SKELETAL CASE SCANDAL: WIDOW DENIES PICKING SCENT FROM HER HUSBAND’S DECOMPOSING BODY
By Cecilia Kayaya Mporokoso
Widow to the late George kalaba has testified before court that during the two years that she kept hidden the skeletal remains of her husband, she never perceived any scent from his decomposing body.
Ms. Kalaba told judge Anna Ononuju during cross examination, that contrary to the arresting officer’s testimony Masola Simushi, who alleged that the house smelled of decaying living organism, the house had no Oduor.
She explained that she never got to see the extent of her husband’s decomposing body, as she never entered the bedroom again since the day he died on the 21st of November 2023.
When asked why she never took her husband to the Hospital despite the hospital being located at a walkable distance from her house, the accused reluctantly responded that she just never did, adding that she relied on prayers but admitted that he died because of her omission to take him to the hospital.
The high court has since set judgement for 16th February 2026.
Silvia Mutaba, wife to late George Kalaba is charged with manslaughter for the death of her husband whose skeletal remains were found hidden in his house for two years on 14th January 2025.
ZAMBIA MOVES OUT OF DEBT DEFAULT STATUS AS REFORM MOMENTUM POWERS RATING UPGRADE
The Government of the Republic of Zambia welcomes S&P Global Ratings’ decision to upgrade the country’s long- and short-term foreign-currency sovereign credit ratings to ‘CCC+/C’ from ‘SD/SD’ (Selective Default—Junk Status) with a stable outlook. This action confirms Zambia’s exit from default status.
The upgrade is a major milestone in the country’s economic reconstruction journey and a clear signal of renewed international confidence in the reform programme being implemented under the leadership of His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema. It reflects the steady fiscal discipline, strengthened policy credibility, and decisive measures taken to resolve the debt overhang that has constrained economic activity since 2020.
S&P’s rating action further affirms the improving macroeconomic and institutional landscape, driven by tangible progress in restructuring external debt, the resilience of the mining sector, and the stabilisation of inflation expectations. The stable outlook underscores S&P’s recognition that Zambia is gradually restoring fiscal space, improving external buffers, and rebuilding investor confidence despite tight global financing conditions.
S&P notes that Zambia has reached restructuring agreements with official and commercial creditors representing about 94 percent value of the debt within restructuring parameters. Only a small portion of commercial debt, largely with commercial banks, remains under negotiation. Importantly, S&P highlights that the risk posed by potential holdout creditors remains contained due to strong safeguards, including comparability-of-treatment principles under the G20 Common Framework For Debt Treatment and most-favoured-creditor clauses built into the restructured Eurobonds. These factors support the decision to lift Zambia from ‘SD’ and assign the long-term rating of ‘CCC+’.
This upgrade confirms the credibility of the Government’s debt strategy and signals that Zambia is transitioning away from a legacy of unsustainable borrowing toward a future of restored financial stability, reduced refinancing risks, and improved market standing.
The rating action also reflects Zambia’s strengthening fiscal position. Fiscal consolidation is projected to reduce government debt to 78.5 percent of GDP by 2028, continuing the downward correction from the 2020 peak. Interest costs as a share of revenue are also expected to ease steadily over the medium term, while inflation is projected to fall back into single-digit territory by 2026 as food supply improves and prudent monetary and fiscal policies continue to anchor expectations.
S&P acknowledges the recovery in external liquidity, with foreign reserves rising to US$5.2 billion due to IMF disbursements under the Extended Credit Facility, increased project inflows, Bank of Zambia forex purchases, and interest and reserve-related receipts.
Forward projections indicate continued reserve accumulation, supported by higher copper exports, favourable terms of trade, and strengthening investor sentiment.
Zambia’s growth outlook remains anchored in the mining sector, where copper production grew by 17.8 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2025. This reflects the impact of reforms in mining licensing, predictable regulation, energy stabilisation, and improved engagement with investors.
S&P underscores the sector’s central role in the economy, accounting for 14 percent of GDP, 70 percent of export earnings, and up to a quarter of government revenue. With global copper prices projected to average US$10,500 per metric tonne between 2025 and 2028, the sector will continue to support fiscal revenues, external balances, and investor confidence. The Government’s target of reaching 3 million metric tonnes of annual production by 2031 is reinforced by rising investment in copper, cobalt, nickel, and other minerals essential to the global energy transition.
S&P affirms that in 2026, Zambia’s fiscal consolidation and structural reforms will remain firmly on track. This aligns with the Government own commitment to reform. Despite the severe drought of 2024, S&P affirms that its economic impact was softer than initially anticipated due to diversification into renewable energy, solar and battery storage, thermal generation, and off-grid solutions. These collaborative efforts between the Government and the private sector are strengthening resilience, reducing vulnerability to climate shocks, and building a more secure foundation for long-term industrialisation and competitiveness.
The Government remains committed to sustaining fiscal discipline, completing the remaining components of the debt restructuring process, expanding energy capacity, strengthening social protection and empowerment programmes, and supporting private-sector-led growth for both local and foreign investors. In this regard, S&P notes that Zambia’s rating could be upgraded further if debt-to-GDP ratios decline faster than projected, fiscal balances improve more than expected, GDP growth accelerates, and reserves accumulate ahead of current forecasts. These prospects align with the Government’s long-term reform and transformation agenda.
Reflection by the Minister
Minister of Finance & National Planning Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane, MP, has issued the following statement:
“The decision by S&P Global Ratings is a strong vote of confidence in Zambia’s economic reforms, governance credibility, and the resilience of our people. It confirms that Zambia has moved out of default status and is steadily restoring its place as a credible, stable, and investable economy.
“It also stands as a powerful acknowledgement of Zambia’s pioneering role under the G20 Common Framework. As one of the earliest countries to undergo this process, Zambia travelled a difficult and uncertain path—navigating complex negotiations, unprecedented legal and technical requirements, and the economic pressures of debt distress. This upgrade is therefore not only recognition of economic progress, but a testament to the determination, discipline, and endurance of the Government and the Zambian people.
“The Government extends its profound appreciation to all creditors—official, bilateral, multilateral, and commercial—as well as our cooperating partners, civil society, private-sector actors, and the Zambian public for standing with the nation through its most challenging period. Their patience, dialogue, and constructive engagement made it possible to restore stability and place the country on a sustainable economic path.
“This upgrade is an affirmation that Government policies aimed at debt sustainability, export-led growth, stable macro-economic environment, improved governance, and expanded energy capacity form a coherent and credible strategy for national resilience and long-term prosperity. The Government remains committed to ensuring that improved ratings, stronger fundamentals, and restored fiscal health translate into more jobs, stable prices, greater opportunities for youth and women, stronger local business participation, and shared prosperity for all Zambians.”
South Africa’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party rejected the G20 Leaders’ Declaration on Saturday, denouncing the document as neocolonial despite its focus on African development priorities.
The left-wing populist party, which serves as South Africa’s official opposition, issued a statement calling the 122-point declaration adopted at the Johannesburg summit a continuation of global power imbalances that undermine African sovereignty.
The G20 declaration, adopted Nov 22 at the first summit held on African soil, emphasizes debt sustainability for low-income countries, just energy transitions and harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth. The document invokes the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which emphasizes interconnectedness and community.
MK Party national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said in a media statement the declaration represents entrenchment of global hegemonies rather than African liberation. “The G20’s appropriation of Ubuntu is philosophical theft,” the statement said. “Ubuntu cannot coexist with a global financial architecture that continues to exploit African nations.”
The party criticized several declaration elements, including the voluntary Critical Minerals Framework, saying it becomes a de facto governance instrument for African mineral policies while remaining non-binding for G20 states. The declaration supports increased exploration of critical minerals in developing countries, stating resources should drive value-addition rather than raw material exports.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose African National Congress governs in coalition with other parties, defended the declaration as advancing Africa’s development priorities. His spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the document’s adoption sends an important signal that multilateralism delivers results.
The G20 declaration was adopted despite a boycott by United States President Donald Trump, who cited discredited claims about South Africa’s treatment of white minorities. Chinese leader Xi Jinping also skipped the summit, sending Premier Li Qiang in his place.
The declaration commits G20 members to strengthening the Common Framework for debt treatments and supports creation of a 25th chair at the International Monetary Fund Executive Board to enhance Sub-Saharan African representation. It acknowledges over 600 million Africans lack electricity access and calls for scaling up climate finance from billions to trillions.
MK Party, founded in December 2023 and led by former president Jacob Zuma, won 14.6 percent of votes in South Africa’s May 2024 election. The party campaigns for land expropriation without compensation and nationalization of mineral resources.
The party statement said when it takes power, it will reject IMF-World Bank conditionalities, establish state-led mineral beneficiation and reclaim energy sovereignty. “South Africa must not be a junior partner in global forums, but a leader in the struggle against global inequality, resource exploitation and neocolonialism,” the statement said.
The G20 summit continues through Nov 23, with South Africa set to hand the rotating presidency to the United States on Nov 30
Daniel Kellan Mayfield, a former youth pastor in Landrum, South Carolina, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for secretly recording children and women in church bathrooms and showers over several years.
Investigators said Mayfield hid cameras and cell phones in bathrooms and shower areas at Gowensville Baptist Church in Greenville County, where he worked as a youth pastor. Many of the victims were children under 12.
According to WLBT, authorities found more than 5,000 images of child pornography on his phone. Investigators believe Mayfield had been recording victims for three to four years before being caught.
https://youtu.be/BoGzdRV3AbU?si=ny4fm4kfkeabU7vL
The case began when a family member caught him secretly filming her in the shower. After confronting him, the family found disturbing photos and videos that were later turned over to police.
Mayfield was first arrested on state charges in 2023, which led to more than 150 accusations from other victims. He was later convicted on a federal charge and ordered to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence. He is also required to register as a sex offender.
Officials said his state charges are still pending as the investigation continues. Before his arrest, Mayfield also worked as a wedding videographer.
Nigerian Billionaire Aliko Dangote Appoints Top South African Executive to Lead USD 491 Million Sugar Business
Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc has appointed South African executive Thabo Mabe as its new Group Managing Director and CEO, effective 1 December 2025, subject to shareholder approval.
