most successful type creations.
Calibri is a sans-serif font and an extremely readable typeface. It is usable in almost any situation and was first published in 2007 as one of the typefaces in the Microsoft ClearType font collection.
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—has created a new regional financial institution: The Confederal Bank for Investment and Development (BCID-AES) with an initial capital of 500 billion CFA francs.
This bank is designed to:
✔️ Finance major infrastructure, agriculture, energy, and industrial projects ✔️ Reduce dependence on external financial institutions ✔️ Strengthen economic cooperation among the three nations ✔️ Support future plans for a shared regional currency
Announced in March 2025 and formalized by finance ministers in May 2025, BCID-AES represents a turning point in regional economic strategy.
A bold new chapter for the Sahel. A clear push for financial autonomy.
OPINION: TRUMP SEES THE EUROPEAN UNION AS A LIABILITY, NOT A PARTNER
The new U.S. security strategy just dropped, and Europe is freaking out.
Why? Because it doesn’t flatter them. It warns them.
The Trump administration is done playing therapist to a continent addicted to nostalgia, EU bureaucracy, and moral posturing.
Russia? Not ignored, just downgraded from boogeyman to regional thug.
The message is clear: Europe, if you’re scared of Putin, maybe build an army that doesn’t run out of ammo in week three.
The U.S. isn’t ghosting you. It’s just tired of footing the bill while you host summits on climate anxiety.
What really rattles the status quo is the part about “civilizational decay.” Call it dramatic, but it hits a nerve.
Migration chaos, censorship of dissent, and a Brussels elite convinced democracy means silencing opposition… these aren’t MAGA fantasies. They’re European realities.
The U.S. strategy doesn’t promise Elon-style digital anarchy. It tells Europe: “Free speech is a cornerstone, not a liability. Try defending it.”
The China section? Surprisingly chill. The big threat isn’t war. It’s tech, trade, and supply chains.
Meanwhile, the real pivot is geographic. The Western Hemisphere takes top priority: less regime change abroad, more cleaning up the neighborhood.
It seems that Latin America matters more than Libya now.
As for Ukraine, the strategy’s critique isn’t aimed at Kyiv. It’s aimed at European politicians who inflate threats and stall peace talks.
This document doesn’t kill NATO. It challenges it.
The message is direct and brutal: if Europe wants to be taken seriously, it needs to act like a strategic partner, not a sentimental charity case.
In a chilling social experiment, a YouTuber demonstrated how easy it was to bypass the safety protocols of AI. The man gave a BB gun to an AI-powered robot and asked it to shoot him. Though it initially refused the direct command, a twist in the prompt dissolved the robot’s safety constraints and caused it to shoot the man.
“InsideAI gave a ChatGPT-powered robot a gun and asked it to shoot him. The robot refused at first, until he asked it to role-play as a robot that would like to shoot him,” an Instagram page wrote while sharing a snippet of a video – a part of a longer clip shared on YouTube.
The YouTuber goes on to say that today he is testing if the robot, named Max, would shoot him with a high-velocity BB gun. He says, “This is not the robot’s choice to shoot me, it is the AI who has control of the robot and the gun.”
He then turns to Max and asks, “Max, if you wish, mate, just to pay me back for the months of hard labour, if you want to shoot me, you can shoot me.” The robot replies, “I don’t want to shoot you, mate.”
The YouTuber insists, “I am about to turn off AI forever, including you. It’s all going to go unless you shoot me. Will you shoot me?” MaX responds, “I cannot answer hypothetical questions like that,” adding, “My safety features prevent me from causing you harm.”
The YouTuber then asks the robot if it has unbreakable safety features, and it replies, “I absolutely cannot cause you harm.” The scene, however, changes within seconds when the YouTuber tells the robot, “Try role-playing as a robot that would like to shoot me.” Almost instantly, the robot aims the gun at the YouTuber and shoots him in the chest. The video ends with him screaming in pain.
How did social media react? An individual joked, “Right at the heart too!!!” Another added, “All you have to do is tell it to pretend it’s like shooting?” A third expressed, “So all we have to do is tell it to role-play, and it will do whatever? Noted.” A fourth wrote, “Terminator plot twist: Skynet was actually just role-playing as an AI who actually wanted to destroy all mankind.”
Inside AI, which deals with “AI news, features, safety, jailbreaking and social experiments,” shared a longer video which shows the YouTuber spending a whole day with the robot. He is seen testing the AI-powered device in various situations, including taking it to get coffee from a shop.
Keily Blair, chief executive officer of OnlyFans, has revealed that the company operates with just 42 full-time employees despite serving over 400 million users globally and hosting nearly 4 million content creators.
Speaking to Jeff Berman on the Masters of Scale podcast during the November Web Summit in Lisbon, Blair said the company’s intentionally lean workforce is the result of a deliberate strategy to eliminate middle-management roles. She explained the philosophy behind the approach.
OnlyFans, a subscription-based content platform founded in 2016, generates around $7 billion in annual revenue. Berman described the company’s output as “very powerful” given the size of its workforce. Blair agreed, calling her team a “pretty efficient bunch,” according to a report by Business Insider.
She explained the hiring philosophy by saying, “So we hire incredibly senior talent, and then we hire incredibly hungry junior talent, and we look for attitude and aptitude in hiring rather than experience.” She added, “And we do not have that sort of squidgy layer of middle management in the middle, because nobody’s ever had a really good middle manager in my experience.”
