ZAMBIANS NOT GULLIBLE, THEY KNOW LOAD-SHEDDING IS DUE TO POWER EXPORTS – MUNDUBILE

MPOROKOSO PF MP Brian Mundubile says it is surprising that Vice-President Mutale Nalumango thinks citizens are so gullible that they believe the load shedding being experienced is due to the drought that the country experienced two years ago.

On Saturday, Vice-President Nalumango said that while politicians may try to politicise the energy crisis, citizens understand that the long hours of load shedding are due to the severe drought the country had faced.

However, in an interview Saturday, Mundubile said Zambians are well informed and understand that the current load shedding is due to power exports.

“That clearly shows that her honour the Vice-President and her political party, her government, is disconnected from the Zambian people. It also shows that government has no regard for the Zambian people. I say that because the Zambian people speak; they speak not only through politicians but also directly, they speak on radio programmes, they speak on TV programmes, and it’s therefore surprising that her honour the Vice-President thinks Zambians are so gullible as to believe that up to now the issue of load shedding is on account of the drought that was there two years ago,” Mundubile noted.

“Zambians know that we are exporting power; Zambians know that we’ve been exporting power. It’s just two days ago that Zesco decided to stop exporting up to 400 megawatts of power, and we are seeing some improvement in power supply in certain areas. It’s unfortunate that her honour the Vice-President thinks Zambians are not well informed. It’s not about politics; it’s about reality. When she was meeting some officials from Namibia, the officials from Namibia were actually acknowledging that whilst we have load shedding here, they were receiving power from Zambia. Zambians were watching; that was on live television. How does she expect them not to know that the biggest reason why we have load shedding is because we are exporting power?”

Mundubile explained that despite the drought that the country experienced, citizens would not be subjected to this extent of load shedding if government had minimized exports.

“The drought that we had was not the first drought, and the meteorological department under the Ministry of Environment is able to predict future droughts. That particular drought, we had a ministerial statement on the floor of the House from the Ministry of Environment to tell us that they were expecting a drought in some parts of the country. Even with that information, government was still exporting power. If you go back to our debates at the beginning of 2023, before the drought, we started warning government against exporting power, so what you need to understand is that this problem started before the drought, yet government knew that there would be a drought,” he stated.

“They started exporting power, reducing the water levels before the drought, and we warned them: look, you need to minimize your exports so that we have enough water to generate power in difficult times. So, whereas the drought did have some impact on water levels, the irresponsible act—the reckless export of power—started even before the drought, and we warned them that there was a need to keep the water levels at a certain level by minimizing generation in good time. Generating [of] power at maximum comes with reducing the water levels, so when the drought came, it worsened the situation. This whole load shedding, the whole blame, is on the UPND and their appetite to export power before and after the drought. Had they not exported power before the drought, the drought would have come when we still had comfortable levels in Kariba. Even just with one rainy season, we would have gone back to normal.”

He added that citizens are expected to see an improvement in power supply because government had reduced power exports.

“The simple example is, we share Kariba Dam with Zimbabwe. Is the load shedding in Zimbabwe as bad as it is here? They are doing much better; they had some load shedding, they didn’t go through what we are going through, why? Because the Zambezi River Authority allocates water to both countries, so for them, they still had some good volume of water to continue generating power when we had depleted ours; we had depleted ours because of exports.

So the elephant in the room there is export of power. You’ll see some improvement now because they’ve stopped exporting 400 megawatts. Forget about the drought, that’s an excuse. Had government been responsible, we would not have been in this position even with the drought,” said Mundubile.

News Diggers

BOTSWANA PRESIDENT IS THINKING CORRECTLY

Botswana plans to buy control of De Beers by October- President

by Deborah Dan-Awoh

Anglo American PlcBotswana’s president, Duma Boko, says his government is determined to conclude a deal to take control of De Beers, the world’s best-known diamond producer, by the end of October.

The move would mark a historic shift in ownership of a company that has long shaped the global diamond trade, while reflecting Botswana’s broader ambitions to assert economic sovereignty in a moment of financial strain.

“We are more than ready for the transaction, and we’ve said the transaction must be concluded by the end of October. It’s a matter of economic sovereignty for Botswana,” Boko said in an interview with Bloomberg Television during his trip to New York.