Mabe holds a BSc in Chemistry and Mathematics from Fort Hare University. He began his career at Unilever as a graduate trainee, rising through roles in manufacturing, production, sales, and supply chain. By 2004, he became Vice President: Supply Chain for Unilever’s Home & Personal Care division, later serving as Vice President: Homecare.
In 2010, he took over as CEO of Unilever Nigeria Plc, where he expanded market share and improved operational efficiency.
Mabe joined the Dangote Group in 2014 as CEO of Dangote Flour Mills, successfully returning the company to profitability. He later led Dangote Rice Limited, and most recently served as the chief executive of NASCON Allied Industries Plc.
With multinational experience across South Africa, Germany, and Nigeria, Mabe now steps in to lead Dangote Sugar Refinery, a business valued at approximately USD 491 million, as it enters a new phase of growth.
He will head the company’s USD 700 million expansion plans.
The government of Kenya has been dealt a major blow after the U.S. government cancelled the construction of a Ksh7.76 billion GIS platform to manage urban transport data aimed at easing traffic congestion in Nairobi.
The developments emerged after the government published the National Treasury’s Energy, Infrastructure, and ICT Sector Working Group Report for FY 2026/27–2028/29, where it emerged that the Nairobi transport projects under the Kenya Millennium Development Fund (KMDF) have stalled due to shifts in U.S. foreign aid policy, which has delayed critical initiatives in the city’s multimodal transport system.
According to the report, the Nairobi Metropolitan Area (NMA) transport plans, which included the development of the GIS platform to manage urban transport data, were initially scheduled for completion but remain partially implemented.
The project has been in the pipeline since 2023, when President William Ruto visited the U.S. and inked a deal with former U.S. President Joe Biden, and the government had plans to complete it by the June 2027 fiscal year.
Under the initial plan, of the Ksh7.76 billion allocated for the project, the United States was to contribute Ksh5.8 billion, while Kenya would provide an additional Ksh1.56 billion.
The KMDF NMA Multimodal Transport System was designed to improve coordination across Nairobi’s transport networks and support long-term urban planning.
The project was expected to significantly ease Nairobi’s traffic woes, which have been exacerbated by a rapidly growing population and the resulting surge in demand for vehicles and transport services.
Additionally, the project, part of broader agreements covering healthcare, education, security, climate, and trade, was expected to enhance urban connectivity, promote green and safer transport options, and drive economic growth.
However, the GIS platform, expected to provide a comprehensive digital framework for traffic and infrastructure management, has only reached 30 per cent completion.
At the same time, it has become apparent that plans to develop zoning regulations and integrated policy guidelines for the metropolitan area were also impacted, with several targets remaining unmet.
Meanwhile, the Treasury has indicated that the stalled projects would be reconsidered under the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (NaMATA) in the next financial year, pending resolution of external funding issues.
The cancellation adds to a growing list of bilateral agreements and aid initiatives disrupted since Trump took office, including the introduction of trade tariffs and executive orders that have affected other key projects such as USAID programmes.- .kenyans
A Donald Trump ally alleged on Saturday that Steve Bannon, who was Donald Trump’s chief strategist in the White House for some time in 2017, is unhappy about newly unearthed Epstein emails.
Trump confidant Roger Stone announced over the weekend that he was mentioned in the Epstein emails, and he noted that he doesn’t believe Bannon will appreciate the revelations.
Stone took to social media to announce the development and include a transcript of what was revealed:
“Epstein and Bannon texted about me in 2018.
EPSTEIN: Just received a video of stone attacking you and -// jeffret clintons pimpetc etc
BANNON: roger stone??…… who cares, he says stuff like this all the time
EPSTEIN: Face to face
BANNON: of course not — on Alex Jones.”
Stone went on to include screenshots of the conversations, as well as some commentary.
“Alex Jones and I are both mentioned in Epstein’s emails and Steve Bannon is not very happy about it,” Stone wrote.
One of the purported emails appears to clarify what Stone could potentially be suggesting:
“Roger stone – telling may that I am your funder,” it shows Epstein writing.
Saudi Arabia is undertaking the Saudi Green Initiative to combat desertification by planting 10 billion trees and restoring 74 million hectares of land.
The initiative uses advanced technology such as sophisticated irrigation, recycled water, and innovative soil treatments to make this transformation possible, even in arid conditions. Local programs, like Green Riyadh, are specifically focused on greening urban areas.
Key aspects of the Saudi Green Initiative Tree planting: The goal is to plant 10 billion trees across the country.
Land restoration: The initiative aims to restore over 74 million hectares of land.
Urban greening: Programs like Green Riyadh are planting millions of trees in cities to lower temperatures and improve air quality.
Technological approach: The project uses advanced irrigation, recycled water, AI-powered drones, and novel soil technologies to support plant growth in harsh climates.
Environmental benefits: The initiative seeks to combat desertification, reduce sandstorms, decrease carbon emissions, and improve the overall quality of life.
Mercedes Wells, an African American woman from Chicago, Illinois, says she gave birth on a highway after an Indiana hospital sent her home, leaving her and her husband to deliver the baby on their own. They believe the incident reflects unfair treatment.
Mercedes and her husband, Leon, said they notified Franciscan Health Crown Point before arriving early Saturday morning to report that she was already in labor. When they reached the hospital, Mercedes said staff ignored her condition despite her repeated complaints that the pain was getting worse. She was later discharged.
According to Fox 32 Chicago, Leon drove toward Community Hospital in Munster, hoping they could reach help in time. Minutes into the drive, Mercedes said she suddenly felt the baby coming. She told Leon she had to push, forcing them to stop on the side of the highway.
Their daughter, Alena, was born within eight minutes of leaving the hospital. Leon delivered the baby while talking to 911. Mercedes said she begged him to help her remove her pants so she could push, and the baby’s head appeared shortly after.
Franciscan Health Crown Point issued statements saying an internal investigation is underway. The hospital said patient safety remains a priority and noted that privacy laws limit what they can disclose. Leadership also said the online videos related to the incident do not represent the hospital’s values and that the full situation is still being reviewed.
Alena, who weighed six pounds, was born at 6:28 a.m. Sunday. After the delivery, the family made it to Community Hospital and received the care they needed.
The Wells family believes they were treated differently because they are Black. They have hired attorney Cannon Lambert and are calling for accountability to prevent other families from going through a similar experience.
Fans of Donald Glover—the award-winning actor, writer, musician, and director also known by his stage name Childish Gambino—were stunned when he finally revealed the real reason behind the abrupt cancellation of his much-anticipated New World Tour. During a candid moment at the Camp Flog Gnaw Festival, the multi-hyphenate superstar explained that a series of life-threatening health emergencies forced him off the road, including a stroke he suffered mid-tour.
TMZ reports that Glover told the crowd that the trouble began during a performance in Louisiana, where he felt a sudden, severe pain in his head but continued the show anyway. His condition worsened, and by the time he reached Houston, he was struggling to see. After going to the hospital, doctors informed him he had suffered a stroke, a diagnosis that left both him and his fans in disbelief. In typical Glover fashion, he added a moment of dark humor, joking that he felt like he was “copying Jamie Foxx,” referencing Foxx’s own widely reported health scare.
The medical setbacks didn’t stop there. Glover shared that he later broke his foot, and doctors discovered a hole in his heart, a dangerous condition that required two separate surgeries. All of this was happening quietly while fans were speculating about his sudden disappearance from the touring circuit. At the time, Glover simply said he needed surgery and time to recover—never revealing the true severity of the crisis.
https://youtu.be/5cHN9Fnnf6Q?si=sJPYIOIlRsbAma3e
For many, the news hit especially hard because Glover has long been considered one of the most influential creative forces of his generation. As Childish Gambino, he earned global acclaim with hits like “Redbone” and the groundbreaking cultural phenomenon “This Is America,” which won four Grammys, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. His albums Awaken, My Love! and Because the Internet have been praised for pushing boundaries across funk, R&B, and experimental hip-hop.
In television and film, Glover’s impact has been just as significant. He rose to prominence on NBC’s “Community,” then cemented himself as a visionary with FX’s “Atlanta,” a series he created, produced, and starred in—earning multiple Emmys, Golden Globes, and universal praise for its originality and cultural commentary. His film résumé includes major roles in “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” and Disney’s live-action “The Lion King,” in which he voiced adult Simba. His work behind the camera has also expanded, including producing and co-creating the acclaimed Amazon series “Swarm.”
Looking back on everything he endured, Glover told fans, “They say everyone has two lives, and the second life starts when you realize you have one.” He urged the crowd to live boldly and without hesitation—a message that carries even more weight now that the public knows he wasn’t stepping back from touring for convenience, but because he was fighting to survive. Fans now have a clearer understanding of the battle he kept private, and the deep gratitude he feels to still be here.
The U.S. State Department on Saturday pushed back on claims from U.S. lawmakers about the origin of a leaked peace plan for Ukraine after one Republican senator told reporters U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio “made it very clear … it is not our peace plan.”
The leaked 28-point peace deal “demands sweeping territorial and security concessions from Kyiv while offering Moscow major economic and political incentives,” the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
Speaking on the proposed plan at a Halifax press conference Saturday, a gaggle of senators claimed Rubio had distanced the U.S. from the deal.
“Secretary Rubio did make phone call to us this afternoon,” Senate Armed Services Committee member Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) said Saturday at a Halifax press conference. “I think he made it very clear to us that we are a the recipients of a proposal that was delivered to one of our representatives. It is not our recommendation, it is not our peace plan.”
“It is a proposal that was received and as an intermediary, we have made arrangements to share it,” Rounds continued. “And we did not release it, it was leaked. It was not released by our members.”
Sen. Angus King (I-ME), who also sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told reporters the plan is not the “administration’s position — it is essentially the wish list of the Russians,” Newshour Foreign Affairs and Defense Correspondent Nick Schifrin reported Saturday.
According to Politico,“The lawmakers said the call came at their request after they grew alarmed by the proposal and heard global leaders railing against it. Rubio, they said, agreed to walk them through the situation and gave the lawmakers permission to describe what he told them.”