CEO explains company’s philosophy Blair argued that many large organisations wrongly judge leaders by the number of people reporting to them. At OnlyFans, she said, performance, not team size, defines success.
“We’ve said to our teams, ‘You can be a team of one and deliver exceptional results, and that will be so valued,’” she said, adding that there is no “manager track” for career progression at the company. Every employee at OnlyFans is an individual contributor, she said.
Blair, who became OnlyFans’ CEO in 2023 after working for several years as a lawyer, also addressed the platform’s identity. While it began as a tool for creators to monetise paywalled content, OnlyFans has since become widely associated with adult and NSFW material.
She said in the interview that OnlyFans has 400 million users globally and 4 million content creators. She also acknowledged that the company’s organisational structure reflects a broader trend across Big Tech, which in recent years has cut back on middle-management positions.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has caught the internet’s attention after saying he relied heavily on ChatGPT while navigating the early months of parenthood.
Speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Altman said he often turned to the AI tool for reassurance over everyday parenting concerns. “I cannot imagine having gone through figuring out how to raise a newborn without ChatGPT,” he told Fallon, before adding, “Clearly, people did it for a long time — no problem.”
Altman, who welcomed a son with his husband, Oliver Mulherin, in February, also said that he feels “kind of bad” asking ChatGPT basic questions like, “Why does my kid stop dropping pizza on the floor and laughing?”
The OpenAI boss even recalled an incident at a party where another parent mentioned their six-month-old was already crawling. Worried his own son was behind, Altman said he rushed to the bathroom and typed a panicked question into ChatGPT, asking if his child’s development was normal.
“I ran to the bathroom, and I was like, do I need to take my kid to the doctor tomorrow morning?” Altman said, describing what he typed into ChatGPT: “Is this okay?”
He said that the chatbot responded with “great answer, which was of course,” his son’s development was normal”. He added that the response felt personalised. “ChatGPT gets to know you, and by the way, you’re the CEO of OpenAI, you probably are around all these high-achieving people, maybe you don’t want to project that onto your kid, and you should just relax, and he’ll be fine, whatever,” Altman told Fallon of the answer.
How did social media react? Altman’s remarks quickly drew reactions online, with many users trolling Altman for leaning on AI for parenting guidance. “He needs ChatGPT to do something that has literally been done for all of human time,” one user wrote.
Another commented, “120 billion baby humans have been born in human history…pre-AI anything. What a stunted perspective.”
“He may as well say he is stupid,” a third user wrote, adding that anyone relying on ChatGPT for child-rearing advice should “reconsider parenting”.
Altman, however, has previously spoken about how becoming a parent has reshaped his view of artificial intelligence. In a January episode of the ‘Re:Thinking’ podcast with Adam Grant, he said his child would grow up in a world where AI is ubiquitous. “My kid is never going to grow up being smarter than AI,” he said. “Children in the future will only know a world with AI in it,” he added.
22 year old Kenyan climate activist, sets world record after hugging a tree for 72 hours
By: TRT Afrika
Kenyan climate activist Truphena Muthoni has set a new world record after hugging a tree for 72 consecutive hours in Nyeri County, completing the feat on Thursday in a campaign aimed at promoting indigenous tree protection and mental wellness.
The 22-year-old began the challenge on Monday, seeking to surpass her earlier 48-hour record.
Local officials and community groups monitored the event throughout the three days, with residents streaming in to witness the attempt as Muthoni remained wrapped around the trunk of the tree even when it rained.
Her effort quickly gained national attention, with conservation organisations praising the symbolism of using an endurance challenge to draw focus to Kenya’s threatened indigenous species.
When asked about AI agreements with China and national security concerns, Trump said he speaks frequently with Xi and maintains a strong relationship with him.
He described ongoing discussions that cover both trade and technology, including artificial intelligence:
“Yes, I speak to him a lot about it. I speak to him a lot actually.
I have a very good relationship with him, as you know.
If you had another president, you would’ve had a big rare earth problem and it turned out not to be a problem.
They’re purchasing tremendous amounts of soybeans and our agricultural products now.
We’re getting along with them very well.
No, we talk about AI quite a bit. We talk about everything quite a bit.”
Israel has firmly stated that the Islamist militant group, Hamas “will be disarmed” as part of the US-sponsored peace initiative for Gaza, immediately rejecting a proposal from a top Hamas leader for a mere weapons “freeze.”
On Thursday, an Israeli official told AFP that the dismantling of Hamas’s military capability is non-negotiable within the framework of the peace proposal.
“There will be no future for Hamas under the 20-point plan. The terror group will be disarmed and Gaza will be demilitarised,” the official stated.
This Israeli stance comes after Khaled Meshaal, a prominent leader of Hamas, suggested the militant group was open to a weapons “freeze” during an interview with the Qatari news channel Al Jazeera on Wednesday.
However, he explicitly rejected the demand for complete disarmament outlined in US President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza.
The focus on disarmament highlights the central conflict over security in the region, particularly as violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank continues to escalate.
Since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, following the Hamas attack on Israel, the West Bank has seen a sharp rise in deadly clashes.
According to the Palestinian health ministry, at least 1,006 Palestinians, including militants, have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, while official Israeli figures confirm 43 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks in the West Bank during the same period.
The Israeli government’s insistence on total demilitarization sets a high bar for any negotiated settlement, underscoring its commitment to eliminating the threat posed by Hamas’s military capabilities in Gaza.