London-based Anglo American Plc currently owns 85% of De Beers and has signaled its intent to sell the stake as part of a restructuring plan launched 16 months ago.

The mining giant has been under pressure to simplify its business after years of sluggish demand for natural stones and rising competition from lab-grown diamonds, which sell for a fraction of the cost. In February, Anglo wrote down De Beers’ value to $4.9 billion.

Botswana, which already holds 15% of De Beers, is now looking to secure a controlling stake. According to Boko, his government is in talks with several financing partners, including Oman’s sovereign wealth fund, to lift its shareholding above 50%. Anglo confirmed it is “continuing to engage” with Gaborone as a partner, though no final agreement has been reached.

More insights
The urgency is clear. Diamonds account for roughly 80% of Botswana’s export earnings and a third of government revenue. Yet falling prices have battered the economy, prompting S&P Global Ratings this month to cut the country’s long-term sovereign credit rating.

The ratings agency expects the economy to contract for a second straight year in 2025. In August, Boko declared a public health emergency, citing shortages in funding for medical supplies linked to dwindling diamond revenues.

Botswana’s diamond partnership with De Beers dates back decades through Debswana, a joint venture in which each side holds 50%. But sales from Debswana plunged 46% last year, showing the severity of the market downturn.

The president argues that greater national control of De Beers would give Botswana more influence over the international supply chain and help preserve the primacy of natural diamonds over lab-grown alternatives. “Anyone who is in love and who wants to get married should shun engagement rings with synthetic stones,” Boko said.

What you should know
Beyond the ownership battle, Botswana is also pressing the United States, the largest market for natural diamonds, to lift tariffs on its gems. Boko said he expects progress by the end of the year after planned talks with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

De Beers, which competes with Russia’s Alrosa as the world’s largest diamond producer, is itself at a crossroads. Anglo has weighed options, including an initial public offering or a demerger of the unit, though it has indicated a preference for an outright sale. Interest has surfaced from former De Beers executives and other investors.

For Botswana, the timing is critical. Securing majority control of De Beers could give the country a stronger hand in navigating a turbulent diamond market and in reshaping the narrative of an industry under siege from synthetic alternatives.

https://nairametrics.com/2025/09/23/botswana-plans-to-buy-control-of-de-beers-by-october-president/

IT IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN IN PF

By Chilufya Kasonde

The Patriotic Front (PF), once the mighty ruling party of Zambia, now finds itself sinking deeper into chaos as the question of succession after Edgar Chagwa Lungu (ECL) continues to divide and weaken the party. What should have been a moment for renewal has instead turned into a bitter war of egos, personal ambitions, and power struggles. Indeed, it is about to go down in PF.

At the centre of the storm are Given Lubinda, Raphael Nakacinda, Brian Mundubile, and the new-comer Willa Joseph Mudolo, “One Mudolo, The Smart Manger”. All four men are eyeing the PF presidency with the ultimate ambition of ascending to State House in 2026. Instead of uniting to build a strong opposition force, they are busy tearing each other apart. Greed, mistrust, and a general dislike for one another have created fertile ground for confusion, which they now conveniently blame on the ruling UPND.

As the PF prepares for its much-talked-about convention, the confusion is expected to deepen. The party’s current state of disarray can be traced back to its time in government when it failed to craft a credible succession plan. PF leaders placed all their political eggs in one basket, treating Edgar Lungu as the alpha and omega. In politics, that is a fatal mistake. Death, sickness, or incapacitation are realities no party can afford to ignore. But PF did just that, and today they are paying the price.

Had PF groomed a successor during its years in power, the party would have been thriving as a credible opposition. Instead, it is riddled with blind loyalty, opportunism, and a lack of foresight. Lubinda, Nakacinda, and Mundubile are not preparing to inspire the grassroots—they are preparing to “fix” each other. They are effectively doing a “Donchi Kubeba” on themselves.

The internal scheming is intensifying. Mundubile, it is whispered, is already ahead of Lubinda and Nakacinda’s plan to back Mudolo as a “Plan B” candidate, largely because of Mudolo’s money. Nakacinda and Lubinda, on the other hand, fear being sidelined and are rattled by PF figures such as Mumbi Phiri, who has openly declared that only candidates from the Northern and Eastern provinces deserve to be supported as PF president. Her tribalistic stance has only worsened the divisions.