As Reuters reported Saturday, “many senior officials inside the State Department and on the National Security Council were not briefed” on the plan, citing “two people familiar with” the draft.
https://youtu.be/UnU1YQNHYWE?si=dYnPMyvxVfW8wSr3
“One senior U.S. official said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was read in on the 28-point plan, but did not clarify when he was briefed,” Reuters added.
According to the report, “The situation has sparked worries inside the administration and on Capitol Hill that [U.S. special envoy Steve] Witkoff and [President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared] Kushner skirted the interagency process and that the discussions with [Russian businessman Kirill] Dmitriev have resulted in a plan that favors Russian interests.”
As the senators’ Halifax press conference made the rounds Saturday, senior administration officials began “refuting what 3 U.S. senators say Rubio told them,” Wall Street Journal reporter Robbie Gramer wrote on X.
“This is blatantly false,” State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Saturday. “As Secretary Rubio and the entire Administration has consistently maintained, this plan was authored by the United States, with input from both the Russians and Ukrainians.”
Rubio himself appeared to contradict the senators, insisting on X the proposal “was authored by the U.S.”
“The peace proposal was authored by the U.S. It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations[.] It is based on input from the Russian side,” Rubio said. “But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.
As Bloomberg reporter Steven Dennis noted, Rubio’s statement was “oddly all in passive voice.”
“A truly bizarre series of events,” Punchbowl News Senior Congressional Reporter Andrew Desiderio wrote Saturday. “Senators from both parties said in Halifax that Rubio told them via phone today that the Ukraine peace plan is actually a Russian document, not a U.S. proposal. State Department [spokesperson] says that’s not true, it’s a U.S.-authored proposal.”
Desiderio noted that “after the State Department essentially [accused] Sens. Rounds and King of lying about their phone call with Rubio,” Rounds issued a statement appearing to contradict his own Halifax remarks.
“I appreciate Secretary Rubio briefing us earlier today on their efforts to bring about peace by relying on input from both Russia and Ukraine to arrive at a final deal,” Rounds wrote late Saturday on X.
As Desiderio noted, while Rubio’s statement insisted the plan was authored by the U.S., he didn’t “address what he said or didn’t say to senators.”
“Also notable Rubio is framing it as ‘a strong framework for ongoing negotiations’ even though the [Trump administration] gave Ukraine [until] Thursday to accept it,” Desiderio wrote.
The Punchbowl News congressional reporter added that the Reuters report describing “worries” inside the Trump administration “is being passed around among senior Hill staffers in both parties who want to zero in on Witkoff’s role here.”
Reacting to the alarming back-and-forth Saturday, former defense department official Dan Shapiro exclaimed, “Holy hell. Can these people get their act together?”
“If Congress functioned, there would be hearings about this entire train wreck starting on Monday,” reporter Mike Rothschild wrote Saturday on X.
“What a complete mess,” journalist Aaron Parnas added.
A MAGA lawmaker is in hot water as her latest comments are causing some to accuse her of being a Russian asset.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna turned some heads when she embraced a controversial plan many have said was written by Russians and disseminated to Ukrainian officials by the State Department.
Luna said of the deal, “A strong deal is on the table for Ukrainians — and we need to get it done. This war must end. Russia has signaled it’s ready to come to the table, and the U.S. supports a path to peace.”
To that, former marine sergeant Harrison Lansing replied with, “It’s a Russia-written surrender document not a deal.”
She doesn’t even try to hide that she’s a spokesperson for Putin serving in the US Congress. Post after post, day after day, echoing Russian propaganda. Truly sad that people in Pinellas County have chosen this as their representation. pic.twitter.com/Kp3wwr0dQD
Luna added an additional statement on the topic, saying, “The U.S. is leading the charge on peace negotiations and building the framework for a real deal.”
“Don’t listen to the fake news or the pro-war psychos claiming otherwise. [Marco Rubio] and [Trump] have it under control. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” she added.
That also sparked responses.
https://youtu.be/UnU1YQNHYWE?si=T8OOY-D31yP8hzVa
Popular legal analyst emptywheel chimed in, “Luna is right: You should listen to someone fronting for Dmitriev.”
Jonathan Eyal, associate director of Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, said, “Tell us a bit more about your dealings with Russia’s favourite oligarch. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Ron Filipkowski, a former federal prosecutor, said, “She doesn’t even try to hide that she’s a spokesperson for Putin serving in the US Congress.”
“Post after post, day after day, echoing Russian propaganda,” he added. “Truly sad that people in Pinellas County have chosen this as their representation.”
“Listen to me carefully, AFRICA. For decades, our gold, our cotton, our uranium, our land… left AFRICA in ship returned to us as poverty”.
“But that era is ending”.
“BURKINA FASO is rewriting the rules. No more foreign companies deciding the price of our minerals. No more contracts written against our people. No more exploitation disguised as ‘partnership.’
“We will manage our own resources. We will refine, process, and export on our terms. Because wealth without control is not wealth — it is slavery”.~ CAPT. IBRAHIM TRAORÉ
EZE HAT-TRICK SENDS ARSENAL SIX POINTS CLEAR AT TOP WITH WIN OVER SPURS
EBERECHI Eze scored his first senior hat-trick as Arsenal thrashed north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to move six points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Spurs boss Thomas Frank picked a five-man defence as he looked to keep things tight at Emirates Stadium, but his side could not contain the league leaders.
Leandro Trossard opened the scoring for an utterly dominant Arsenal in the 36th minute, finishing well after a lovely through ball from Mikel Merino.
Then Eze, who almost joined Spurs in the summer from Crystal Palace before a late swoop by Arsenal, doubled the hosts’ advantage before the break – beating two players on the edge of the box before drilling a strike past Gugliemo Vicario.
Frank scrapped his back-five plan at half-time and brought on Xavi Simons as he looked to inject some more attacking intent into his lacklustre side.
But Arsenal extended their advantage just 23 seconds into the second half, when Eze curled a left-footed strike into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
Tottenham were pinned back for large parts of the match, but Richarlison did pull a goal back for the visitors by lifting the ball over the stranded David Raya from about 40 yards out.
However, Eze added gloss to the scoreline – and completed a brilliant hat-trick – with another expert finish past Vicario in the 76th minute.
Arsenal’s six-point lead over Chelsea at the top of the table is their biggest advantage at this stage of any Premier League campaign.
The Gunners are looking to win their first title since 2004 – and after three second-place finishes in succession.
https://youtu.be/o2iwK1BOKLo?si=AiusDzgEgkUj_qZn
When Arsenal swooped to beat Tottenham to the signing of Eze, it was one of the standout moments of this summer’s transfer window.
The Gunners, who had already spent heavily in the market, moved quickly to hijack their rivals’ move for the England midfielder after an injury to Kai Havertz – and Eze has not looked back since.
It was an easy decision to move to the Gunners for someone who was a boyhood fan of the club and was in Arsenal’s academy before being released.
But then came the questions of where he would fit into Mikel Arteta’s plans.
Arsenal did not see Eze as an outright winger, which meant he would be competing in the congested central area of the pitch with captain Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Ethan Nwaneri.
However, an injury to Odegaard has seen Eze play regularly – and the 27-year-old has continued to improve as he gets used to Arteta’s system.
At Palace Eze played more from the left, but at Arsenal he is closer to the right as Arteta looks to build a connection with Bukayo Saka.
Eze has already produced some standout moments for the Gunners – an assist for Gabriel Martinell’s stoppage-time equaliser against Manchester City, the winning goal against old club Palace and now this classy hat-trick against Tottenham.
He has five goals and three assists in his 15 appearances for Arsenal this term – and the most goal involvements of any English player in the top flight in 2025.
Arsenal are deservedly top of the league – and Eze’s ability to create something from nothing can help keep them there.
It has been a mixed start for Frank at Tottenham, with a conservative style of play meaning he has a fight on his hands to win over fans – and this result will have damaged that relationship further.
His team came into this game unbeaten from home in the league, but never looked like getting a positive result against their rivals.
Tottenham have not clicked in attack this season and average fewer than 10 shots per match, the third-lowest figure in the top flight.
That trend continued into this game with Spurs not having a shot in the first half, the second time that has happened this season (after their 1-0 home loss to Bournemouth in August).
Frank appeared to accept he had got his initial tactical plan wrong by making a half-time change to his team’s shape – but Eze’s goal seconds after the restart effectively sealed Spurs’ fate.
Although Tottenham are ninth in the league, they are only three points below the Champions League places.
However, the Spurs manager is going to have to turn things around quickly before supporters decide they no longer want to watch his team put defensive solidity before creativity.
“We are not in a democracy, we are in a revolution.” — Ibrahim Traoré
A powerful reminder from one of today’s most uncompromising voices. Across the continent, a new generation is rewriting the script — demanding sovereignty, accountability, dignity, and a politics that actually delivers.
This is not business as usual. It’s a recalibration of power. A shift driven by young people who refuse to inherit broken systems. A movement pushing Africa toward self-determination and real transformation.
United States President Donald Trump’s administration has announced that Haitian supporters will not be granted visas ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Haiti secured its place at the World Cup for only the second time in history after topping a group that included Honduras, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua.
However, the US has barred Haitians, both immigrants and non-immigrants, from entering the country under an order titled “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.”
[48]From Pot 2 to 4: Ghana’s World Cup pots from 2006 to 2026 explained President Trump explained that government statistics indicate Haitians have been entering the US in large numbers, contributing to increased overstay rates and criminal activity. Despite the ban, an exception exists for “any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting events as determined by the Secretary of State.”
However, the US State Department confirmed to Politico that this exception will not apply to Haitian fans, in accordance with immigration policies.
“The State Department said fans may still submit visa applications and schedule interviews to attend the games, but they ‘may be ineligible for visa issuance or admission to the United States.’ The travel ban also includes an exception for applicants whose travel would ‘advance US national interest,’ though a State Department spokesperson noted such exceptions will likely be ‘very rare,’” Politico reported on Saturday, November 22, 2025.
Meanwhile, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has stated that supporters of all qualified nations would be welcome in the US for the tournament.