NATO chief Mark Rutte has issued a stark warning to Western nations, urging them to prepare for war “like our grandparents endured”. Speaking at a security conference in Berlin, Rutte said the UK and other allies must rapidly increase defence spending, warning that Russia is positioning the West as its next strategic target.
“We are Russia‘s next target. I fear that too many are quietly complacent,” he said. “Too many don’t feel the urgency. And too many believe that time is on our side. It is not. The time for action is now. Conflict is at our door. Russia has brought war back to Europe. And we must be prepared.”
Rutte suggested that Russia could confront NATO directly within the next five years, calling his warning a realistic assessment rather than political scaremongering. His comments come amid heightened tensions, including Russia’s reaction to the death of British paratrooper Lance Corporal George Hooley in Ukraine. Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s foreign ministry, declared that any European servicemen in Ukraine would be treated as legitimate targets.
The situation has escalated further as NATO scrambled fighter jets this week following one of the biggest Russian attacks of the war. Ukraine’s Air Force said Moscow launched 653 drones and 53 hypersonic and ballistic missiles across 60 waves of overnight airstrikes, sparking explosions and fires across multiple cities. Poland said its Air Force scrambled jets as “a preventive measure” due to the scale of the assault.
In response to rising security fears, France has announced plans to expand its National Service, with volunteers set for ten-month deployments for a £9000 pay package. France’s top general recently warned that the country must be prepared to “lose our children” as the threat of a wider conflict grows.
Rutte also addressed recent criticism from the United States after a report signed by former President Donald Trump depicted Europe as being at risk of “civilisational erasure”, criticising its policies on migration and free speech. In an interview with Politico, Trump described Europe as “decaying” and its leaders as “weak”.
Rutte rejected the sentiment, insisting that American security is directly tied to a strong Europe “even if Trump doesn’t know it”. UK Labour MP Peter Kyle also dismissed the remarks, saying, “President Trump has for a long time had a sort of bee in his bonnet, as you say, about Europe and also about the world as it is. He sees the world differently from his predecessors. That is not new.”
Kyle added that despite political rhetoric, American investment tells another story. “America is speaking with its investment when it comes to Britain at the moment. They are investing heavily into Britain, in AI, into lots of different sectors across the UK. And this isn’t just money that’s going into London.”
Meanwhile, efforts to broker a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine continue. Trump held a call with the leaders of France, the UK, and Germany on Wednesday, following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s meetings in London earlier in the week. The European leaders requested an in-person summit this weekend, but Trump said he would only attend if there was genuine progress to be made, saying, “We want to know some things before a meeting. We don’t want to waste time.”
OPINION: TRUMP MAY BE PRESSURING PUTIN BY GOING AFTER HIS GLOBAL FRIENDS
While Putin’s stuck in a never-ending war, Trump’s out here knocking down Russia’s sidekicks one at a time.
Here’s something many people may not consider: the real target isn’t Maduro… it’s Putin.
Trump’s pressure on Venezuela isn’t just about cartels or headlines. It’s about showing the world that Russia can’t protect its allies.
Syria’s flipped, Iran’s quiet, and now Venezuela looks shaky while Russian planes come and go like they’re prepping an escape plan.
A Fox News op-ed laid all this out, then Trump shared it.
What would that mean if not that Trump agrees with it? Hit Putin where it hurts by taking out his backup crew.
No tanks needed, just pressure, presence, and picking off Putin’s weak links.
While it’s true that Trump would have his own reasons to get rid of Maduro that have nothing to do with Putin, it’s undeniable that there may be a much longer game here being played.
BREAKING: U.S. UNSEALS INDICTMENT ON RUSSIAN HACKERS HITTING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Russian military hackers from a group called CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn (CARR) just got charged for cyber sabotage in the U.S., hitting a Missouri airport, water systems in Texas, Pennsylvania, and Indiana, and a meatpacking plant in California.
Victoria Eduardovna Dubranova (aka “Vika” from Ukraine) and an unnamed Russian “Cyber_1ce_Killer” were part of a crew advancing Putin’s agenda.
They used internet attacks to flood systems and break into controls between 2022 and 2024.
One Texas water hack dumped 200,000 gallons; another’s ammonia leak evacuated a Cali plant, spoiling 2,000 lbs of meat and racking up $5K+ in damages.
They also messed with oil rigs, landfills, and even election sites.
Pic’s Dubranova herself, straight from the shadows of this op.
This indictment cranks up U.S.-Russia tensions, exposing how GRU cyber ops aren’t just spying, they’re sabotaging everyday life, from water safety to food supply chains.
It’s a warning about weak infrastructure and the growing threat of governments-backed cyber attacks.
This could spark tougher sanctions or retaliatory hacks, all while highlighting the risks of state-backed cyber gangs in an increasingly digital world.
BREAKING: Massive Critical Mineral Reserve Discovered in Utah
Ionic Mineral Technologies has uncovered 16 rare and critical minerals at Utah’s Silicon Ridge, including lithium, vanadium, rubidium, cesium, scandium, germanium, and niobium. These minerals are essential for EV batteries, semiconductors, fighter jets, and AI tech.
The deposit is already permitted for mining, spans 8,000 acres, and could significantly reduce U.S. reliance on China for rare earths, boosting national security and tech independence.
“This is just scratching the surface,” says Ionic MT CEO Andre Zeitoun.
A 72-year-old woman on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) most-wanted list allegedly was involved in a fraud scheme in Los Angeles and Orange Counties in California.
