The Ghanaian investigators have found the ‘black boxes’ of helicopter that crashed and killed two ministers
Ghana is in a period of national mourning after the helicopter crash Ghana’s President John Mahama has promised a full investigation into Wednesday’s helicopter crash that killed two government ministers and six other people.
Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment, Science and Technology Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, both 50, were among those killed when a military aircraft crashed in the central Ashanti region.
In a televised address to the nation, Mahama said the crash represented “a personal loss” for him.
The president confirmed that the flight data and cockpit voice recorders – often referred to as the “black boxes” – had been retrieved and that the armed forces had “initiated a full and transparent investigation”.
“I shared a bond with many of those who died. Our nation is grieving,” Mahama told Ghanaians.
The Z9 helicopter, carrying three crew and five passengers, came down in a dense forest as it was flying from the capital, Accra, to the town of Obuasi for an event to tackle illegal mining. There were no survivors.
The bodies of the eight deceased have been recovered from the crash site, and samples have been sent to South Africa for forensic identification and analysis.
Ghana’s Deputy National Security Coordinator and former Agriculture Minister Alhaji Muniru Mohammed was also among the dead, along with Samuel Sarpong, Vice-Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress party.
A state funeral will be held on August 15, 2025 for the victims, AFP reported.
Singer, Davido, has stunned fans after revealing that he spent a jaw-dropping $3.7 million in cash for his Miami wedding to longtime partner, Chioma Avril Adeleke.
The high-profile event, which will take place in Miami on Saturday, will have high-profile guests in attendance.
In a viral video, the “Unavailable” hitmaker, while relaxing with his family and friends, ropened up about the costs, saying, “I spent $3.7 million in cash”
China will introduce free pre-school education starting in the autumn of 2025, as part of efforts to address its declining birth rate and looming demographic crisis. The State Council announced that childcare and education fees will be waived for children attending public kindergartens in the year before school, with fee reductions also available for approved private kindergartens.
The policy aims to reduce the financial burden of child-rearing, improve public education services, and encourage families to have more children. Funding will be shared between central and local authorities. This follows last week’s announcement of a $500 annual subsidy for parents of children under three.
China’s population has declined for three consecutive years, with only 9.54 million births recorded in 2024—half the number in 2016, when the one-child policy ended. The country, now surpassed by India as the world’s most populous, faces a shrinking and rapidly ageing population, with nearly 310 million people aged 60 and over in 2024. United Nations projections suggest China’s population could drop from 1.4 billion to 800 million by 2100.
Low marriage rates, high childcare costs, and economic pressures, including a prolonged property crisis, have deterred young couples from starting families. The National Health Commission acknowledged the shift to population decline, with officials highlighting that childcare subsidies and free education are critical steps to support families and ensure long-term development.
An open letter written and posted on Twitter by Nelson Chamisa’s friend and lawyer, Advocate Thabani Mpofu, to Nelson Chamisa, his supporters and Zimbabweans in general;👇🏿👇🏿
Tread cautiously; they are not necessarily your enemies
An important dimension of Chamisa’s support base warrants careful consideration within the framework of political behavior and voter psychology.
There exists a segment of the electorate that, while not ideologically or emotionally aligned with Chamisa, nonetheless desires his political success primarily as a means to an end: the removal of ZANU PF from power. This group’s antipathy toward ZANU PF is deeply rooted in historical grievances, socio-economic marginalization, and a collective experience of political disenfranchisement. The antipathy is real!
From a rational choice perspective, these Zimbabweans engage in a calculated form of instrumental support—they do not embrace Chamisa uncritically but rather view him as the most viable alternative to the incumbent regime. Their political engagement is thus characterized by conditional loyalty, tempered by skepticism born from repeated disappointments with opposition politics over time.
This manifests in a cautious, sometimes cynical posture, often expressed through a retrospective “I told you so” attitude when opposition efforts falter. Such responses can be interpreted as coping mechanisms that help manage political disillusionment while preserving hope for systemic change.
My view is that this constituency largely comprises the middle class and select elite groups—demographics that are politically salient due to their relative access to information, resources, and networks. Their political behavior underscores the complexity of opposition politics in Zimbabwe, where support is not merely affective but strategic and contingent.
For opposition actors, maintaining engagement with this group requires nuanced outreach that acknowledges their frustrations without alienating them. Burning bridges with these voters risks not only immediate electoral losses but also the erosion of a critical constituency that aspires to democratic transformation.