It remains unclear how FIFA will negotiate with the US State Department to secure exceptions for fans from countries affected by the travel ban.
A Donald Trump ally and confidante on Sunday threatened to reveal the “scandals” of Marjorie Taylor Greene, a MAGA ally who recently feuded with Trump.
Laura Loomer, who has been called the “Trump Whisperer” for her close association with the president, has long feuded with Greene over several different issues. Loomer has sided with Trump as the president has cast Greene out of his orbit, and she further escalated her attacks on the lawmaker over the weekend.
First, Loomer said, “Some people got very angry with me for saying I wish Marjorie Traitor Greene the worst. They told me it was unbecoming. I thought long and hard about this today, as some people I know told me to be better. I’d like to take this moment to let everyone know that in retrospect, I agree. That being said, after consulting with Allah today, I decided I want to wish [Greene] the best in her future career as a CNN contributor and runner up for cohost of the View.”
But that was not all.
“A lot of MTGs[sic] enemies are talking to me. Her scandals are not over,” Loomer added in a separate X post Sunday before tagging Greene in a direct message. “You’re on notice.”
US Second Lady Usha Vance has been seen without her wedding ring during an official visit, weeks after US Vice President JD Vance publicly acknowledged there was a religious divide within their marriage.
Usha Vance was photographed arriving at Albert J. Ellis Airport in Richlands, North Carolina, alongside First Lady Melania Trump during their visit to Camp Lejeune. Images show her disembarking from the plane with her left hand clearly visible — but her wedding ring was missing. The band also appeared absent throughout the duration of the event.
Her husband, Vice President JD Vance, has continued to wear his wedding ring, including during a speaking engagement in Washington on Thursday.
Rumours surrounding the couple’s marriage began circulating in October after Vance admitted he had begged his wife to convert from Hinduism to Catholicism. Usha was also spotted without her ring earlier this month during a visit to a military medical centre with her husband.
In response to questions about her missing ring, a spokesperson for the couple said: “Usha is a mother of three young children who does a lot of dishes, gives lots of baths, and forgets her ring sometimes.”
However, social media users questioned the explanation, suggesting the Second Lady must have known the implications of appearing without her wedding band during public events.
One person wrote: “Yes, many people (not just women) don’t wear their wedding rings all the time. But she has to know she’ll be photographed and it will be commented/speculated on…so I definitely think it’s purposeful to make some sort of ‘statement’.”
The teen found de@d in singer D4vd’s abandoned Tesla trunk was reportedly frozen, decapitated, and chopped into pieces
Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s dismembered body parts were “partially frozen” and thawing in the “Romantic Homicide” singer’s car, leaving the LA County Medical Examiner struggling to determine an official cause of death due to the horrific state of the 15-year-old’s remains, sources told TMZ.
The cause of de@th “will most likely be ‘undetermined,’” the outlet reported.
The 20-year-old singer – whose real name is David Anthony Burke – is being eyed as a suspect in the teen’s gruesome de@th, though no arrests have been made, according to the outlet.
Now, a second person has been linked to the case, an unidentified individual in the singer’s car, Mark Geragos revealed on TMZ’s “2 Angry Men” podcast.
The suspect’s phone and social media data were triangulated by LAPD homicide detectives to the Hollywood Hills spot on the same timeframe that Rivas died.
The teen’s body was found wrapped in plastic on Sept. 8, the day after what would have been her 15th birthday, when the singer’s car was brought to a tow lot after being abandoned on a Hollywood Hills street.
Police are still trying to determine exactly how long the car was parked there, but it had been slapped with a ticket roughly two weeks earlier.
The car was later towed – but the teen’s body wasn’t found for several more days when employees at the lot reported a foul stench.
Cops believe Hernandez, who repeatedly ran away from home and was reported missing in early 2024, likely died sometime in the spring. They are still digging into whether she was murdered or if her death was the result of an overdose, police sources told KABC.
Police are trying to determine the exact role the pop star and other suspected accomplices played in her death, but D4vd reportedly hasn’t been cooperating since the investigation began.
🇿🇲 EDITORIAL | Zambia’s Catholic Voice Must Not Be a Partisan Echo
State House has invited the organisers of the mass protest for dialogue. Pressure is rising on all sides. The Oasis Forum backed by parts of the Catholic clergy is mobilising for a November 28 demonstration against the constitutional amendment process and what they are calling the return of cadre violence.
This afternoon the Evangelicals pushed back and defended the reforms, only to be attacked by opposition voices. The question now is simple. Are Catholics the only group allowed to appear politically correct in Zambia?
First things first. The two bishops shaping this national conversation stand on very different ground. Bishop Paul Mususu speaks from the Evangelical Church in Zambia, a constituency oriented institution that has historically urged development, delimitation and community welfare. Archbishop Alick Banda speaks from the Catholic Church, a powerful institution with a long history of political intervention from pastoral letters that rattled UNIP to public warnings that undercut the legitimacy of past governments.
Their pulpits are not equal. Their political magnitude is not equal. Their reputational burdens are not equal either.
When Alick Banda preached that Zambia risks “strife, blood bath, and destruction of both innocent lives and property” if current trends continue, the message landed with force but also with deep division. Unlike Mususu, who focused on development and governance, Banda reached for apocalyptic moral judgement.
Today, Banda does not carry the neutrality required to deliver such warnings. His political associations and partisanship are well known. His alliances are widely discussed within the PF and beyond. His presence at the Lungu family funeral in South Africa, at a moment when the State and the family were locked in legal combat, cemented a public perception that he has shifted from pastor to partisan actor.
This is why his warnings, however sincerely intended, now trigger suspicion rather than reflection. When a bishop who has hosted errying opposition figures in private meetings and presided over politically symbolic funerals speaks about national collapse, many sane citizens hear not prophecy but politics.
It is impossible to ignore that Banda has become, fairly or unfairly, a partisan spiritual reference point for the PF base. Online he has acquired a new label, “the Archbishop of Lusaka PF,” a mocking but telling measure of how far trust has eroded.
The Catholic Church must confront this reality. It is not just another denomination. It has been treated for decades as a kingmaker. Many Zambians believe that Catholic pronouncements contributed to the fall of UNIP and the weakening of MMD.
This belief has made the Church a political force whose words can tilt public mood. But that moral power depends on neutrality. When its most visible Archbishop is viewed as partisan, the institution risks losing its moral leverage and turning the sanctuary into a political stage.
Banda’s tone invites scrutiny because he speaks from an institution that has often demanded that sitting presidents answer to its moral expectations. However, Zambia is not a Catholic republic. Catholics are many and influential, but they are not the only faith community. Methodists, Adventists, Pentecostals, Evangelicals and independent churches carry equal stake in the nation’s democratic conversation.
When Banda speaks as if the Catholic interpretation of Zambia’s crisis is the national interpretation, he feeds the perception that the Church wants to remain the loudest voice even when others are present and concerned.
Bishop Mususu, by contrast, spoke about concrete reform, delimitation, CDF access and the need to avoid another cycle of administrative stagnation. He said that “the amendment process contains progressive provisions” and warned that delaying reform would disadvantage rural communities. He condemned the stoning of the President and called for peace.
His message centred on governance, not political warfare.
This contrast matters. Zambia needs moral clarity. It needs courage from the pulpit. But it also needs voices that remain above political suspicion. If the Catholic Church wishes to reclaim that authority, it may need other bishops, not those entangled in partisan perception, to lead this moment.
The message of justice and peace must come from shepherds who speak to all Zambians, not from figures who are already treated as political symbols.
For now, the two bishops are addressing the same crisis, but their credibility, their tone and their constituencies are worlds apart. One appeals to reform. The other fuels a political storm.
Zambia must reject the dangerous belief that one church or one bishop holds the keys to national destiny. That belief divides the country and amplifies fear over fact.
We deserve faith leaders who speak to the entire nation, not to a single political wing.
For publishable reaction opinions, write to editor.peoplesbrief@gmail.com.
PF Proposes to Reschedule Forthcoming Convention – Makebi Zulu
Patriotic Front – PF Presidential Candidate, Hon. Makebi Zulu, has announced that the party is proposing to reschedule its much-anticipated convention.
Speaking during a livestream address to the nation, Hon. Zulu said the decision follows a meeting of all PF presidential candidates convened by former Vice President Inonge Mutukwa Wina, together with other senior elders of the party.
He explained that the consultative meeting focused on fostering unity, ensuring transparency, and resolving outstanding concerns ahead of the elective convention.
Hon. Zulu noted that the elders advised the candidates to prioritise consensus-building and to safeguard the integrity of the process, prompting the proposal to shift the convention date.
Fellow citizens,
The resilience of the party to withstand external and internal conflict is unquestionable as it has been tested overtime. Once again, the party is challenged to rise to the call for unity and proven oneness and give hope to the nation. on behalf of all aspiring candidates, i have been authorized to issue this statement.
Today, the aspiring candidates held a meeting at which the call to unity and resolution of percieved conflicts was highlighted under the guidance of the Elders of the party who included the Former Vice President of the Republic of Zambia, Her Honour Madam Inonge Mutukwa Wina, Ambassodor Paul Lumbi, and Hon. Ng’onga Mukupa, The former National Chairman of the Patriotic Front Party.
Following the successful talks, it has been agree that the parties continue engaging in fostering oneness and unity of purpose. As such, the meeting resolved to propose to the central committee to postpone the holding of the proposed convention to a later date as shall be decided by the central committee.
May God bless our party as we work towards fostering unity both within the party and the country at large.
List of Candidates who attended the meeting;
1. Hon Chishimba Kambwili 2. Hon Mutotwe Kafwaya 3. Hon Makebi Zulu 4. Hon Chitalu Chilufya 5. Hon Miles B Sampa 6. Hon Chanda Katotobwe 7. Hon Greyford Monde 8. Hon Brian Mundubile 9. Hon Given Lubinda
Signed: Hon Makebi Zulu PF Presidential Candidate.