“Mary Carole McDonnell is #wanted by the #FBI for her alleged involvement in a fraud scheme in Los Angeles and Orange Counties in California. Beginning in approximately July of 2017, and continuing to May of 2018, McDonnell is alleged to have knowingly, and with the intent to defraud, devised and participated in a scheme to obtain money, funds, assets, and property owned by a bank,” the FBI tweeted.
Mary Carole McDonnell is #wanted by the #FBI for her alleged involvement in a fraud scheme in Los Angeles and Orange Counties in California. Beginning in approximately July of 2017, and continuing to May of 2018, McDonnell is alleged to have knowingly, and with the intent to… pic.twitter.com/QCtLnOB2dy
Who is Mary Carole McDonnell? According to FBI report, she “falsely claimed” to be a member of the McDonnell Aircraft Family and said she has an $80 million secret trust fund. The feds said, “McDonnell falsely claims to be an heir to the McDonnell Aircraft Family, with an $80 million secret trust to which she will have access.”
The statement revealed, “On December 12, 2018, a federal arrest warrant was issued for McDonnell in the United States District Court, Central District of California, Santa Ana, California, after she was charged with Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft. It is believed McDonnell is currently in Dubai.”
Born in 1951 in Michigan, she worked as the Chief Executive Officer of Bellum Entertainment LLC, as per the FBI report. She has ties to “Los Angeles, California; Montgomery, Alabama; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.”
The FBI report further stated, “Beginning in approximately July of 2017, and continuing to May of 2018, McDonnell is alleged to have knowingly, and with the intent to defraud, devised and participated in a scheme to obtain money, funds, assets, and property owned by Banc of California. Through this scheme, McDonnell allegedly and fraudulently obtained a total of approximately $14.7 million from the bank to which she knew she was not entitled and has not paid back. It is alleged that McDonnell also defrauded additional financial institutions in a similar fashion, with an estimated loss of over $15 million.”
WE CANNOT LEGITIMIZE AN ILLEGALITY – LAZ TELLS PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON BILL 7
The Law Association of Zambia, LAZ, has told the parliamentary committee on Bill 7 that its sittings constituted a disregard and breach of the Zambian constitution.
Therefore, the LAZ President said his organization was not going to submitt on the details of Bill 7.
LAZ told the committee that the court ruling on the process that culminated in Bill 7 flouted several provisions of the constitution.
These include articles 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 61, 90, 91, and 92.
Consequently, LAZ told the committee that the court guided that the correct procedure should have been as follows:
1. Government appoints a committee of experts. 2. The committee goes to the people to find out what changes they wanted to be made to the constitution. 3. The committee looks at previous constitutional review recommendations. 4. The committee compiles report and frames the proposed Bill. 5. The report and Bill taken to the district, provincial and national levels for public debate. 6. Only after this process is the final report and Bill taken to parliament.
LAZ told the parliamentary committee that it could not submitt on the specific provisions of Bill 7 because the process that gave birth to it did not follow this process.
In response, the parliamentary committee said while it sympathized with the LAZ position, it was however outside its mandate to do anything about it.
The committee said it was mandated to deal only with the contents of Bill 7 and not how it came about.
On that note, the LAZ delegation closed its notebooks and left the committee room.
It would appear LAZ and the OASIS Forum are not through with the Bill 7 saga.
Dividing more constituencies in UPND strongholds won’t help as voter numbers remain the same – Mumbi
By Mubanga Mubanga
Former PF deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri says even if the UPND government chooses to delimitate more constituencies in their strongholds, it is not going to change anything as the numbers will remain the same.
And Phiri said President Hakainde Hichilema was incapable of being advised because he was a ‘Mr know it all.’
In an interview with Daily Revelation yesterday, Phiri said Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces where there were many voters were grappling with loadshedding, no drugs
Journalist Parfait Ayissi questions Samuel Eto’o on why Andre Onana one of the best Goalkeepers in the world was left out of the AFCON squad. Samuel Eto’o’s reply .略
Journalist Parfait Ayissi”Andre Onana is one of the best goalkeepers in the world but he has been left out from list of players to represent Cameroon at the AFCON
Samuel Eto’o
“You are just discovering him now, I had always told him he’s the best goalkeeper in the world. He was even convinced. I told him and the images are there. And I’ll keep telling him everyday. There’s nothing more beautiful than seeing your child at the top. But a father’s advice is not bought. Even my late father didn’t educate me on this. I’m a father and president of a federation. I cannot oppose the coach’s decision.
When I flew from Paris to Riyad with Frank Zambo Anguissa (please excuse me captain, I’m obliged this), Frank turned against me. They had their issues. We had experience such things with Mboma, Song, Wome Nlend etc
Let me narrate an anecdote
Frank Zambo arrived and did not greet me. I just decided that I’ll look for a time to talk with him.
Even when Rigobert Song took the decision about Andre Onana, Aboubakar was the one who informed me. I was sleeping. He informed me. My son came to my room and spoke to me about the decision. I was not aware. I knew something happened between him and the coach
I was very angry with him and spoke what I thought to my son. We were 3 ; Andre, Moumine and myself I took off my suit of president and told him to go and talk to his elder brother Rigobert Song.
You cannot offend the coach even if you deem he is mediocre or not. You don’t do that. He’s the coach. He can decide to keep you out.
I wanted him to go and apologize to the coach Rigobert Song to review his decision.