In sum, this segment embodies the ambivalence and conditionality inherent in opposition support within authoritarian contexts. They are rational actors who desire change, yet remain sensitive to political setbacks. Unlike the masses, they have options beyond political change.
Recognizing and respecting their nuanced position is essential for any sustainable opposition strategy aiming to build broad-based coalitions for democratic change.
The fact that you do not understand them does not make them wrong much as the fact that you believe in your passion does not make you right. At the end of it all, Chamisa remains by far, our best foot forward.
South Africa has no record of foreign nationals using public healthcare, says Motsoaledi
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has confirmed that the government does not track the number of documented or undocumented foreign nationals accessing South Africa’s public health facilities.
Responding to a parliamentary question from ActionSA MP Kgosi Letlape, Motsoaledi said hospital and clinic systems do not differentiate between citizens and non-citizens, making it impossible to provide figures for the past five years.
While patients are often asked for identification, treatment is still provided without it. The minister noted that many South Africans also access care without IDs, further complicating any attempt to categorise foreign patients.
ActionSA has criticised the lack of data, arguing it hampers effective budgeting and resource allocation in the health sector.
The disclosure comes amid growing political and public debate over the strain on healthcare resources and the rights of migrants to access them.
Kenny Kunene, suspended deputy president of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), has come to the defense of party leader and Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, following renewed accusations of racism.
The controversy erupted after resurfaced old tweets from McKenzie’s social media, containing offensive language including the racial slur k*ffir which has sparked public outrage.
Kunene firmly stated that McKenzie “has never been, is not, and will never be a racist,” highlighting McKenzie’s mixed heritage and long-standing collaboration with diverse communities, including during their shared time in prison.
He described McKenzie’s track record as one of inclusion and working across racial lines.
The debate intensified as McKenzie publicly condemned derogatory remarks about coloured communities made by hosts of the Open Chats Podcast.
In response, the Patriotic Alliance opened a crimen injuria case against the podcast, while the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has launched an investigation into the matter.
Meanwhile, ActionSA has also reported McKenzie to the SAHRC for allegedly using apartheid-era racial slurs.
As governments worldwide scrambled to sway President Donald Trump and secure favorable trade terms before his so-called reciprocal tariffs took effect this week, India wagered heavily on a single Trump insider – and lost.
According to a report Saturday from Politico, India had paid $1.8 million to Jason Miller, a longtime Trump ally who was the president’s chief spokesman during his 2016 campaign, and senior advisor for his 2020 and 2024 campaigns, and Miller was paid, according to Justice Department documents obtained by Politico, for “strategic counsel, tactical planning and government relations assistance.”
Yet despite having the president’s ear, India’s $1.8 million bet failed to pay off, with India ending up being slapped with among the highest tariff rates of any nation at 50%, in large a response to the country continuing to buy Russian oil, undermining Trump’s leverage to end the Russian-Ukraine war.
“I think the current leadership in Washington seems to be disrupting the traditional way of doing things,” said Mukesh Aghi, CEO of the U.S. India Strategic Partnership Forum, speaking with Politico.
“It’s not just about the business part, it’s about diplomacy, it’s about dealing with other nations. I think the whole old model of trying to influence does not seem to work.”
Trump was reportedly “completely upset” with Indian leadership over its refusal to budge on key demands of the White House, a frustration that even a well-paid Miller apparently couldn’t overcome. In response, India has slapped back at the United States, pausing a previously planned purchase of billions of dollars’ worth of American-made weapons.
As to Miller’s failure to sway Trump, one lobbyist told Politico that traditional lobbying efforts don’t work on the current president.
“From my perspective, the best way to lobby President Trump is for the leader to face-to-face lobby him,” said Tami Overby, a partner at the South Korean lobbying group DGA Group Government, speaking with Politico.
“It seems President Trump, he always talks about his relationships with other leaders. You know, whether we’re in a good spot with that country or not [depending] if he feels like he’s got a good relationship. And he sees himself as a deal maker.”
Donald Trump’s agreement to meet with President Vladimir Putin in Alaska next week is the culmination of a series of wins the president is handing the Russian strongman, claimed former Ambassador Michael McFaul.
Appearing on MSNBC’s “The Weekend,” the diplomat would took great pains to explain he is worried about what Trump will agree to during with regard to Ukraine and after the meeting, explaining, “I’m also worried about the erratic nature of the president of the United States today. So he did say all those things. and then his special envoy goes to Moscow a few days ago, and suddenly the tone has changed. So I hope he’ll remember his frustration there and i hope he won’t roll into the meeting with Putin, you know, thinking that he’s got a new relationship with him.”