THE BODY OF CHRIST SHOULD BE WEARY OF CALLING FOR BL00D BATH IN THE COUNTRY
By Col Hamwiinde Munamunungu ( Rtd )
Some statements coming out from some prominent men of God are alarming and uncalled for. Preaching bloodbath before, during and after the 2026 Presidential and General Elections is being alarmists and not being sensitive to the situation that might arise.
Any bloodbath will never be selective because everyone will be a victim and includes the same men of God.
It is a pity that our religious leaders might have not been to countries destabilized by wars. Angola, across the road, could have been a perfect example to see the destruction of life and property in the 70s.
The peace, this Zambia has enjoyed since independence should never be taken for granted. Through careless talk we can easily lose it and regret big time.
All genuine men of the Collar should pray for peace, preach peace, prophesy peace,dream peace, talk peace, laugh peace, dance peace and open their eyes in peace.
Men of the collar should never succumb to political manipulation for money and property. This is unbiblical and satanic.
From what they say in public and preach on the pulpit, we are able to see political crookedness in them. This is dangerous.
What is very interesting though is that one regional grouping is in the forefront while the rest of the country remains sober in their preaching and sharing the word of God.
Let us all guard against calling for war, let us register as voters and use our democratic right to change any government, not of our liking, than through throwing stones at each other.
Nkosazana Zuma-Mncube, the eldest daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, has laid a criminal case of human trafficking and fraud against Duduzile Zuma and two others in relation to the 17 South African men who are stuck in Ukraine. Statement by Nkosazana Bonganini Zuma-Mncube on the Opening of a Criminal Case on the matter of 17 South Africans in Ukraine.
I, Nkosazana Bonganini Zuma-Mncube, a South African citizen and the first-born daughter to former President Jacob Zuma wish to address the matter of the 17 South African men who are trapped in the midst of the Ukraine/Russian War.
These men were lured to Russia under false pretences and handed to a Russian mercenary group to fight in the Ukraine war without their knowledge or consent. Among these 17 men, who are requesting the South African government for assistance, are eight of my family members.
Driven by my moral obligation I have opened a criminal case at the Sandton Police Station on 22 November 2025 at approximately 18:30 against the following individuals for their key roles in this tragedy:
Ms Duduzile Zuma Sambudla Ms Siphokazi Xuma Mr Blessing Khoza
Having considered all the information available to me and the facts at my disposal, I believe these three individuals have contravened the following laws:
- Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act - Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act - Common Law Act of Fraud
I urge the South African government to expedite all diplomatic efforts to secure the immediate and safe return of our citizens.
Furthermore, I call on all South Africans to be vigilant and not fall prey to individuals offering too-good-to-be-true opportunities abroad, especially those involving travel to conflict zones.
An extremely concerned South African citizen Nkosazana Bonganini Zuma-Mncube
Bury Lungu before thinking of succeeding him, Fr Muma tells PF presidential hopefuls
CATHOLIC PRIEST Father Elias Muma says the Patriotic Front-PF will only workout their leadership succession bid if they first bury late president Edgar Lungu.
And Fr Muma says the late president Edgar Lungu is a national property and not a PF property.
The Catholic priest says there cannot be effective succession if the person you want to succeed remains unburied.
In the homily monitored by TV Yatu, the St Mbaaga — Kitwe’s Kawama Catholic Parish priest wonders what succession tradition the PF is using in going in high gear to campaign and aspire to succeed Lungu when basic African tradition requires that a deceased is buried before people can talk about succeeding them.
“I would urge those that are concerned, because I am also particularly concerned. You cannot have something hanging on us and now people are slowly forgetting about it; it is still there so let us work it out,” Fr Muma says.
He says the late president is a property for all Zambia’s adding that there is need to close the mourning chapter by burying him first before people can start eying the position he held in the party.
ANALYSIS | Catholic Priest Voices: Are they politicking?
Two of Zambia’s most powerful Catholic voices have stepped into the political storm at the same time that violence, legal battles and constitutional anxiety are rising ahead of 2026. Archbishop Alick Banda of Lusaka and Archbishop Ignatius Chama of Kasama are speaking from different pulpits and with different styles, but their messages converge on one concern: the country is drifting toward confrontation, and silence from the Church is no longer tenable.
Archbishop Banda’s homily at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus was his sharpest public intervention in years. Reflecting on recent incidents, he warned that if current trends continue, “this may turn our society into strife, blood bath, and destruction of both innocent lives and property.” He linked his warning to what he called “selective application of the rule of law, selective provision of security, and selective administration of justice,” and urged Zambians to “open up our eyes and recognise the signs pointing towards destruction and change the course.”
For Banda, the remedy begins with repentance, truth and reconciliation, not public relations or political spin. “Sin and evil can never bring about peace,” he told the congregation, framing the crisis in moral and spiritual language rather than party terms.
But Banda’s intervention does not land in a vacuum. For years he has been viewed by many UPND supporters as sympathetic to the Patriotic Front, a perception hardened when he presided over former president Edgar Lungu’s funeral service in South Africa. Critics point out that during the height of PF era cadre violence and police shootings, his voice was not as sharp as it is today.
Supporters counter that he spoke against injustice in more guarded tones and that a pastor’s duty is to warn whenever danger becomes visible, regardless of who occupies State House. The result is that his current warnings are heard through a partisan filter, even when his language is directed at broader patterns of violence and selective justice.
The historical record from the PF years is not in dispute. In 2021, Amnesty International described “an increasingly brutal crackdown on human rights” and documented how opposition meetings were blocked, media houses were shut and at least eight (8) people were killed by police between 2016 and 2021, including state prosecutor Nsama Nsama and UPND supporter Joseph Kaunda, both shot outside police headquarters in Lusaka, and student Vesper Shimuzhila, who died after police fired a tear gas canister into her room during a protest.
That PF era normalised impunity around political policing and left a legacy that the current administration has not fully reversed.
Under UPND, the scale of recorded violence has so far been lower than during the peak PF period, but the pattern remains worrying. The stoning of President Hakainde Hichilema in Chingola, the brutal assault on Given Lubinda in Kabwe, and the recent attack at the PF Secretariat have revived fears that cadre politics is resurfacing in new colours.
Senior UPND figures have issued conflicting statements, some acknowledging involvement by party youths, others denying knowledge of key actors. Against that background, Banda’s warning about “selective provision of security” resonates with citizens who feel that both PF and UPND have, at different times, benefited from protection or blind spots in policing, depending on who holds power.
Archbishop Ignatius Chama enters the same debate from a different angle. Speaking on Radio Lutanda, the Kasama prelate and president of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops urged Christians to join the Oasis Forum’s planned demonstrations on 28 November against perceived erosion of constitutional safeguards.
He framed the march as a “sacred civic responsibility” rather than partisan mobilisation, stressing that the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by the Constitution and should be exercised responsibly. For Chama, the issue is not one party against another, but whether governance remains anchored in transparency, fairness and accountability, especially toward the poor and vulnerable.
Chama was explicit that the Church rejects violence and chaos, but he warned equally against indifference. When governance drifts and institutions are used to shield corruption or suppress dissent, he argued, believers have a moral obligation to take a stand through lawful means.
Chama called on police to treat protesters as “the voice of collective conscience, not enemies of the state,” and urged the service to focus on real threats such as corruption and abuse of public institutions, rather than intimidating citizens who act within the law. His appeal placed responsibility on both citizens and law enforcement to keep protest peaceful while safeguarding constitutional space.
The Catholic Church’s interventions carry weight because of its historical role in Zambia. Catholic bishops were central to the moral pressure that opened the way for multiparty democracy in 1991, and their pastoral letters have repeatedly challenged ruling parties over corruption, repression and economic mismanagement in the decades since.
When the Church speaks with one voice on governance questions, governments tend to take notice. When its senior figures appear divided, political actors try to exploit the gap, emphasising the statements that support their preferred narrative and discrediting those that do not.
Today, the Church is not divided on principle but on style and emphasis. Banda speaks as a pastor alarmed by rising anger and the risk of bloodshed. Chama speaks as an institutional leader focused on constitutional safeguards and organised civic action.
Both identify the same underlying concerns: violence around politics, selective policing, and a reform process that many fear is being driven from above rather than from citizens. Their combined voices signals that the Catholic hierarchy sees this as a decisive period for Zambia’s democracy, not a routine moment in the electoral cycle.
The challenge for political leaders is how they respond. If the government treats these warnings as partisan attacks and dismisses them, it risks deepening mistrust with a Church that many citizens still regard as a moral referee.
If opposition parties instrumentalise the bishops to relitigate PF era grievances without acknowledging their own role in violent mobilisation, they will reinforce the cycle of blame that both prelates say must end. A credible response will require consistent policing of all cadres, transparent handling of constitutional reforms, and serious engagement with independent voices rather than rhetorical counter attacks.
As 2026 approaches, the bishops are reminding the country that Zambia has walked this road before. It has seen what happens when impunity is allowed to grow, and it has also seen how public conscience, often shaped from the pulpit, can push politics back within constitutional boundaries.
The question now is whether political actors, security agencies and citizens heed the warning, or allow familiar patterns of violence and selective justice to harden before another election.
Patriotic Front Former Deputy Secretary General Mumbi Phiri has urged party members to avoid internal camps, warning that individuals who personalize the competition risk isolating themselves once the party consolidates around the chosen candidate.
In an interview with Phoenix News, Mrs. Phiri says that the party has learned from past experiences and is determined to avoid divisions. She has noted that all candidates participating in the intra-party race are performing strongly and engaging the grassroots effectively.
Mrs. Phiri has reminded party members that despite multiple declarations of interest, only one candidate will be selected, and the rest of the party is expected to rally behind the winner.
She has encouraged candidates and party members to avoid personal attacks, emphasizing that the pf considers itself as one political family whose strength depends on cohesion and has urged members to maintain unity and focus on the party’s goals, ensuring a harmonious and successful convention.
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has announced that he will on Tuesday this week hold a press conference to address the nation on various issues, main among them, political violence in the country.
Speaking this afternoon when he officiated at the Evangelical Church in Zambia Diamond Jubilee celebrations service in Matero constituency, President Hichilema says he will not allow the country to return to hooliganism and street fighting under his watch.
He says there is no need for the country to begin experiencing violence as is the case in other neighboring countries.