Amid the infighting, reports suggest Mundubile is contemplating an exit strategy—defecting to the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD), where he could seize leadership and contest the 2026 general election as its presidential candidate. Such a move would further splinter PF’s already fragile structure.

What is unfolding in the PF is more than just a family feud; it is a political implosion. The absence of credible leadership and the obsession with personal ambition are tearing the party apart. Instead of positioning itself as a viable alternative to the UPND, PF has become a cautionary tale of how not to run a political organization.

Indeed, as the PF convention approaches, one thing is certain—it is about to go down.

BREAKING NEWS..!

RAPHAEL NAKACHINDA AND GIVEN LUBINDA EXPELLED

By the Editor Zambia

THE Patriotic Front (PF) council of elders have, with immediate effect, expelled the faction president Given Lubinda and secretary general Raphael Nakachinda from the cracking former ruling party.

The move to expel Nakachinda and Lubinda was arrived at during a heated meeting on the night of 27th September, 2025.

The PF council of elders resolved to expel the two following their unlawful use of the party constitution against senior members.

The elders are of the view that this is a critical moment when the party needs unity and peace adding that former secretary general Davies Mwila who was earlier reported to have been expelled from the party by Nakachinda was one of the key founders of the former ruling party and can not just be expelled by a “newcomer,” such as Nakachinda.

At a meeting held at former PF deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri’s house in Silverest, the elders also agreed to expel the faction party leader Given Lubinda for teaming up with Nakachinda in their attempts to destroy the PF.

The council of elders described the two as the “Zambezi guys,” a term coined to describe politicians who hail from Southern, North Western, Western and Central provinces and who are mostly members of, or connected to the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND).

The so-called elders have since appointed Lundazi member of Parliament Brenda Nyirenda to act as both secretary general and party president of the vanquished former ruling party.

Ms Nyirenda will act as party president until the general conference elects a new leader.

Meanwhile, the elders have resolved to report Nakachinda to the police for allegedly selling the party.

The elders want Nakachinda arrested, claiming they have indisputable evidence of his criminal activities.

Nakachinda is accused of grossly abusing party resources.

In the meeting, there were three unidentified men. Others who attended the meeting were Jean Kapata, Sylvia Chalikosa, and Prof. Nkandu Luo.

The original council of elders comprise; Mrs. Inonge Wina, Hon. Ng’onga Mukupa, Dr. Dennis Wanchinga, Amb. Paul Lumbi and Amb. Fidelis Kapoka.

SISHUWA PLAYING POLITICS WITH ECZ — STATE HOUSE

…believes Dr Sishuwa is trying to discredit the 2026 elections in advance and invite public distrust, describes his 14-day ultimatum as misplaced ambition

By Nation Reporter

STATE House has trashed Dr Sishuwa’s 14-day ultimatum to President Hakainde Hichilema in which to reconstitute the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), maintaining that in fact its top leadership is a representation of regional diversity and does not violate Article 259 of the Constitution.

Clayson Hamasaka, the State House Chief Communications Specialist, has accused Dr Sishuwa of playing politics with the ECZ because its composition was constitutional and not discriminatory.

Mr Hamasaka said in an interview yesterday that Dr Sishuwa’s demands were factually misplaced ambitions and that there was nothing illegal or unconstitutional about the current composition of the ECZ.

He stated that the UPND while in opposition never complained about the composition of the ECZ under the Patriotic Front (PF) even when it was aware of its regional imbalances in its composition.

“In what capacity can Dr Sishuwa command the President of the Republic to reconstitute the ECZ? He has given the Head of State 14 days to reconstitute ECZ because he claims it is regional, but even if you believe what he is saying, even when we know what he says is nonsensical, isn’t the composition of ECZ not diversity in itself?” Mr Hamasaka said.

Mr Hamasaka said the people Dr Sishuwa was referring to as coming from one region were equally Zambians who were not only qualified but had the right to be in public service without being discriminated against because of their tribe.

“Are the people of Western Province not Zambians? Are the people of Southern Province not Zambians? There is regional diversity, there is gender balance – the ECZ chairperson is a woman. This talk of illegality is nonsense,” he said.