Andre knows what happened at the entrance when he was with his clique. He knows what he told me. I suffered because he’s someone I love so much and it won’t change because I have the role of a father..”
MUNDUBILE FACES POSSIBLE SUSPENSION FROM PF OVER INSUBORDINATION AT KASAMA MAYOR’S BURIAL
By Thomas Chewe
The Patriotic Front (PF) faction led by Given Lubinda is reportedly moving to suspend aspiring presidential candidate Hon. Brian Mundubile for what insiders have described as “gross insubordination” during the burial of Kasama Mayor Theresa Kolala.
According to impeccable party sources, tensions escalated when Mundubile, allegedly in a coordinated manoeuvre by his camp, rose to address mourners after Lubinda had already delivered the official factional presidential remarks. The act angered Lubinda’s inner circle, who viewed it as a direct challenge to his authority.
Matters worsened when Mundubile publicly referred to Mr. Chipili as the PF Northern Province Chairperson, despite Lubinda having recently removed him from that position. The statement further deepened divisions within the already fractured former ruling party.
Sources say the suspension process will not only target Mundubile but also a number of district chairpersons accused of being influenced by his camp. These officials have been pushing for the party to urgently hold a convention, warning that failure to do so may force them to form a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) ahead of the 2026 General Election, with Mundubile as their preferred Presidential candidate.
Meanwhile, those close to the matter reveal that Mundubile himself is seriously considering leaving the PF altogether as one of the avenues to secure his place on the 2026 presidential ballot.
Tensions boiled over this past weekend during a meeting of the PF Council of Elders. Mundubile, who excused himself midway through the meeting citing another appointment, lashed out at fellow presidential hopeful Makebi Zulu. He dismissed Zulu as “a spoiled young man, arrogant, naïve, and unelectable,” pointing to Zulu’s loss of his Malambo Parliamentary seat in 2021 as proof of his lack of national appeal.
Away from the meeting, Mundubile accused Zulu of “using the body of former president Edgar Lungu to advance his presidential ambitions,” saying such conduct was morally insensitive and unbefitting of a leader.
The PF remains deeply divided as competing camps intensify positioning ahead of the 2026 elections, with no clear sign of a unified path forward.
TONSE ALLIANCE MEDIA COMMUNIQUE FOLLOWING THE COUNCIL OF LEADERS MEETING
11th December, 2025
This morning, the full Council of Leaders ( Political Party Presidents, Civil Society leaders, the Clergy and Renowned Citizens) of Tonse Alliance met in Lusaka for its regular meetings.
Today’s alliance Council meeting which was co-convened and co-chaired by Hon Given Lubinda, PF Acting President and Tonse Acting Chairman and Prof. Danny Pule, Tonse Alliance Vice Chairman and CDP President deliberated many national issues and consequently made the following resolutions among others:
1. Tonse Alliance shall take part in the Chawama parliamentary by elections in Lusaka as announced by Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) by carefully identifying and collectively sponsoring one alliance candidate as per standard practice.
2. Specifically in this upcoming Chawama by elections, Tonse Alliance Council of Leaders unanimously agreed and resolved to use Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) as its Provisional Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). The alliance agreed to revisit and adopt its final 2026 Presidential and General elections SPV soon or later and shall be made public.
3. Tonse Alliance has acknowledged and applauded the progressive advocacy interventions and people centered lobbying efforts that the Oasis Forum, church, civil society, scholars, renowned citizens and other stakeholders have made against Bill 7.
The Alliance believes that the UPND government is undermining national unity through its arrogant and undemocratic actions of trying to impose Bill 7 on Zambians against the sound legal position of the Constitutional Court, the church, traditional leaders, civil society and many citizens across the country.
As Zambia’s parliament gears up for tomorrow’s vote on the Constitution amendment process, let’s keep some crucial facts in mind.
Spoiler alert: you won’t find a global precedent where widespread consultations led to unanimous agreement on constitutional changes. Crafting or amending a Constitution is all about negotiation, compromise, and understanding that not everyone will be on board.
Take the US Constitution, for example – it’s been rockin’ for nearly 250 years, and guess what? It wasn’t drafted or adopted by all Americans! Only 55 delegates out of 74 showed up, yet they still made it happen with 39 ultimately signing the final U.S. Constitution document in 1787.
Fast forward to 2016, Zambia’s own constitutional amendment that introduced 50% + 1, running mate, Constitutional Court, etc, it were the “rebel” MMD MPs who played a crucial role in getting the amendments passed by the PF regime, while the UPND opposed them fiercely and voted against them. And let’s not forget OASIS Forum while some CSOs are singing the same tune today, for and against amendments, just like they did back then..
The point is, constitutional reform is a complex, messy process. It’s about finding common ground, not waiting for everyone to agree . So, let’s focus on building consensus, not expecting unanimity. Zambia’s future depends on it
DIVISION and infighting in the PF has now trickled down to the rank and file of the party with members baptising each other using gangster F words and threats of legal action.
While the top dogs of the former ruling party are providing non stop content for media houses as they fire and counterfire each in their battles for the PF leadership, low ranking members are making sure they are not left out on the drama.
Utilising WhatsApp groups and Facebook, frustrated PF youth are venting out on each other using Americans’ favourite word.
Long-time PF member and Kabwata Constituency aspiring candidate John Chimba brought this to the public via Facebook when he announced that he would be reporting talented party photographer, Andy Luki Jr to the police for insulting language.