The head of state says days where citizens and members of the public were attacked, killed are long gone and should not return.
Meanwhile, President Hichilema has highlighted the need for the church and government to continue working together and engaging in dialogue when there is a departure from any of them.
Bishop MUSUSU Appeals for Rethink on Constitution Protests
By Masauso Mkwayaya
The Evangelical Church in Zambia –ECZ- has called on those planning to demonstrate against the Constitution Amendment process to reconsider their position.
ECZ Presiding Bishop PAUL MUSUSU has urged opponents of the amendment to reflect on the needs of communities that are seeking development.
Speaking during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Evangelical Church in Zambia Matero Congregation, Bishop MUSUSU said the amendment process contains progressive provisions, including delimitation, which aims to divide large constituencies such as Kasempa.
He explained that the ECZ Church in Kasempa has not benefited from the Constituency Development Fund -CDF- because the constituency is too vast for development resources to effectively reach all communities.
Bishop MUSUSU said that once the constituency is split, the Church and other local groups will stand a better chance of accessing development resources.
He added that amendments must be implemented now in order to avoid losing another five years to delayed reforms.
Bishop MUSUSU also condemned the stoning of President HAKAINDE HICHILEMA in Chingola, stressing that the Head of State is a national asset who must be protected.
He further appealed to President HICHILEMA to continue promoting peace and ensure that the country does not return to the dark days when political violence was widespread.
STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF AMBASSADOR EMMANUEL MWAMBA ON THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE PF CONVENTION
23.11.2025 We fully support the position taken by Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba regarding the postponement of the Patriotic Front (PF) convention. His call is grounded in reason, responsibility, and a clear commitment to safeguarding the integrity, unity, and future of our party.
At this critical moment, it is essential that the PF places order above haste and unity above expediency. Ambassador Mwamba has rightly emphasised that a convention held under unresolved legal, structural, or procedural uncertainties risks deepening divisions rather than strengthening the party. His guidance reflects mature leadership and a genuine desire to see the PF emerge stronger, more organised, and better prepared to serve the Zambian people.
Postponement is not a sign of weakness, rather it is a strategic decision aimed at ensuring that all processes are transparent, inclusive, and consistent with the party constitution. Ambassador Mwamba’s counsel allows for adequate time to address outstanding issues, mobilise members effectively, and guarantee that every stakeholder participates meaningfully in shaping the PF’s future.
We therefore commend his principled stance and call on all members to rally behind this reasoned position. Unity, discipline, and proper organisation must remain our collective priority. With calm reflection and structured preparation, the PF will be better positioned to hold a credible, democratic, and unifying convention that reflects the will of its membership.
We stand firmly with Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba and support the call for a responsible, well-planned, and legally sound convention.
I remain,
Isaac Mulezuma Njobvu PF Diaspora Coordinator Chairperson
PRESIDENT HICHILEMA LAUDS EVANGELICAL CHURCH’S ROLE IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT DIAMOND JUBILEE
Lusaka… Sunday November 23, 2025 – President Hakainde Hichilema has praised the Evangelical Church in Zambia (ECZ) for its longstanding contribution to national development, as the church marked its 60th anniversary in Matero under the theme “Celebrating God’s Faithfulness: 60 Years of Witnessing, Worship, and Service.”
Speaking during the celebrations, the President said the Church’s role in Zambia could not be overstated, noting that faith-based institutions remained vital partners to the government, particularly in the delivery of health and education services.
He emphasized that the Church had, over the decades, complemented government efforts in improving the wellbeing of citizens across the country.
President Hichilema further underscored the importance of unity and stability, stating that the Church should continue to act as a unifying force.
He said Zambia’s global reputation as a beacon of peace was owed, in part, to the values and teachings upheld by religious institutions.
The Head of State also reaffirmed his administration’s determination to end cadreism and the political violence associated with previous years.
He said national unity, peace, and stability were essential foundations for the country’s development agenda.
In his remarks, President Hichilema extended heartfelt congratulations to the Evangelical Church in Zambia for reaching the significant milestone of 60 years.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to working closely with the Church in fostering development and improving the lives of all Zambians.
AFRICA, LOOK AGAIN — ZIMBABWE IS BUILDING A FUTURE CITY! ️
Yes, it’s real Zimbabwe Cyber City is rising in Mount Hampden, just outside Harare!
With $500 million in investment, this smart city will feature luxury villas, tech hubs, AI infrastructure, blockchain systems, and eco-friendly design all built by African hands with global ambition.
Backed by the government and UAE partners, it’s set to become a Special Economic Zone attracting digital asset firms, investors, and innovators across Africa.
From farmland to futuristic skyline Zimbabwe is aiming for the stars.
Zuma’s daughter opens criminal case against sister Duduzile and others over alleged trafficking of South Africans to Russia
Nkosazana Bonganini Zuma-Mncube, the daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, has filed a criminal case alleging that 17 South African men, including eight of her own family members, were trafficked to fight in the Ukraine war.
The case, opened at the Sandton Police Station on November 22, 2025, names three individuals, Ms Duduzile Zuma Sambudla (her sister), Ms Siphokazi Xuma, and Mr Blessing Khoza.
Zuma-Mncube accuses them of playing “key roles” in what she describes as a tragedy where the men were “lured to Russia under false pretences and handed to a Russian mercenary group to fight war… without their knowledge or consent.”
The allegations point to a severe breach of South African law. In her statement, Zuma-Mncube asserts the trio contravened the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act, the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act which strictly governs the participation of citizens in foreign conflicts and common law fraud.
This revelation sheds a startling new light on the precarious situation of the 17 citizens, who are now reportedly seeking assistance from the South African government while trapped in a active war zone. The direct involvement of members of the politically significant Zuma family adds a layer of complexity and urgency to the case.
Zuma-Mncube has made a dual appeal, first, to the government to “expedite all diplomatic efforts” for the immediate and safe return of the men, and second, to the South African public, urging vigilance against offers of deceptively attractive opportunities abroad, “especially those involving travel to conflict zones.”
The South African Police Service has confirmed receipt of the case, which is now expected to trigger parallel diplomatic and criminal investigations.
EXPLAINER | S&P Upgrades Zambia’s Credit Rating: What You Must Know
S&P Global Ratings has moved Zambia out of default for the first time in four years, upgrading the sovereign to CCC+ / C with a stable outlook. The decision formally closes a painful chapter that began in 2020 when Zambia became the first African state to default during the pandemic. The new rating signals that global markets now recognise Lusaka’s progress in stabilising its public finances, restructuring debt and restoring policy credibility.
S&P based its upgrade on Zambia’s “substantial progress” in restructuring 94 percent of the 13.3 billion dollar debt under review. Only a small pool of commercial creditors remains outside the framework, and the agency says the risk of disruption from those holdouts is “manageable” due to the legal protections built into the restructuring terms.
This is the clearest confirmation yet that Zambia has avoided a prolonged stalemate similar to the one that hurt countries like Sri Lanka and Argentina.
The rating also reflects improved macroeconomic indicators. Inflation, which had climbed above 20 percent during Zambia’s crisis years, is projected to return to single digits by 2026. Foreign reserves have increased to 5.2 billion dollars, supported by concessional inflows, higher copper earnings and restrained public spending.
S&P says the fiscal consolidation programme remains intact even as Zambia heads toward the 2026 elections, a period that often triggers spending surges and policy reversal in emerging economies.
History is essential to understand the significance of this moment. Between 2015 and 2020, Zambia accumulated large external debts, particularly to Chinese lenders and global bondholders. A combination of drought, weak copper output and heavy borrowing brought debt to more than 120 percent of GDP before the default.
By 2022, several rating agencies placed Zambia at the bottom of global credit rankings. The upgrade to CCC+ does not erase the scars, but it restores a pathway back to the international capital markets.
Copper sits at the centre of Zambia’s recovery story. Production rose 17.8 percent in the first half of 2025 after years of contraction, driven by operational improvements and new investments. S&P says copper will “anchor Zambia’s growth outlook” because global demand from electric vehicles and renewable energy remains strong. Higher volumes and stable prices have strengthened export earnings and boosted fiscal revenue, reinforcing the country’s debt service capacity.
The wider global context also matters. Investors have returned to African high-yield debt in 2025 after two years of volatility triggered by United States rate hikes.
Countries like Kenya and Ivory Coast have already tested the markets successfully, while Ghana, Ethiopia and Tunisia remain in negotiation cycles. Zambia’s upgrade positions it among the few African states showing credible recovery progress, improving its perception among institutional investors who had written it off as a prolonged risk case.
However, significant risks remain. The CCC+ rating means Zambia is still classified as highly vulnerable to external shocks. A sharp fall in copper prices, prolonged drought, or delays in the remaining debt negotiations could strain the outlook. The 2026 election cycle will test fiscal discipline, and reforms in energy, agriculture and state-owned enterprises still face structural hurdles.
S&P notes these risks clearly, which is why the outlook remains stable rather than positive.
For citizens and the private sector, the upgrade carries practical consequences. A stronger rating lowers borrowing costs for government over time, encourages private investment, and boosts confidence in the banking system. Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane says the priority now is to “translate macro gains into jobs and stable prices,” a challenge that requires stronger productivity, deeper energy reforms and faster project execution.
Zambia has taken a significant step out of default, but the next phase is harder. Sustaining credibility will require strict spending controls, transparency in remaining debt deals, and consistent reforms even during the election season.
For now, S&P’s upgrade shifts Zambia’s global perception from a debt cautionary tale to a state cautiously rebuilding its financial reputation.
A Defining Moment for Africa: G20 Leaders’ Summit Declaration Adopted in Johannesburg
A new era of global cooperation is born on African soil.
South Africa has marked a historic milestone as President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the unanimous adoption of the G20 Leaders’ Summit Declaration—a resounding endorsement of multilateralism at a moment when the world needs unity the most. “The adoption of the Declaration sends an unequivocal message: multilateralism works.” This powerful assertion from President Ramaphosa set the tone for a Summit that has redefined Africa’s place in global governance.