He accused Dr Sishuwa of selective outrage, wondering why he never challenged the composition of the ECZ under the Patriotic Front when the chairperson came from Eastern Province and another commissioner from Northern Province.

“Those were Zambians too. Even these are Zambians,” he said.

Mr Hamasaka said while Dr Sishuwa was free to go to court, his threats would not intimidate State House because President Hichilema had worked hard to preside over an all-inclusive government.

“He can go to the Constitutional Court, he can even go to Geneva if he likes. It is his constitutional right to go to court but he will not derail the President from delivering credible elections,” Mr Hamasaka said.

Source: Daily Nation newspaper, 27 September 2025, page 3.

⬆️ BUILD-UP | The Mudolo Question Inside PF

The Patriotic Front is in freefall, searching for a centre of gravity after Edgar Lungu’s death. Factions have split, alliances have cracked, and loyalty letters are being written like court summons. But amid the chaos, one name has begun to circulate in hushed tones: Willah Joseph Mudolo.

Mudolo is not a career politician. He is not from the circle of recycled names who have lived off politics for decades. He is an entrepreneur, strategist, and philanthropist with credentials stretching from Muchinga to global boardrooms. His name does not carry the baggage of Chiluba’s MCCs or the scars of Lungu’s court battles. For some within PF’s northern bloc, that is precisely his appeal.

The resistance, however, is fierce. Raphael Nakacinda and Given Lubinda, the men holding PF’s acting structures together, are openly hostile to any suggestion of Mudolo’s ascension. Their fear is not hard to read. He is not from their networks. He is not dependent on their gatekeeping. A Mudolo candidacy would immediately shift the balance of power away from the old guard.

What PF insiders whisper is more intriguing. Before his death on June 5, Edgar Lungu had begun exploring the possibility of grooming an outsider as a successor. The calculations were clear. After the Constitutional Court ruled him ineligible to stand again, PF needed fresh blood, someone untouched by internal wrangles, yet credible enough to carry the flag in 2026. Mudolo’s name surfaced in those private discussions. That project froze with Lungu’s passing, but the fragments remain.

The past weeks have seen aggressive manoeuvres. Davies Mwila’s trip to South Africa, cut short by Nakacinda’s disciplinary hammer, was not just about fundraising. It was about meeting figures who could package Mudolo as PF’s comeback face. The firestorm that followed shows how sensitive this conversation has become. PF leaders from the north, who have traditionally provided the party’s electoral engine, are said to be plotting to eject Nakacinda and Lubinda, accusing them of clinging to power while failing to reposition the party.

For PF, the stakes could not be higher. The party remains the largest opposition bloc, but disunity is eating away at its claim to credibility. Mudolo represents both hope and risk. Hope, because he offers a new story to sell to an electorate weary of the same politicians. Risk, because his lack of political experience leaves him vulnerable in a brutal electoral field. PF strategists privately admit that without a fresh face, the party risks becoming a relic by 2026.

Mudolo’s profile is formidable outside politics. He is Co-Founder and President of Global Operations at ADF Group, steering projects in mining, energy, real estate, and finance. Through his W.J. Mudolo Foundation, he has championed education, healthcare, clean water, and climate resilience. He holds advanced degrees in finance and sustainability from institutions in the UK and has mobilised millions in private capital for governments and infrastructure. His worldview is one of building and problem-solving, not endless factional fights.

Yet politics is not corporate finance. Zambia’s voters will not judge him on his MBA credentials, but on whether he can connect with their frustrations over food prices, power cuts, and jobs. The PF machine will have to decide whether it is ready to gamble on a technocrat in a populist arena.

The truth is brutal. PF is locked in a fight between survival and irrelevance. If it clings to old faces, it risks sinking with them. If it dares to gamble on Mudolo, it faces the challenge of making a newcomer resonate in a country where name recognition is political currency. Either way, the battle lines inside PF are now sharper than ever.

 What do you think? Write to us at editor.peoplesbrief@gmail.com

© The People’s Brief | Build-Up

Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba writes:

Zambia Engages US Policy Think-tank to Help with Image

●Fractured Bilateral Relationship

Zambia has recently suffered what appeared to be a fructured bilateral relationship with the United States.