“I would just say this generally, the president personalizes bilateral relations with the rest of the world all the time, and he thinks that a good meeting is some kind of outcome,” he elaborated. “A good meeting is a means to some other end that is good for the American people, and it’s good for the free world. and oftentimes President Trump gets that mixed up. I hope he doesn’t get that mixed up in Alaska.”
As for Putin he added, “I’ve watched him. ‘I’ve been in the room with him, he is good at this and President Trump better prepare. He better not just wing it and think that it’s all going to work out, because it will not. This, he needs to take very seriously and he’s already in the hole. I want to emphasize: he’s already in the hole, he already has given Putin this great gift of inviting him to the United States of America and standing next to him, so he better be thinking hard about what we get in return.”
Iran’s judiciary has announced it is investigating the cases of 20 people arrested over alleged links with Israel following the recent 12-day war between the two countries.
“These cases were immediately filed under the supervision of the esteemed investigators and are being investigated,” Judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir told reporters in Tehran on Saturday, August 9, adding that further details would be released as the process continues.
In late July, Iran’s intelligence agency said it had identified and detained “20 spies, Mossad operational and support agents, and elements connected to the regime’s (Israel’s) intelligence officers in Tehran” and several other provinces.
The arrests came weeks after Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran in mid-June, killing senior military commanders, nuclear scientists, and hundreds of others. The strikes targeted military and nuclear facilities as well as residential areas. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks.
Iran has pledged swift trials for those accused of collaborating with Israel. “The judicial system will not show any mercy in dealing with spies and Zionist agents and will teach a lesson to all spies… with firm rulings,” Jahangir said.
On Wednesday, August 6 Iranian authorities executed Roozbeh Vadi, who was convicted of spying for Israel by passing information about Iranian nuclear sites and scientists. According to the Fars news agency, Vadi worked at the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, a subsidiary of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.
Iranian media also published a screenshot of an academic paper co-authored by Vadi alongside two nuclear scientists, Ahmad Zolfaghar and Abdolhamid Minouchehr, who were killed during the conflict.
Controversial preacher Apostle Talent Farai Chiwenga has ignited public alarm after delivering a sermon in which he openly justified killing those he deems guilty of “abominations” — and dismissed Zimbabwe’s criminal justice system as irrelevant to his ministry.Sports event tickets
In a lengthy address to congregants, Chiwenga labelled people who criticise his failure to sustain a marriage beyond 4 days, “barbaras” and claimed the Bible permits believers to take the law into their own hands against those “who are not innocent.” Quoting Genesis 9:5, he told followers that “if you fear God, use your hands to kill the murderer” and insisted that “we actually do not care about the law of Zimbabwe if it does not tally with the law of God.”
The preacher who has already announced violence on people allegedly “leaking church documents,” went further, praising the use of Sharia law in the Middle East as a model for crime prevention, citing public executions and amputations as examples of how to maintain “the safest place to be.” He recounted conversations with Arabs who described citizens volunteering to perform executions, stating with approval that “they kill you in one hour, your blood and your body will be nowhere to be seen.”
Chiwenga’s remarks blur the line between religious rhetoric and incitement, as he repeatedly asserted that killing is sanctioned under scripture in certain circumstances. He claimed his ministry has the moral authority to punish those who attack it, regardless of Zimbabwe’s legal system, saying:
“Don’t tell me about the criminal justice system of this world. This is the house of God. We actually do not care about the law of Zimbabwe if it does not tally with the law of God.”
Human rights advocates warn that such language could embolden violence by followers, framing it as divinely mandated. The preacher’s sermon also included explicit endorsements of lethal punishment for adultery and other offences he deems “abominations,” along with repeated declarations that his ministry is his personal property, inseparable from his own authority.
This latest outburst follows months of controversy surrounding Chiwenga’s personal life, his public attacks on opponents, and previous inflammatory sermons. Legal experts say his comments may constitute an incitement to violence under Zimbabwe’s criminal statutes, and could draw the attention of law enforcement if formally reported.
Chiwenga ended the sermon with a prayer against “ungodly men” who oppose his ministry, warning that “those who start a war will find [God] standing at the gate ready to defend this work.”
The statement has already drawn widespread condemnation online, with critics accusing the apostle of promoting vigilantism and undermining the rule of law in Zimbabwe.