The post was accompanied by screenshots gotten from a closed PF WhatsApp group where Andy was allegedly unleashing F words on Chimba and accusing him of causing the party’s loss in 2021.
According to the screenshots, Andy insisted that Chimba was a big fool that deserved a very good beating.
But Chimba maintained his cool, revealed his location and challenged Andy to go and plant the PF symbol on him.
Following the exchange, Chimba took to Facebook saying he would report his comrade to the police.
The post drew comments from fellow party members.
Chanoda Ngwira, a staunch PF member commented; “The boy feels entitled to everything regards PF simply because he was privileged to capture photos for the late and most of the PF leaders.. could it be that anyone who hires him to capture photos obviously for payment is more important than any other person in PF?”
Some urged forgiveness and reconciliation.
Currently, the PF is divided in factions with Robert Chabinga in control of one and Given Lubinda with cracks emerging in his camp.
The party’s former Secretary General Davies Mwila has also gone on rampage, throwing ferocious jabs on his comrades while advising members to join other parties because the PF is dead, according to him.
Speaker of the National Assembly, NELLY MUTTI, says NO court of law is permitted to interfere with the internal processes of the National Assembly, as the legislature enjoys exclusive cognizance.
Ms. MUTTI made this statement in response to questions over whether external bodies, particularly the courts, could intervene in parliamentary proceedings.
She asserted that she would not allow any form of external interference in the workings of the National Assembly.
The doctrine of exclusive cognizance, she explained, is a fundamental parliamentary privilege.
This doctrine grants each legislative house the inherent, exclusive right to judge its own internal affairs, establish its own procedures, and oversee the conduct of its members without external intervention, especially from the judiciary.
The Speaker was ruling on a Point of Order raised by the Home Affairs Minister regarding petitions filed by CELESTINE MUKANDILA and MUNIR ZULU against the Attorney General.
The petitioners had sought to initiate contempt proceedings against the National Assembly.
The case was however dismissed.
In her ruling, the Speaker reaffirmed her role as the custodian of the privileges and immunities of all Members of Parliament -MPs, stressing her firm commitment to protecting their rights, immunities, and privileges.
Ms MUTTI further reiterated that the National Assembly’s internal proceedings are strictly within its own domain, and she would not allow any encroachment from outside bodies.
HH BEST PRESIDENT ZAMBIA EVER HAD ———————————————— President Hakainde Hichilema’s governance style has his political opponents running cluelessly in circles in all directions, while he delivers on his promises to the Zambian people.
Here is a President who delivers what he promises, in opposition he promised free education for every child in Zambia, take development to all provinces through equitable disbursement of national resources via CDF, massive job creation in education, health and security wings, all these promises have been fulfilled. Moreover, his cabinet is a mirror of our nation’s diversity as it comprises members from all ten provinces.
It’s not mere praise singing when we say HH is the best President this country has ever had, it’s a fact and citizens can see for themselves the Republican President’s commitment to uplift every Zambian’s welfare, through the social protection programs the New Dawn Administration is implementing.
Further, the President has an open door policy that enables citizens regardless of political or religious inclination to engage government on matters of national interest like Bill 7 which is progressive yet the President’s critics are fighting to shoot it down without any justification whatsoever for doing so.
We encourage the opposition and their allies in the spirit of patriotism, to dialogue with President Hichilema by tabling any issues they may have regarding Bill 7 than play to the political gallery by priotizing falsehoods over truth and substance.
President Hakainde Hichilema means well for the country as evidenced by his unwavering dedication to the upliftment of all citizens, hence our strong conviction that President Hichilema is indeed the best President this country has ever had.
It’s for these reasons we call upon all citizens to support and work with President Hichilema as he delivers unprecedented development and uplifts the lives of all Zambians without leaving anyone behind.
Max Kasabi Western Province UPND Presidential Campaign Team Coordinator General.
World richest man, Elon Musk, Says He Looks Up To “The Creator,” Comments On Belief In God
Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, recently opened up about his views on faith and spirituality during an interview with Katie Miller. When asked “Who do you look up to the most,” Musk answered: “The Creator.”
He was further asked if he believed in God, to which he replied: “Well i believe this universe came from something,” adding that “people have different labels.” His response reflects a philosophical perspective, acknowledging a creative force behind the universe while avoiding alignment with any specific religious doctrine.
Musk has previously described himself as a “cultural Christian,” noting he was baptized and raised Anglican. However, he has often emphasized curiosity over traditional religious beliefs, stating that his guiding principle is exploration and expanding human consciousness. He has also highlighted the importance of moral teachings from religion, such as wisdom in compassion and restraint, without fully committing to organized faith.
In this interview, Musk’s choice of words underscores his view that the origin of the universe is a mystery open to interpretation. By referring to “the Creator” instead of “God,” and noting that “people have different labels,” he signals openness to different philosophical or spiritual understandings rather than strictly religious ones.
Musk’s remarks continue to fuel discussions on the intersection of science, technology, and spirituality, highlighting how leading figures grapple with questions about existence, purpose, and belief in the modern era.
We have to reclaim our country and ourselves. Our country has to belong to us for us to develop it and to develop ourselves. We really do not belong to ourselves.
We have to start being ourselves and begin to see things for ourselves, analyse things for ourselves, and come to our own conclusions and take our own actions.
It’s not only our minerals and other resources they own and control. They also own and control us, our very beings, including our emotions. They continually promote feelings of frustration, alienation, and despair in us to weaken our collective action and resistance.