Zambia has been severely impacted by the dissolution of USAID, where the country would benefit an average of $500million per year in support especially to health sector.

●Plunder of Financial Aid, Theft of Medicines and Medical Supplies

Recently the USA Embassy in Zambia raised serious concerns about the plunder and theft of financial aid, medicines and medical supplies, the subsequent cancellation of seperate $50million by the USA Government and subsequent anti-american rhetoric by government and ruling party officials.

● VISA Policy Starts With Zambia and Malawi

The United States is implementing a visa bond pilot program that requires some business and tourist visa applicants to post a refundable cash bond of upto $15,000.
Two countries out of 193 stares, Zambia and Malawi for the pulot program. This one-year program, which took effect on August 20, 2025, is aimed at studying how to deter visa overstay.

The Zambian Government has engaged the Hudson Institute, an American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C., that conducts research and analysis on public policy to help with Zambia’s image to key stakeholders in the United States.

A delegation met Joshua Meservey a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, where he focuses on African geopolitics, counterterrorism, and the influence of great power competition on the continent.

He is a well-known analyst and commentator on African policy issues, and has extensive experience working on the ground in Africa.

His Report on Chinese debt In a 2018 done for the Heritage Foundation, Meservey highlighted the issue of ballooning African debt, including in Zambia, and the growing influence of Chinese lending.

He argued that unsustainable debt levels pose a challenge to US interests and urged the US to promote rules-based governance.

He has hosted a roundtable discussion on September 23, 2025, with Zambian officials, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Mulambo Haimbe and Zambia’s Ambassador to the USA, His Excellency Chibamba Kanyama.

He expressed optimism for relations with Zambia on X noting about the “great potential for a stronger mutually beneficial US-Zambia relationship”.

Joshua Meservey has a significant connection to Zambia, having served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the country from 2006 to 2009.

His engagement with the nation has continued throughout his career, which focuses on African geopolitics and foreign policy.

GREEN PARTY CRITICIZES GOVT’S CDF HIKE AS ‘POLITICAL GIMMICK

By Raphael Mulenga

Green Party leader Peter Sinkamba has criticized government’s decision to increase the Constituency Development Fund –CDF- allocation in the 2026 national budget from K36.1 million to K40 million, calling it a political gimmick.

Mr. Sinkamba is concerned over the unequal distribution of CDF across constituencies, arguing that the current pattern of disbursement remains a pressing issue that needs to be addressed.

In an interview with Phoenix News, Mr. Sinkamba has emphasized the need for tangible results from CDF implementation, rather than using it as a tool for political appeasement targeted at specific regions.

He is urging government to operationalize an equity commission to monitor and ensure equitable distribution of resources.

PHOENIX NEWS

TEN QUESTIONS TO THE HONORABLE MINISTER OF FINANCE ON THE 2026 NATIONAL BUDGET

By Sean Tembo – PeP President and TONSE ALLIANCE Spokesperson

Dear Honorable Minister. Thank you for your presentation of the 2026 National Budget to Parliament yesterday. However, l have the following few questions for you:

1. In paragraph 18 of your budget presentation, you have rated yourself very highly regarding the performance of the 2025 national budget. However, Honorable Minister, if the performance of the 2025 national budget is as good as you wish to portray it, can you explain to the nation why farmers who sold their maize to Government, more than 4 months ago, have still not been paid, and yet there was a specific budget provision for this expenditure line in the 2025 national budget? Are you aware that farmers are supposed to be preparing their fields by now, and that they need money to do so?

2. In paragraph 18, you argue that the 2025 national budget has so far performed extremely well, and yet in paragraph 19, you admit that the projected budget deficit for 2025 is 4.6% of GDP, or approximately 17% of the budget. Honorable Minister, this means that your Government will fail to attain the revenue budget or will overspend your expenditure targets or both, by a factor of 17% for the 2025 fiscal year. Now, Honorable Minister, can you please explain how such a performance constitutes good performance?