Chiwenga made these proclamations as he justified his short marriage to a woman he cohabited with for only 4 days. He has also in recent days announced threats to people who are allegedly leaking church documents. Graph of statements –
“From what he is manifesting right now, if we were living in a normal community, Chiwenga would be in prison,” said contemporary analyst Howard Nyoni told ZimEye.
A Christian Commentator and Author, Brilliant Pongo, commented saying “Apostle Talent Chiwenga’s recent sermon — in which he appeared to justify killing critics and dismiss Zimbabwean law — is not only theologically flawed but dangerously irresponsible.
As a Christian commentator, I find it deeply disturbing that scripture is being twisted to support vigilantism and violence. Christianity is rooted in grace, not vengeance. Christ himself forgave, healed, and restored — even when faced with sin. To glorify violence and suggest God sanctions murder is a betrayal of the Gospel.
Religious leaders must be held to account when they misuse their platforms to incite fear and justify harm. We cannot allow the pulpit to become a podium for spiritual intimidation.
Chiwenga’s rhetoric is reckless, unbiblical, and undermines both the rule of law and the message of Christ. It must be condemned — not for vengeance, but for truth and protection of the public.”- ZimEye
UEFA has sanctioned Barcelona stars Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski with fines of €5,000 each for breaching the Anti-Doping Regulations after Barcelona’s most recent UEFA Champions League match.
The fine comes from when the Blaugrana faced Inter Milan in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final away in Italy.
The game ended in a heartbreaking 4-3 defeat (after extra time) for Barcelona, leading to their elimination from the competition.
Now, as per the report, UEFA have imposed a fine of €5,000 each on both Lamine and Lewandowski for a breach of the Anti-Doping Regulations.
The governing body ruled that the Barcelona duo failed to follow the instructions of the Doping Control Officer (Article 21.8) and did not proceed immediately to the Doping Control Station (Article 21.10(a)), as required by the rules, resulting in a small fine.
Not only that, but Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has also been fined €20,000 and given a one-match suspension from UEFA club competitions for incidents during the same match.
The German coach was deemed guilty of breaching the general principles of conduct (Article 11(1) DR) and violating the basic rules of decent conduct (Article 11(2)(b) DR).
Flick’s assistant, Marcus Sorg, has received the same financial and sporting penalty for identical reasons.
All sanctions take immediate effect and will impact Barcelona’s next European fixture, with Flick and Sorg unable to be on the bench.
Meanwhile, the ruling from UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body also affects Barcelona, who must pay €5,250 for their fans throwing objects (Article 16(2)(b) DR) and €2,500 for the lighting of fireworks (Article 16(2)(c) DR) during the match.
M’MEMBE QUESTIONS PRETORIA COURT RULING ON LUNGU BURIAL
…says law cited does not exist in Zambia
Lusaka… Saturday August 9, 2025 – Socialist Party (SP) President Dr Fred M’membe has emphasised that the Pretoria High Court used a law that does not exist in Zambia in its judgment in the repartition of the remains of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
Dr. M’membe contends that the Zambian law does not provide for a state funeral but that it is the prerogative of the sitting President to honor such a State Funeral.
Dr. M’membe says the Lungu family has done well to appeal against that judgement though it comes with greater pain.
He indicates that the late President died almost 60 days ago and still lying in a mortuary without being buried.
The SP leader also said the Lungu family were in order to react in the manner they did after the Pretoria High Court delivered the judgement.
He said this when he featured on SABC’s Channel Africa on African World Hour in conversation with Tšepiso Makwetla.
“Well, I can not speak for her (Lungu sister) but when a person is in pain, so many things are said. In the Zambian tradition, they say when someone is mourning they have the liberty to say what they say and you don’t hold it against them. So when one is mourning they can say whatever they can say. It is a painful period for the Lungu family. Imagine their relative, husband, father or brother has been in the fridge for almost 60 days,” he said.
“They need to bring a closure to this, loosing a dear one; a father, brother, uncle or a close family relative is a very painful thing and delaying burying is another pain. And the court ruling leaves many questions that deserve honest answers. I think the family has decided to appeal against that judgment and I think rightly so. That judgment has not put a closure to everything.”
Dr. M’membe further said the Lungu family is the most affected, burdened and they feel the loss.
“It is shocking to some of us who are lawyers in Zambia, the law that the Pretoria High Court was depending on does not exist in Zambia. There is no law in Zambia that the Pretoria High Court was depending on. The judgment leaves many questions than answers. The family has done well to appeal the judgment though it comes at a greater pain for the family,” he added.