Africa Steps Into Its Power
Opening the first-ever G20 Leaders’ Summit hosted on African soil, President Ramaphosa welcomed leaders to Johannesburg’s iconic Cradle of Humankind—a symbolic birthplace of humanity and now, a birthplace of renewed global cooperation. Invoking the words of Nelson Mandela, he reminded the world that South Africa has fully assumed its “rightful and responsible place in the community of nations.” And this week, South Africa did more than take its place it set the pace.
A Presidency That Delivered
Over the past year, South Africa’s G20 Presidency steered more than 130 strategic engagements, across the continent and beyond. Every meeting, every dialogue, every negotiation pointed toward one outcome: a G20 that works for all.
Guided by the Presidency theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” South Africa pushed for the development priorities of Africa and the Global South to be embedded not as footnotes—but as the backbone of the G20 agenda.
And today, with the adoption of the Declaration, that vision was realised.
The Heart of the Johannesburg Declaration
At a time of rising geopolitical tensions, climate instability, and economic uncertainty, the G20 emerged united around bold commitments shaped by South Africa’s leadership:
1. Strengthening Global Disaster Resilience
A commitment to scale up recovery financing for climate-induced disasters—especially for nations least able to rebuild.
2. Enabling Debt Sustainability for Low-Income Countries With a special focus on African economies whose growth is constrained by unsustainable debt burdens.
3. Financing the Just Energy Transition Ensuring developing economies receive the climate finance required to pursue equitable, green development pathways.
4. Harnessing Critical Minerals for Africa Championing beneficiation at source to drive industrialisation, job creation, and inclusive growth on the continent.
This is not just policy it is a blueprint for a fairer global economic order.
Expert Panels Shaping a New Global Architecture
Two major expert bodies provided the intellectual force behind South Africa’s Presidency:
The G20 Africa Expert Panel, led by Trevor Manuel, laid out a path for unlocking long-term, low-cost finance at scale.
The Extraordinary Committee on Global Inequality, chaired by Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, delivered hard-hitting recommendations to tackle global inequality at its roots.
Their work cements Africa’s imprint on the G20’s future direction.
A Summit That Sent a Message to the World
This historic African G20 Summit did more than adopt a Declaration—it restored faith in international cooperation.
President Ramaphosa’s message was unmistakable: “This Declaration tells the world that we will leave no person, no community, and no country behind.”
It is a statement of leadership. A statement of intent. A statement of global solidarity.
And above all, a statement that Africa’s voice is not just being heard it is now shaping the global agenda.
The Johannesburg Moment Will Be Remembered
For the first time, the world watched Africa not as a participant, but as a convener. Not as a subject of global decisions, but as a driver of global solutions.
The adoption of the G20 Leaders’ Summit Declaration marks a turning point for South Africa, for Africa, and for a world searching for cooperation over conflict.
Johannesburg will be remembered as the place where the G20 reaffirmed its credibility, its integrity, and its capacity to deliver for humanity.
The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa Department of International Relations and Cooperation, SA G20 South Africa #diplomaticinformersa #diplomaticinformer
PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA G20 LEADERS SUMMIT CLOSING REMARKS
Leaders of the G20 Member States and Invited Countries, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr António Guterres, Heads of International Organisations, Ministers, Distinguished Guests.
I extend my deepest gratitude for the steadfast support you have shown throughout South Africa’s G20 Presidency.
Your commitment has been vital in reaffirming the G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation, and ensuring that it continues to drive progress on our most important challenges.
We have met this year in the face of significant challenges, and demonstrated our ability to come together even in times of great difficulty to pursue a better world.
South Africa’s Presidency marks the first time that the G20 has been hosted on African soil.
Recognising the importance of this milestone, we have sought to place Africa’s growth and development at the heart of the G20’s agenda.
The greatest opportunity for prosperity in the 21st century lies in Africa.
Harnessing that opportunity will require a strong partnership between Africa and the G20, and indeed between Africa and the rest of the world.
Recognising our interconnectedness as a global community of nations, we have called for an end to conflicts and wars around the globe and for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace.
This summit has taken place at a crucial moment, as calls around the world grow louder for progress on the imperatives of our time: to end poverty in all its forms, to reduce inequality within and among countries, and to take urgent action to combat climate change.
This year, we have recognised the growing debt burden faced by many developing economies as a major obstacle to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The G20 has pledged to extend support to low‑ and middle‑income countries as they confront debt vulnerabilities.
Together, we must create a virtuous cycle of reduced debt, higher public investment and more rapid and inclusive economic growth.
When we began our Presidency, we pledged to mobilise the G20 to strengthen disaster resilience and response.
Climate‑induced natural disasters spare no country, but their toll is heaviest on those without the means to recover and rebuild.
We therefore called on G20 Leaders to urge the global community to scale up post-disaster reconstruction.
In this regard, South Africa introduced the High-Level Voluntary Principles for Investing in Disaster Risk Reduction and encouraged international collaboration to strengthen investment in preventing and responding to disasters.
We have made progress in mobilising finance for a just energy transition.
Climate change touches every nation, but its impacts are unevenly felt.
That is why we have together pledged to increase the quality and quantity of climate finance to developing economies, to strengthen multilateral development banks, to support country platforms like the Just Energy Transition Partnership, and to unlock private capital.
We reaffirmed our dedication to energy security, affordability and universal access, and the importance of supporting developing economies in their transition to low carbon emissions.
We recognised the need for deep, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and the need to substantially scale up investment and climate finance from all sources.
During this summit, we reaffirmed our support for the G20 Critical Minerals Framework, a cooperative blueprint to ensure that critical mineral resources drive prosperity and sustainable development across the globe.
Our Presidency coincided with the end of the first cycle of G20 Presidencies.
Following the mandate given to our Presidency at the 2024 Rio de Janeiro Summit, we undertook the G20@20 Review, drawing on the diverse perspectives of participating members and guest countries….
U.S. MILITARY MOVING INTO CARIBBEAN – VENEZUELA’S ABOUT TO LEARN WHAT “NEW PHASE” MEANS
4 officials confirm the US is prepping operations against Venezuela.
Timing unclear. Scope classified. Trump hasn’t greenlit it yet – officially. But military assets are already positioning in the Caribbean.
That’s not contingency planning. That’s stage-setting.
Here’s the playbook nobody wants to name: Maduro’s sitting on the hemisphere’s largest oil reserves while his economy collapses and refugees flood the region.
U.S. frames it as humanitarian crisis, moves forces “nearby,” waits for the incident that justifies intervention.
Maduro’s options: fold now or wait for the “provocation” that gives Trump cover to finish what’s been brewing since 2019.
Within 6 months, either Maduro’s gone or we’re watching another “limited operation” that isn’t.
South Africa Sets Terms for G20 Presidency Handover
South Africa’s International Relations Minister, Ronald Lamola, has confirmed that Pretoria will appoint an official of equivalent seniority to a Chargé d’Affaires to hand over the G20 presidency to the United States next week.
This comes after the US initially proposed that its Chargé d’Affaires in Pretoria receive the instruments of the G20 presidency — a move South Africa rejected, insisting that President Cyril Ramaphosa would not hand over to a junior-level diplomat.
The adjustment ensures the handover maintains the diplomatic dignity and protocol expected between the two nations.
A firm stance on protocol. A smooth transition still on track.
In a stunning discovery, Madagascar’s military leader, President Michael Randrianirina, has uncovered a massive 300kg emerald gemstone inside the presidential palace — barely one month after assuming power through a coup.
With the gemstone valued at €80 per gram, the find is estimated at €24 million (about $27 million).
President Randrianirina has officially declared the emerald a national asset, announcing plans to sell it in order to boost the country’s revenues.
How Hichilema’s constitutional gamble is ensnaring PF and independent MPs
By Sishuwa Sishuwa
Catholic Bishops will, on 28 November, lead a peaceful public protest march to State House against executive-driven changes to Zambia’s constitution. The protests have been organised by the Oasis Forum, a broad civic alliance of the country’s lawyers (the Law Association of Zambia), three Christian church mother bodies (the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Council of Churches in Zambia, and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia) and the disparate women’s organisations in the Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council.
Formed in April 2001 to defend the constitution from the attempts of then President Frederick Chiluba to amend it and seek a third term, the alliance represents what one researcher, Jeremy Gould, has called “an auspicious wedding of the legal authority of the lawyers, the moral authority of the Church, and the popular authority of the women’s movement.” The efforts of the Forum contributed to forcing Chiluba to abandon his plans and helped to preserve the constitutional order. To better understand the role that the Oasis Forum played in defending the constitution in 2001 and generating opposition to Chiluba’s plans within the governing Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) and in the rank and file of the military, read the article below.
The Oasis Forum has since gone on to successfully defend the constitution from unpopular and executive-driven changes on two other occasions.
The first occasion was in early 2011 when then President Rupiah Banda took to parliament a constitutional amendment bill that largely reflected the interests of the ruling party rather than the public and left out popular provisions such as the proposal that a winning presidential candidate should secure a minimum of ’50 per cent + 1’ of the total vote and that the vice-president should be elected alongside the president as a running mate. The Oasis Forum, which had earlier boycotted the constitution making process in protest at the composition of the body that was appointed to spearhead the exercise, successfully lobbied lawmakers to vote against the bill in parliament. To better understand the role that the Oasis Forum played in defending the constitution in 2011, read the book chapter on the link below.
The second occasion was in 2019 when then President Edgar Lungu took to parliament the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill Number 10 which, if passed, would have undermined the key institutions that offer the long-term hope for democratic consolidation such as elections, the constitution, and the judiciary. Among other things, Bill 10 proposed to remove parliament’s oversight of the executive in relation to debt contraction and signing of international treaties; relax the procedure for removing judges in ways that would both make it easier for the president to dismiss them and further undermine the independence and impartiality of the judiciary; remove constitutional provisions on the size of, and qualifications for election to, the National Assembly, transferring the power to decide many of these aspects to parliament; and raise the number of nominations to parliament that the president is allowed to make.