3. In paragraph 20, you are informing the nation that our foreign debt now stands at $15.78 billion. An increase of approximately $4.55 billion, from the $11.23 billion that you found it at when you ascended to office. Now, Honorable Minister, can you please explain what your Government has done with the $4.55 billion which you have borrowed in foreign debt, in the past 8 years? We know that the previous Government borrowed approximately $8.78 billion in foreign debt, during the 10 years that they were in office, and we can see the hospitals, roads, bridges, power stations etcetera, that they built with that money. But what have you built with the $4.55 billion which you have so far borrowed, in external debt over the past 4 years?

4. In paragraph 21, you are informing the nation that the total domesticated debt stood at K242.0 billion as at end of August 2025. This is an increment of K127.7 billion, from the K114.3 billion that it stood at when you ascended to office on 26th August 2021. Honorable Minister, I wish to reiterate my earlier question above; what have you built, that you can point at, with the K127.7 billion which your Government has borrowed in domestic debt, over the past 4 years? I ask because the only notable infrastructure project by your Government so far, is the Lusaka-Ndola dual-carriage way, which is financed by NAPSA money.

5. In paragraph 22 of your national budget presentation, you are informing the nation that your Government owes suppliers of goods and services a total of K84.1 billion. You go on to state that this is a modest increase of K3.3 billion from what you owed the previous year, in 2024. Honorable Minister, when you ascended to office in 2021, the previous PF administration owed supplies of goods and services approximately K28 billion. At that time, your President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, told the nation that domestic arrears of K28 billion was bad for the economy, and that he would liquidate them within 3 years.

However, 4 years along the road, your Government has not liquidated that K28 billion. Neither have you kept it constant. Instead, you have increased it. Now Government owes suppliers of goods and services, not K28 billion, but K84.1 billion. Honorable Minister, can you please explain to the nation, how this constitutes good performance on your part?

6. In paragraph 23, you are informing the nation that export earnings during the period under review amounted to $8.18 billion, versus imports amounting to $8.21 billion, and that therefore the country recorded a balance of payments deficit. Honorable Minister, are you aware that the main cause of our country’s balance of payments deficit, and by extension, deteriorating exchange rate, is your Government’s high appetite structure contracts in US dollars, instead of Zambian kwacha?

Honorable Minister, our largest imports are fuel, and oil prices during the period under review reduced by approximate 36% to average $74 per barrel. Therefore, for all intents and purposes, the nation was supposed to record a balance of payments surplus and not deficit, had it not been for your Government’s high appetite to price contracts in US dollars instead of Zambia Kwacha.

7. In paragraph 29, among your macroeconomic objectives for 2026, you state that you wish to maintain gross foreign reserves amounting to 4 months of import cover. However, in paragraph 28, you told us that current gross foreign reserves amount to 4.8 months of import cover. Honorable Minister, can you explain why you see it fit to set an economic goal that represents poorer performance when compared to existing performance?

8. Within paragraph 29 again, you are telling the nation that you are targeting a fiscal deficit of 2.1% of GDP for the 2026 fiscal year, or approximately 8% of the national budget. Honorable Minister, you are basically telling us that you intend to fail to achieve your revenue targets and/or overspend your expenditure budget, and/or both. Honorable Minister, can you explain to the nation why you would set a goal for yourself which represents poor performance? Instead of targeting a fiscal deficit, why can’t you target a fiscal surplus?

9. In paragraph 151, you have allocated K4.6 billion towards the so-called “dismantling of domestic arrears”. Suffice to mention that you have allocated a similar figure in each of the previous 4 national budgets that you have presented since 2021, but instead of dismantling the K28 billion domestic arrears that you inherited from the PF, you have instead grown them to K84.1 billion at present. Honorable Minister, can you explain why you keep including a budget line which you have no intention of fulfilling? Is it that it makes you feel nice, even though it is meaningless?

10. In paragraph 175, under the resource envelope, why are you using terms such as “foreign financing” and “domestic financing” instead of calling a spade a spade and not a big spoon? Just call it “debt” and not “financing” because you are borrowing to fund the budget. While we are still on the issue of borrowing to fund the budget, don’t you think those billions of dollars that the country is losing through the tax holidays that you gave to the mines in 2022, can assist to fund the budget? Lastly Honorable Minister, I shall be presenting the PeP 2026 Alternative National Budget, as we have consistently done since 2017, this coming Friday, 3rd October 2025 at Palm Valley Resort in Lusaka, starting at 10hrs. I encourage you to come and attend, so that we can compare notes.