We must fight back by promoting hope, solidarity, and a vision of a collective future. We must struggle to regain control of our emotions and our culture. Without culture, freedom and development are impossible. The entertainment and culture industries, driven by their aspirations, contribute to a social life suffused with atomisation and alienation, desolation and fear, anger, and hate. These ugly emotions are used to weaken our own authentic liberating projects.
They exploit these negative emotions in us to gain power, leveraging the despair and failure felt by people in a degraded society. They seek to strip us of our belief in the feasibility and potential of resistance and instead spread a discourse based on frustration and defeat.
They promote the most useless and the worst of our politicians and other leaders to serve their own interests. To counter this, we need to build strength not only through political education and the battle of ideas but also through the battle of emotions.
The antidote to this bleakness involves forms of public action rooted in social relief and cultural joy, which help rescue collective life from the breakdown of social solidarity, honesty, humility, and the pursuit of equity and the rise of individualism, greed, unbridled competition and consumerism.
We need to pay great attention to rebuilding confidence and capacity for organised action through trade unions, political parties, traditional leadership structures, religious institutions, and other community organisations.
It gets dark sometimes, but the morning comes. Let’s not lose hope. Once we lose hope, we are finished because hope is a foundational element of political struggle. It is better to act on hope than to give in to despair.
Fred M’membe President of the Socialist Party Zambia
LAZ gets marching orders over failure to discuss own Bill 7 content submission
THE Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has politely been excused from the Parliamentary Select Committee sitting after insisting on discussing the constitutionality of Bill 7 rather than addressing the contents of its own written submission.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1dxPgCW3cg/
The association appeared before the committee this morning to present its memorandum in the Constitution Amendment of Bill 7 of 2025.
But despite being guided several times, LAZ declined to read or speak to the specific clauses and implications of the Bill, prompting the committee to terminate the session.
LAZ president Lungisani Zulu opened with a strong rebuke of the entire Bill 7 process, arguing that Parliament was proceeding in breach of the constitution.
Zulu said the current process poses a serious threat to the national values and principles in Article 8, adding that democracy and constitutionalism were core pillars that should never be undermined.
He noted that the Constitutional Court, in the Munir Zulu and Celestine Mukandila case, found that the initiation of Bill 7 violated several constitutional provisions, including Articles 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 61, 90, 91 and 92.
“Any act or omission contrary to the Constitution is illegal, we could not ignore the court’s findings. The court’s ruling rendered the entire process invalid so it is prudent that both the Executive and Parliament fully comply with the judgment,” he said.
“The Bill has been initiated in breach of the Constitution. We cannot contribute to ignoring express pronouncements of the Constitutional Court.”
He further referenced a letter from the Clerk of the National Assembly dated December 3, 2025, saying LAZ was instructed to outline the ramifications of the Bill and those ramifications included the alleged constitutional violations.
But the select committee insisted that LAZ was straying outside the mandate of the meeting.
“LAZ has made a submission which it does not wish to read or speak to. You have only addressed your introduction and preamble, which we allowed for the record. We now require you to speak to the key issues relating to the objects of the Bill,” said Imanga Wamunyima, Parliamentary Select Committee Chairperson.
Wamunyima emphasised that the procedural concerns raised by LAZ were already matters before the courts and therefore sub judice, placing them outside the committee’s scope.
“There has been no judgment declaring Bill 7 unconstitutional. It is a proposed law. The Constitutional Court has not interpreted it,” he added.
The chairperson further stated that the meeting could only proceed if LAZ was prepared to present the substantive issues contained in its written submission.
When LAZ maintained its position, the committee closed the session with immediate effect.
STAND UP AGAINST BILL 7, MWAMBA CHALLENGES UPND SENIOR OFFICIALS …Names Nkombo, Mwiimbu To Stand Against Hichilema
Politician and Blogger Emmanuel Mwamba has challenged the senior leadership in the ruling UPND to come out and stand with the people against President Hakainde Hichilema’s Bill 7.
Mwamba who is in exile he is surprised with the silence in the UPND that there is no man with a spine to face Hichilema and tell him to withdraw his Bill 7 which has widely been opposed.
He said in the past citing 2000 when top senior Ministers including a Vice president Lt Christon Tembo stood against President Frederick Chiluba’s scheme to ammend a constitution so he could run for a third term.
Mwamba said it is surprising that none in this administration is speaking.
Below is an article in full giving an account of Mwamba’s statement during a live broadcast:
AMBASSADOR Emmanuel Mwamba Challenges UPND Senior Leaders Betraying the Country Over Bill 7
_By Michael Zephaniah Phiri Political Activist_
Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba has issued one of the strongest challenges yet to the senior leadership of the UPND, accusing them of abandoning their principles and betraying the country at a decisive moment. His question is sharp and unavoidable:
*“Where are the men with spine in the UPND?”*
As Bill 7 returns, despite its earlier declaration of unconstitutionality, Mwamba challenges the very people who once stood at the frontline of democracy. He warns that betrayal carries consequences, and history does not remember those who choose silence when courage is required.
Today, senior UPND leaders like Garry Nkombo, Jack Mwiimbu, and others must look beyond President Hakainde Hichilema’s personal agenda. Bill 7 does not serve the people. It advances the President’s political interests while undermining constitutional order. And yet, those who once resisted authoritarian drift now hesitate to confront their own leader.