He further emphasized that the government can only declare a state funeral but it is not backed up by law.
Patriotic Front (PF) member of the central committee, Honorable Stephen Kampyongo, has described the behavior of Muchinga Province Minister Njavwa Simutowe in a viral video as shameful and disappointing.
In the video, Minister Simutowe is seen celebrating the Pretoria High Court ruling over the burial of former Head of State Edgar Chagwa Lungu (ECL) alongside two UPND supporters.
The video features unbecoming and undignifying language, with reference being made to ECL’s mortal remains in a demeaning manner as “Akamubili / Akatumbi”.
Kampyongo finds it unimaginable that a minister would celebrate in such a manner. He believes that Simutowe doesn’t deserve to serve as Muchinga’s Provincial Minister.
Furthere urges the Head of State to relieve Simutowe of his duties forthwith, stating that the behavior displayed doesn’t represent the peace and unity Zambia is known for.
” Hey everyone – my fans, family, friends, and the nation at large.
I wanna apologize for what happened in that video. It started as a celebration with my team, and I got caught up in the excitement.
Something happened that wasn’t planned and didn’t sit well with y’all, the nation, my family, and my friends. I’m taking full responsibility for it, and I’m asking for your forgiveness.
I’m learning from this, and it won’t happen again. I know building a positive image takes time, but it can get hurt quick.
I’ll do my best to keep doing what makes you happy and brings laughter. I’m still the same person. Thanks for understanding. “
There are moments when public figures cross such a clear moral line that the only question worth asking is: Who do they think they are?
Alice Rowland Musukwa recently decided, in her apparent wisdom, to publicly question whether the widow of the late President Edgar Chagwa Lungu and her children were truly mourning their loss. Let that sink in. A grieving family, still reeling from the death of their husband and father, is subjected to an insensitive, intrusive, and downright shameful question from someone who had no place and no right to ask it.
Who is Alice to make such a judgment? What qualifies her to peer into the private grief of a family and publicly cast doubt on its sincerity? It is not just arrogant; it is cruel. Grief is deeply personal, and no outsider, especially not one with no meaningful relationship to the deceased, has the authority to declare whether it is genuine or not.
For anyone in their rightful mind, this would be obvious. But apparently not to Alice. Such comments not only reveal a staggering lack of empathy, they also make people wonder: How was she raised? Was she taught that it is acceptable to wound those already in pain? Was she taught that the attention she might gain from controversy is worth more than the decency owed to the bereaved?
This is not about politics, party loyalties, or public image. This is about basic humanity, the understanding that a grieving widow and her children deserve compassion, not interrogation. By asking such a stupid and heartless question, Alice has diminished herself in the eyes of many, exposing not confidence but pettiness, not influence but ignorance.
In moments like these, silence would have been wiser, dignity would have been stronger, and empathy would have been the mark of true character. Sadly, she chose the opposite.
I will di£ on Sunday after Attending Service, Eat pounded yam, Then pass on without Sickness – Adeboye
According to a report by Vanguard Newspapers on Friday, August 8, 2025, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, has once again shared his vision of how he believes his life will end peacefully, on a Sunday, after worship and his favourite meal.
Speaking on the fourth day of the church’s ongoing International Convention themed “The Overcomers,” Pastor Adeboye told the congregation that d£ath is not always the result of a prolonged illness. He emphasised that he expects his transition to be sudden, painless, and marked by tranquillity.
“I will di£ on a Sunday after attending service, eat my beloved pounded yam, and then pass on without any sickness,” Pastor Adeboye declared, drawing mixed reactions from worshippers who listened intently.
He explained that the thought of d£ath holds no fear for him because he sees it as the beginning of eternal life for those who believe in Christ.
His words, though deeply personal, carried a message of faith and preparedness, urging Christians to live each day with eternity in mind.
Pastor Adeboye’s comments sparked reflection among attendees at the convention, with many noting the calm and certainty with which he spoke.
For Pastor Adeboye, his vision of a peaceful exit remains not a cause for sorrow, but a testimony of faith and hope.
*PRESS STATEMENT BY ACTING PF PRESIDENT AND ACTING CHAIRMAN OF THE TONSE ALLIANCE, HON. GIVEN LUBINDA*
Pretoria, South Africa – 8th August 2025
*“Let Justice Breathe — The Appeal Has Spoken”*
Today, we welcome the decision by the South African judiciary to accept the appeal filed by the Lungu family against the earlier ruling that sought to hand over the body of our late President Edgar Chagwa Lungu to the Zambian Government, against the express wishes of his immediate family
The filing of this appeal is not a footnote in the legal process — *South African Superior Courts Act, No. 10 of 2013, *it is a powerful legal brake. As per Section 18 of the Superior Courts Act,* once an appeal is duly filed, the previous judgment and its orders are *automatically suspended,* unless the court rules otherwise.