Anyway, TILI TONSE 欄 and the Future is SET ✌

///END

SET 27.09.2025

Silumbe Promises Title Deeds, Jobs and Transformation in 2026

Opposition Leadership Movement (LM) President Dr. Richard Silumbe has pledged to deliver title deeds and sweeping development programs if elected President in 2026, telling residents of Mindolo that his vision for Zambia is “comprehensive and inclusive.”

Addressing a large gathering in the Copperbelt township, Dr. Silumbe said many families have lived in houses for decades without proper documentation, a situation his government would prioritize fixing. “Top on my agenda is to ensure that residents get title deeds for their homes. Every Zambian deserves security of tenure,” he said.

He noted that poor infrastructure, including bad road networks in the area, had left communities struggling with accessibility. “These challenges will not be ignored. The nation is poised to see transformation come 2026 when we assume office as the government of Zambia,” he declared, drawing applause from residents.

The LM leader emphasized that his policies will benefit all citizens regardless of education or background. “Whether one is educated or not, everyone will benefit. We want shared prosperity for every corner of Zambia,” he said.

LM Secretary General Jairos Ngoma, who also spoke at the event, highlighted the hardships facing residents in Mindolo, particularly water shortages. He pledged that an LM administration would address basic service delivery and ensure equitable development across all provinces.

On youth empowerment, Mr. Ngoma announced that the party plans to channel idle youths, often referred to locally as “junkies,” into Zambia National Service (ZNS) state farms for skills training and employment opportunities. “We are equal to the task, and our pledge is to make sure that every Zambian, especially those in the Copperbelt, is empowered,” he said.

Party Chairperson for Mobilisation and Persons with Disabilities, Mr. Samuel, thanked Dr. Silumbe for entrusting him with leadership responsibilities, saying LM is demonstrating inclusivity in action by placing persons with disabilities at the center of decision-making.

The event was attended by several senior LM officials, including Presidential Spokesperson Patson Chalwe, Mimbula Ward Councillor Mukasa Jadone, Chamboli Ward Chairperson Joseph Mwape, and Copperbelt structures led by Vice Chairperson John Nkandu and Secretary Andrew Siame.

©️ KUMWESU | September 27, 2025

Nakacinda expels Davies Mwila from PF

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) secretary general Raphael Nakacinda has expelled PF member and former secretary general Davies Mwila from the party for going to South Africa without the party’s permission.

Nakacinda stated that such an action undermined party unity and violated constitutional provisions.

In a letter dated 9th September 2025, Nakacinda accused Mwila of working with other senior party officials and some provincial chairpersons to travel to South Africa without authority from the PF Central Committee, the acting president or the secretariat.

The purpose of the trip, he alleged, was to identify a candidate and solicit funds outside the party’s established structures.

Nakacinda said Mwila’s conduct amounted to a violation of several provisions of the PF constitution, including breach of rules, bringing the party into disrepute, acting disrespectfully towards its leadership and engaging in activities deemed against the party’s interest.

“You are requested to show cause within seven days why disciplinary action should not be taken against you,” Nakacinda stated in the letter.

The internal wrangles within the PF have since drawn reactions from allied political players.

United for Better Zambia (UBZ) Party president apostle Hector Soondo has demanded that the PF leadership extend its disciplinary action to other Members of the Central Committee (MCCs) who plan to attend a meeting reportedly organised by opposition figures Sean Tembo and Chris Zumani Zimba.

In a statement, Apostle Soondo described the meeting as “illegal” and said any PF MCCs who attend would be guilty of insubordination.

“There is no way PF MCCs can undermine the secretary general’s directive by legitimising an illegal meeting. For the sake of discipline and party order, any member who attends must face suspension,” said Soondo.

He argued that participation in such gatherings would erode party authority, fuel confusion within the Tonse Alliance, encourage factionalism and ultimately jeopardise the PF’s preparations for the 2026 general elections.

Apostle Soondo warned that failure to act decisively would send a dangerous signal that rules can be broken with impunity, thereby weakening the PF’s credibility both within the Tonse Alliance and before the Zambian public.