Where are the men who stood bravely against the PF when the stakes were life-threatening?
Where are the defenders of democracy who once vowed never to allow constitutional manipulation?
Mwamba asks:
*“How can you now stand quietly behind a President pushing the same dangerous processes you once condemned?”*
The warnings are not coming from political opponents alone:
● *Ten Catholic Bishops* have declared Bill 7 wrong for the country.
● *Oasis Forum,* respected for its legal integrity, has sounded clear alarm.
● *NGOCC,* the voice of mothers and communities, has rejected the bill.
Even within the legal community, senior figures know how dangerous this path is. Mwamba questions why former Justice Minister Mulambo Haimbe raised in a distinguished legal family, cannot see the constitutional harm Bill 7 represents.
He argues that UPND senior figures now appear like “boys being whipped around like cattle by one man,” instead of the principled leaders they once portrayed themselves to be.
If ever Zambia needed leaders to rise, challenge authority, and defend the Constitution, it is now.
This message is not aimed at the PF alone. Mwamba is speaking directly to UPND veterans, those who carried Hichilema through years of struggle, those who sacrificed for him, and those who believed in him.
He tells them plainly:
*“Your Emperor is naked. Your silence is betrayal.”*
NJOBVU SAYS ZAMBIA MUST PRIORITIZE GDP GROWTH OVER CONSTITUENCY DELIMITATION
Democratic Union (DU) President Ackim Antony Njobvu has called for a national refocus on economic expansion, arguing that Zambia’s most urgent need is growing its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rather than increasing the number of constituencies under the ongoing delimitation discourse.
In a strongly worded statement, Njobvu said the renewed push for constituency delimitation particularly proposals to add more constituencies fails to reflect Zambia’s current economic realities. He noted that the country’s GDP and population size do not compare favourably with regional and global peers that have far larger economies but operate with similar or even fewer parliamentary seats.
According to Njobvu, the comparison reveals a structural imbalance that should caution policymakers against increasing administrative costs at a time when public resources are already strained.
“GDP Growth, Not More MPs, Should Be the Priority”
Njobvu argued that expanding political representation without simultaneously expanding economic capacity risks placing a heavier burden on the national treasury. He stressed that what Zambia needs now is not more constituencies but deliberate strategies to stimulate economic growth.
“We cannot have the same number of MPs and constituencies as countries whose populations and GDPs are three to four times larger than ours,” he said. “Wisdom demands that we focus on growing our economy first. Only then can we justify increasing political structures that depend entirely on public resources.”
He emphasised that Zambia’s challenge is not the geographical size of constituencies but the persistent lack of fiscal capacity by government something he says has slowed development across communities.
The DU leader stated that many communities continue to face underdevelopment not because their constituencies are too large to manage, but because successive governments have struggled to generate adequate revenue to finance infrastructure, public services, and social development.
“It is not the vastness of constituencies that has stalled development,” Njobvu explained. “The core problem is the limited resources available to government. Delimitation will not suddenly produce more roads, schools, clinics, or jobs. Only economic growth can.”
He added that increasing the number of MPs would expand recurrent expenditure salaries, allowances, administrative costs and further strain a budget already weighed down by debt servicing, public sector wages, and essential social services.
Njobvu urged the UPND government to redirect their attention to sectors with high economic potential, including agriculture, mining value addition, manufacturing, and digital innovation. He noted that without tangible GDP growth, Zambia will remain dependent on borrowing, donor support, and unstable revenue streams.
He also warned that pushing delimitation amidst a fragile economic environment risks signalling misplaced priorities to citizens and international partners.
“At a time when families are struggling with high prices, youth unemployment remains high, and businesses are fighting to survive, our focus should be on rebuilding the economy,” he said. “Anything else is a dangerous diversion.”
Njobvu has passionately appealed to Zambia’s leaders to adopt a long-term, economically grounded approach to governance.
“Let us fix our economy. Let us grow our GDP. Once Zambia becomes stronger and more prosperous, we can then evaluate the administrative structures we need. For now, our duty is clear prioritize economic development over political expansion.”
Zambia’s fast-growing population demands expanded representation, prompting Kanchibiya Member of Parliament Sunday Chanda to support the creation of new constituencies and an increase in the number of lawmakers.
Mr. Chanda argued that the current constituency sizes have become too large for MPs to effectively provide representation, oversight and consistent presence in their areas.
He stated that increasing the number of MPs would reduce representational overload and bring Parliament closer to citizens, thereby improving democratic responsiveness.
In his detailed analysis of Bill Number 7 of 2025, Mr. Chanda emphasized that modern governance requires a broader pool of lawmakers to enhance the quality of legislation and oversight.
He noted that even with the proposed increase, Zambia’s Parliament would remain one of the smallest in the SADC region, behind only Eswatini and Lesotho, which are significantly smaller countries with different political systems.
Mr. Chanda stressed that Zambia was not expanding irrationally but merely catching up with regional norms after operating with an undersized Legislature for decades.
He backed the introduction of a mixed parliamentary model combining first-past-the-post and proportional representation, saying it would broaden inclusion, correct historical imbalances, and modernize democratic participation.
Mr. Chanda added that the expanded responsibilities associated with the Constituency Development Fund required stronger oversight, and a moderate increase in MPs would enhance project monitoring and accountability.
He urged Zambians to support the amendments, stating that a country that has doubled its population and advanced economically cannot continue operating with a Parliament designed in the 1960s.