*This means, and must be clearly understood by all parties — the body of President Lungu cannot be accessed, moved, or tampered with.
https://youtu.be/RuWgBjY-kCQ?si=phe4e0iWNfctsZ5x
We urge the Government of the Republic of Zambia to resist the temptation to engage in illegal or emotionally provocative actions under the guise of state authority. The matter is no longer in their hands — it rests with the appellate court. Justice must now take its full and unhurried course.
Let us remind the nation of an old African proverb:
“ A mad man’s dance is only amusing until you realise he’s your relative. Then the pain begins.”
And another:
_“The forest kept voting for the axe because its handle was made of wood — and they thought it was one of them.”_
Today, those who celebrated the initial ruling as a triumph of state power must now pause and reflect. This is not a time for chest-thumping or misinformation. This is a solemn moment. A legal process has been activated, *and until it is concluded, no government, no official, and no hand — however powerful — has the authority to act.
The Patriotic Front and the Tonse Alliance stand fully behind the Lungu family during this painful time. We call for calm, restraint, and respect — both for the law and for the dignity of our late former President.
We further remind all state institutions — particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Zambian Embassy in Pretoria, and any agents acting on behalf of Lusaka — *that any attempt to violate this stay will not only be unlawful, it will be resisted through every available legal and diplomatic channel.
History is watching. Africa is watching. And justice, though delayed, is not denied.
The Court case over the body of the Late Republican President Edgar Chagwa LUNGU was a loss right from the start as no one was ever going to win it.
In the eyes of the world at large the case was confirmation of heavy and unhealthy dissension in the Zambian politic. The case was therefore never going to heal the nation from the evident political dislocation and division.
It is for this reason that the Pretoria Court Ruling is a lose-lose for everyone. No true Zambian will proclaim that there is something to celebrate. The Ruling does not touch or resolve the major points of discord.
The ruling address the question of where the burial will be but does not resolve the real issues that led to the crisis. There is still a crisis with regards to details of how the funeral itself will be conducted, who will preside, who will preside over the religious parts, and many other issues.
The non resolution of these matters is what keeps this a lose-lose ruling. There is need to turn it into a win-win outcome. The only way to turn it into a win-win situation, where even visiting foreign dignitaries will feel comfortable, is to have the many outstanding issues resolved.
Resolution of these matters and moving to a win-win situation can only be attained if the government sincerely and honestly engage the LUNGU family to reach agreement over the outstanding issues. Sensitivity and humility are calked for in such situations.
As things stand reporting all round the world about this issue is not flattering to Zambia and it’s leadership. Failure to properly manage things from now until burial will be damning to all Zambians. The government has the duty to turn the ruling into a win-win outcome.
We hope that the government leadership rises to the occasion and do not descend into the depths of infamy.
In a stunning display of political acrobatics, Iris Kaingu has announced her departure from the Patriotic Front (PF) to join the United Party for National Development (UPND).
According to Kaingu, the PF’s internal dynamics are less of a political party and more of a “tribalism and segregation” club. “In PF if you are not from their provinces they will never respect your opinion,” she declared, likening the party’s issues to a “cancer.”
She painted a vivid picture of a party where even language is policed, recalling how they were “told never to speak Lozi or Tonga at PF gatherings.” The infamous moment when “they barred people singing Tonga songs at ECL’s funeral” was apparently just “a tip of the iceberg.”
Kaingu also offered some sympathetic, if slightly sarcastic, words for Given Lubinda and Nakachinda, who are apparently “trying hard but they are going through a rough time from the Kola region grouping.” She predicted that the party’s infighting would only get worse now that the funeral of their former leader is over. It seems for Kaingu, leaving the PF was less of a choice and more of a self-preservation tactic.
The Great Defection In a move that has surely sent shockwaves through the political landscape (or at least, through the local media), Iris Kaingu was pictured at the UPND office in Mwandi District, submitting her letters of defection. The image, courtesy of Mwandi Media House, captures a moment of monumental political change, or at least, a new profile picture.
DAYS TO REMEMBER ‼️ Family can stay away if they wish, we will burry KK at Embassy Park, says PF
KK’s BURIAL WILL GO ON AT PRESIDENTIAL BURIAL SITE, LUBINDA.