As well as lobbying political actors to reject the Bill, the Oasis Forum formally petitioned Lungu to abandon the constitution making exercise on the grounds that Bill 10 represented a partisan rather than national exercise and was conceived without consensus. The campaign against Bill 10 by civil society organisations led to its defeat in the National Assembly where it failed to garner a two-thirds majority after MPs belonging to Hichilema’s United Party for National Development (UPND) voted against it.
Earlier, in 2016, in a move that demonstrates its flexibility, the Oasis Forum did work with both opposition UPND and ruling party lawmakers to successfully support changes to the constitution that enhanced democracy and were a product of district, provincial and national-level consultations. This reinforces the notion that the way to achieve political outcomes is through mutually agreed democratic processes. To better understand the importance of the role that the Oasis Forum played in defending the constitution in 2019 and 2020, read the article below.
Ironically, many of the election-linked changes to the constitution that President Hakainde Hichilema is now seeking to introduce were the same ones he rejected when proposed by his predecessor in Bill 10. Amidst this unprincipled shift, and at a time when several law academics who opposed Bill 10 now happily serve as Hichilema’s apologists, it is most encouraging that the Oasis Forum has remained consistent in its defence of public interest and is now opposing Hichilema’s own attempts to rewrite constitutional rules to secure electoral advantage. In addition to organising the forthcoming public protest, the Forum has also dragged the executive to the Constitutional Court, challenging the legality of the process that Hichilema has employed to make changes to the constitution. To download and read the Oasis Forum’s petition, click on the link below.
To recap: in the first quarter of this year, Minister of Justice Princess Kasune Zulu sprung up from nowhere with a set of proposals that she claimed were submissions received from undisclosed people who wanted specific changes to the constitution. These submissions, generally believed to have come from the UPND, became the basis upon which Hichilema’s administration moved in May, and against widespread opposition from civil society, opposition parties and ordinary citizens, to introduce the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill, No. 7 of 2025.
Among other proposals, Bill 7, as it has become popularly known, seeks to raise the number of nominations to parliament that the president is allowed to make; remove constitutional provisions on the size of the National Assembly, transferring the power to decide this aspect to parliament; and create 55 new constituencies that will mostly be located in ruling party strongholds, a form of gerrymandering that could help the ruling party retain a clear parliamentary majority even if it loses support elsewhere.
The Bill further seeks to allow vacancies in the office of Member of Parliament to be filled by the political party from which the MP was elected rather than through by-elections; legalise the use of public resources for political campaigns and introduce proportional representation for women, youths, and persons with disabilities even when the current constitution requires the president to accommodate these groups in public appointments. The proposed changes, despite the rhetoric of inclusivity, are largely self-serving and mask an authoritarian agenda. If enacted into law, they would erode democratic principles and undermine the integrity of the 2026 general election by tilting the playing field against Hichilema’s political opponents.
In June, following a petition by two people including an independent MP Munir Zulu, who is now serving a jail term for a politically motivated offence, the Constitutional Court declared the process that gave birth to Bill 7 as unconstitutional. By majority decision of four to three, the court ruled that the proposed amendments were “initiated without undertaking wide consultations with the people” and ordered the government to restart the process, this time properly. “We order that the Respondent [i.e. the government] complies with the spirit of the constitution by ensuring a people driven process led by an independent body of experts in conducting wide consultations with the people”, ruled the judges.
In the aftermath, the ruling party’s parliamentary chief whip, Stafford Mulusa, announced that the government would reintroduce Bill 7 before next year’s general election. In the service of this objective, Hichilema then moved to circumvent the judgment of the court in three ways aimed at pushing forward the same changes to Zambia’s constitution whose origin remains unknown.
First, he appointed a 25-member “Technical Committee” largely consisting of his supporters instead of “an independent body of experts” to conduct public consultations and draft amendments to the constitution.
Second, he limited the Committee’s terms of reference to consulting the people on the appeal of the same proposals that were in the outlawed Bill 7. In other words, instead of starting a truly open and people-driven process, the public was only required to indicate whether they supported the constitutional changes proposed in Bill 7.
Third, the president directed the Committee to complete its “wide-ranging public consultations” in all 10 provinces of Zambia within 12 days after which it was to draft and submit an amendment Bill to the government. The Committee has since finished its work and announced that it will submit its final report to the government at the end of this month.
Many ordinary Zambians, several traditional leaders from across the country, and civil society organisations expressed opposition to both the composition of the committee and its terms of reference, boycotted its sittings, and asked Hichilema to abandon the exercise. Some of the civic bodies that monitored the Committee’s public sittings across the country even found evidence of people being paid money to make submissions in support of the government’s proposed changes to the constitution as part of manufacturing evidence of “overwhelming support from the public.” In what has become his trademark response to public concerns, Hichilema simply ignored this overwhelming opposition to the revival of Bill 7.
This, then, is the background to the Oasis Forum’s unparalleled step of engaging in public interest litigation by challenging the legality of the latest constitutional amendment process. The Forum’s legal action came in the wake of disclosure by Solicitor-General Marshall Muchende that the Technical Committee was appointed to do the government’s bidding. To avoid misrepresenting what Muchende said in an interview with Radio Phoenix on 23 October 2025, it is important to quote him:
“The terms of reference must mirror what the government wants to do. It is almost like a pitch… The Zambian people by and of themselves cannot pitch because our democracy is a representative democracy. They have elected a person. They have already elected a government … So, it is the government that has been elected that pitches to the people, amendments to the constitution … So, it is a fallacy for somebody to suggest that the amendments must come from the people. It doesn’t work like that. The government of the day must pitch, must propose that we would like to look into these issues”.
As the Forum’s petition discloses, Muchende further stated that the Technical Committee was effectively “validating what the Government already knew.” This serves as the clearest evidence that the process was executive-led and had a predetermined outcome, contradicting the orders that were made in the June judgment of the Constitutional Court.
For some reason, Hichilema appears confident that the court will, this time, rule in his favour. As a result, the president, working closely with the government chief whip, has set his sights on building the supports that he needs in parliament to pass Bill 7 or its successor and spent much of the last few months courting opposition PF and independent MPs. For a constitutional amendment Bill to pass in Zambia’s 167-member National Assembly, it requires at least two-thirds support (or 111 MPs).
Given that the ruling UPND has just 89 MPs, the success of Hichilema’s plan will require the backing of other lawmakers, even when the eight nominations the Constitution allows the president to appoint to parliament are added. The former ruling party, the Patriotic Front (PF), has 55 seats while independent MPs are 11. One smaller party holds a seat, and its MP tends to vote with the UPND. The remaining three seats are held by the Speaker, who does not vote, and the two-ruling party-aligned deputies who can vote. This means Hichilema will need at least 11 MPs to pass Bill 7 or its successor.
The president is so desperate to pass the self-serving changes to the constitution that he is offering up to three million Kwacha to each Member of Parliament to support Bill 7 or its successor when it is presented in parliament. This money is to be paid in two instalments of K1.5m before and after the vote. For perspective, the PF were offering K800, 000 to each MP who agreed to support Bill 10 in 2020. Hichilema’s decision to raise the bribery amount by nearly four times indicates that the president is desperate to succeed where his predecessor failed, or that the cost of buying an MP, like the prices of other commodities in Zambia since then, has gone up considerably, perhaps due to inflation!
So compromised are some of the legislators that at least 10 MPs from the main opposition party have reportedly accepted the first instalment, and more are lining up their pockets for the payment they think can help finance their re-election campaigns. This explains why many PF MPs have not publicly expressed any opposition to Bill 7 nor pledged that they would not support any changes to the Constitution of Zambia before the 2026 election.
In addition to financial inducement, some PF lawmakers with prosecutable offences from the past have been blackmailed by the presidency into supporting the bill to avoid arrest or enable their relatives, where this is relevant, to receive preferential treatment from the courts in some cases. As a result of this elite-level corruption pact, which undermines the capacity of parliament to act as a check or constraint on the executive, the best time to stop Bill 7 or its successor is before it is (re)tabled in the National Assembly for voting.
If Hichilema succeeds in his bid to change the Constitution, he would have passed the first hurdle to his multiple-step goal: winning a second term, removing presidential term limits, and perpetuating himself in power until death or after identifying and installing a pliant successor. The forthcoming protest organised by the Oasis Forum is thus as much about defending the Constitution from executive manipulation as it is about safeguarding Zambia’s democracy. Its critical importance might explain why the highly regarded Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kasama, Archbishop Ignatius Chama, who is also the President of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops, has publicly endorsed the march to State House.
Addressing the faithful a few days ago on a Catholic radio broadcast ahead of the protest, Archbishop Chama called on Zambians, especially young people, to turn in large numbers to peacefully march in defence of the Constitution. “The Constitution”, he said, “is not a mere legal document; it is the covenant between the state and its people. When the covenant is manipulated, when the rights are quietly stripped away under the guise of reform, it is not only the duty of the citizen but also the faithful to rise in peaceful, orderly protest.”
The Catholic prelate also emphasised that “The Church does not endorse disorder. We reject violence, property destruction, or incitement. But we also reject complicity. When governance moves way from transparency, equity, and accountability, when the dignity of the poor and the protection of the vulnerable are at risk, the faithful must speak, and they must march…. And when constitutional processes appear to bypass public consultation, or to concentrate power rather than expand rights, they must be at the forefront [of protesting against such governance excesses].”
Archbishop Chama further reminded the police of its legal mandate to uphold, defend, and protect the constitution, urging them to facilitate, not to curtail, the expression of the right to peaceful public assembly. “Protesters are not enemies of the state. They are its conscience”, he preached. “The true enemies are those who enrich themselves through corruption, who silence dissent, and who manipulate the institutions to serve private interests, not the public good. Let the police be the shield of the people, not the sword against them. The constitution belongs to the people. When it is threatened, the people must answer not with rage but with resolve. Not with chaos, but with clarity. Not with silence, but with sacred courage.”
The planned 28 November protest is thus a litmus test for the police. Given that no public protest against the government has been sanctioned since Hichilema’s election, it remains to be seen how the authorities will respond to the Oasis Forum’s planned peaceful march to State House in defence of Zambia’s Constitution. Will police facilitate or block it? Will the police arrest the bishops, lawyers, women and possibly traditional leaders expected to grace the protest? Only time will tell.