By Catherine Pule

Kalemba, September 27, 2025

⬆️ GIST | Nakachinda Throws Mwila Out, More Cracks Emerge

The Patriotic Front is tearing itself apart. Secretary General Raphael Nakacinda has expelled former SG Davies Mwila for traveling to South Africa without clearance. The accusation is heavy: that Mwila and his allies went shopping for a presidential candidate and funding outside party structures. In PF politics, that is treason.

The decision has triggered aftershocks. UBZ president Hector Soondo is calling for the net to be widened. He wants every PF Central Committee member linked to the South Africa trip punished. In his view, indiscipline is eating away at PF’s authority and weakening the Tonse Alliance from within.

Sean Tembo, Tonse spokesperson and PEP president, is equally blunt. He has long argued that PF cannot claim automatic ownership of the alliance ticket. He points to the Tonse constitution and insists leadership must be chosen collectively. His words expose the cracks that many PF leaders pretend do not exist.

Robert Chabinga is sharpening the knife from another angle. He insists he is the rightful PF leader, recognised by the Registrar of Societies. He is threatening to stop any PF convention that sidelines him. For a party already drowning in court cases, this is a warning with teeth.

The Tonse Alliance was built to ride on Edgar Lungu’s candidacy. His death has left it wobbling. PF wants to hold the driver’s seat. Zumani has called for a council meeting to chart a way forward. Nakacinda has dismissed it as illegal. Expulsion letters are now the latest weapon of choice.

The optics are brutal. PF is not fighting UPND, it is fighting itself. Tonse, instead of projecting unity, is parading confusion. The risk is obvious: a divided PF means a weakened alliance, and a weakened alliance means UPND walks into 2026 with less resistance.

The lesson is sharp. Parties that cannot govern themselves cannot convince the nation they can govern a country. PF and Tonse are discovering that internal chaos is the fastest way to hand power to their opponents.

📩 What do you think of the PF’s implosion? Write to us at editor.peoplesbrief@gmail.com

© The People’s Brief | GIST

By Dr Mwelwa

Five years into this administration, one thing remains constant — the story that everything wrong with Zambia today is PF’s fault. The 2026 Budget Speech reads less like an economic plan and more like a charge sheet against the previous government. We are told that Zambia defaulted on its debt in 2020 because PF borrowed excessively. We are reminded that the K52 billion we will spend on domestic debt interest next year is the price of reckless bond issuance between 2015 and 2021. Every kwacha that fails to reach our roads, schools or hospitals is blamed on that past.

We are told that the power crisis is not of today but of yesterday — the result of decades of underinvestment and PF’s failure to build the Tanzania interconnector. Had PF done its job, we are told, we would not be in darkness today. Even on education, the budget paints a picture of children condemned to illiteracy before 2021 and redeemed only by free education under the New Dawn.

The budget celebrates debt restructuring but only as proof that PF left a mess. It highlights arrears to suppliers and blames PF for leaving K84 billion worth of unpaid bills. Hunger is blamed on past mismanagement. Poverty is portrayed as an inheritance that this government is nobly trying to cure through social cash transfers, bursaries and school feeding. Every reform is presented as a rescue mission from PF’s ruin — from mining tax stability to corruption control to state-owned enterprise oversight.

But five years is a long time to govern by complaint. People voted for solutions, not for history lessons. Today they sit in darkness because of load-shedding, they queue for expensive mealie meal, they are crushed by the high cost of living. They cannot eat the excuses of 2021. They want light in their homes, jobs that pay, and food that is affordable.

It is easy to blame PF for the past, but it is harder to explain why things are still so hard after five years of UPND in power. When we spend nearly a third of the budget on debt service and still borrow K34 billion more, it is no longer just PF’s debt — it is ours. When hunger still stalks our villages, when fuel is still expensive, when youth unemployment is still rising, the people will ask: what did you do with the power you were given?

This budget feels more like a 2026 campaign manifesto than a plan to change lives. It is filled with promises, projects, and handouts designed to win votes. But votes cannot be bought forever with bursaries and cash transfers. The ballot is coming, and the people will judge not who to blame, but who to hold accountable. When the lights are off, when the nshima is too expensive, when jobs are few — the blame game will not save you.