Lusaka… Tuesday, July 6, 2021
(Smart Eagles)
His Excellency President Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s running mate Professor Nkandu Luo’s Campaign Manager Given Lubinda has clarified that His Excellency President Dr Kenneth Kaunda will be buried at Presidential burial site.
Mr Lubinda who is also former Justice Minister says the proposed plan to lay the remains of the late Head of State will buried at the Presidential site remains the same.
In a telephone interview today, the former Minister of Justice says Dr Kaunda will be buried where other past Presidents are laying.
He says Mr Kaweshe Kaunda has not be granted the injunction to stop the burial of His Excellency President Dr Kaunda at the Presidential site.
https://youtu.be/RuWgBjY-kCQ?si=phe4e0iWNfctsZ5x
Mr Lubinda assured the public that the proposed burial site has not been changed.
“Yes Mr Kaweshe Kaunda applied for the injunction but his not been granted,” he says.
“So the public may wish to know that His Excellency President Dr Kenneth Kaunda will be buried at the burial site tommorow,” Mr Lubinda says.
HH THANKS MFUWE RESIDENTS FOR ELECTING THE FIRST MP IN MUCHINGA PROVINCE
August 9,2025
President Hakainde Hichilema has thanked the people of Mfuwe for electing UPND candidate Malama Mufunelo as their Member of Parliament.
He described the victory as a milestone in ensuring that the people of Mfuwe are fully included in the country’s development agenda.
The Head of State assured residents of continued progress in the constituency, highlighting the growing trust citizens have in the Government’s policies.
President Hichilema reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to implementing initiatives that uplift the lives of communities nationwide.
The President was speaking through his Special Assistant to the President for Political Affairs, Levy Ngoma, during a visit to Mfuwe Constituency to thank the electorate.
PRESIDENT HICHILEMA’S LEADERSHIP SPEAKS TO CITIZENS’ ASPIRATIONS —————————————————-
The New Dawn Administration under the able leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema has in the past four years scored many achievements due to his tacit commitment to uplift and improve citizens’ lives.
It’s gratifying to note that the much appreciated free education policy has triggered over-enrolment in schools as parents and guardians are now able to send their children to school in both urban and rural areas, who previously were unable to do so.
More so, the increased and expanded in scope CDF, which is a game-changer, has significantly improved citizens’ welfare as well as created a conducive learning environment for pupils through locally- made desks, which in turn has boosted the local economy.
These and many other on- going infrastructure developmental projects rolled out across the country speaks volumes on President Hichilema’s focused leadership and tacit commitment to improve citizens’ welfare.
President Hichilema is indeed a leader of his word and wàlks his talk.
He promised economic recovery and has achieved this remarkable feat, through methodical implementation of economic reforms which included debt restructuring to give the country headroom and breathing space to resuscitate the ailing economy he inherited.
Investor confidence is at its highest due to the enabling environment and stability in the country.
All in all, we can confidently say, President Hichilema’s focused leadership speaks to the aspirations of citizens, as the national cake is now being shared equitably to all ten provinces nationwide.
There are many more achievements scored by the New Dawn Administration in the four years they have been in office, however we will end here for now.
EU BOOSTS CLIMATE ACTION AND YOUTH LEADERSHIP IN ZAMBIA WITH €193 MILLION COMMITMENT
Lusaka, Zambia – August 9, 2025 – The European Union has reaffirmed its strong commitment to Zambia’s climate resilience agenda, pledging €192 million to support climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, sustainable businesses, and innovation, alongside a €1 million grant dedicated to empowering young climate leaders across Africa.
The funding was announced during the Youth Adaptation Forum at the University of Zambia, held under the theme “Youth Leadership to Build Climate-Resilient Economies.” The landmark event brought together policymakers, academics, international organizations, and young climate advocates to strategize on advancing climate adaptation across the continent.
Speaking at the Forum, EU Political Officer Jaume Soler underscored the need to amplify youth voices in shaping climate policy.
“The ideas generated here will have a direct line to regional and global platforms, including COP30 in Brazil,” he said, emphasizing the role of the new Youth Sounding Board in training, mentoring, and building networks among Africa’s emerging climate leaders.
And Global Center on Adaptation representative Adriana Valenzuela, praised Africa’s growing youth climate movement and the value of localized solutions. She cited successful youth-led adaptation efforts in Kenya, Ghana, and Ethiopia, urging Zambian participants to connect their initiatives internationally and “embrace the transformational power of youth-led innovation.”
While, University of Zambia Vice-Chancellor Professor Mundia Muya celebrated the institution’s strong focus on environmental education, climate research, and sustainability-focused curricula. He encouraged young people to make full use of the Forum by asking questions, sharing ideas, and building networks to position themselves as “the immediate leaders driving Africa’s climate resilience.”
Meanwhile, Inclusive Education for Sustainable Development, Executive Director, Ruth Nawakwi stressed the importance of empowering youth with disabilities to take part in climate leadership. She highlighted partnerships providing assistive devices and adaptation programs in schools, noting that “climate adaptation must be locally driven by informed youth innovators to effect real change.”
Minister of Green Economy and Environment Mike Mposha, who officially opened the Forum in Lusaka yesterday, reaffirmed the government’s dedication to inclusive climate action. “Youth and persons with disabilities are not just participants; they are innovators and leaders in building Zambia’s climate-resilient future,” he said.
Rwanda 🇷🇼 has agreed to accept up to 250 high-risk cr!m!nal deportees from the United States 🇺🇸 for resettlement in exchange for financial aid.
Deportees will receive training, healthcare, and housing, with the option to leave Rwanda voluntarily. A preliminary list of 10 individuals has already been sent.
This deal is part of a U.S. initiative to deport individuals deemed to have entered the country illegally, including those labeled as “the worst of the worst.” The U.S. has previously sent deportees to South Sudan and Eswatini.
At this moment, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) stands out as one of the few serious regional blocs in Africa, prioritizing sovereignty and self-reliance.
What happens if these hardcore deportees, free to leave Rwanda voluntarily, begin breaking laws, adding insult to injury for Rwanda’s stability?
We surely need a win win solution and as SC Sakwiba Sikota has put it, yesterday we ended up with a Lose-Lose outcome for the Nation.
My inbox is full from international friends some MPs laughing at us on what they calling an embarrassment on our Country. The Complainants and Defendants in the case are clearly way apart.
Here is my observation and recommendation. It seems to me the family is not so much concerned about where our former President will be buried but on Who should and should Not attend. Who should body view or Not body view.
Zambia as burial destination fell out when the family could not get guaranteed that would happen (non body viewing of one or some people) and felt secure if burial was in SA.
We know who they don’t want present and that is President HH. Why so has been said in the court documents and not for me or the reader to agree or disagree with. It’s their prerogative as the next of kin and close family members of the deceased. Such demands are not unusual in our Zambian and Africa funerals South Africa included. Mama Grace Mugabe insisted and got her husband buried at their farm and not Heroes park. Incumbent President did not attend funeral and Zimbabwe moved on. There as no insistance.
President HH should give in and pledge not to attend the funeral or view the body. I don’t think any foreign dignitaries like Heads of State are likely to attend given the circumstances. Even if they did; then the Vice President or any other senior Ministers like Foreign, Defense or trusted Home Affairs (Jack Mwiimbu) can represent him.
After burial and in consequent days; the President can go put flowers.
He would have achieved a Win because burial would have happened in Zambia at Heroes park as he and his supporters want while the Widow and family’s wishes of him not viewing the body would have been met aswell. A Win-Win for both sides away from the current Lose-Lose.
Free advise here otherwise we in for a long haul. Apeals can take even 7 months if not over a year. Then I am certain this judgement will be reversed. They have used the Zambian law on SA soils where all Laws support the next of kin and nothing about public interest. Which public interest here by the way? the UPND and their supporters? What about the PF / opposition alliances and their supporters ‘public interest’ which is currently more than them.
As long as ECL is not buried; our Country will remain on idling in more ways than one and the back stops with the President of the day who happens to be HH. Its Zambia being laughed at and in essence him being laughed at both within SADC and Africa as a whole. The jibes of amusement at us are both at Presidential and ordinary levels of Africa. Zambia twasebana.
PF WILL BE GRAVELY IMPACTED BY PROTRACTED ECL LEGAL BATTLES
A KBN TV EDITORIAL
Today, two major events have happened that are in public interest and worth discussing.
Firstly, the Pretoria High Court ordered the family of the late sixth Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu (ECL) and Two Mountains, to surrender the body of ECL to the Government for repatriation and subsequent burial at Lusaka’s Embassy Park.
The second development is that of the family successfully filing a notice of appeal in the Supreme Court on grounds that the Pretoria High Court erred in granting reliefs sought by the Government of the Republic of Zambia.
By securing the appeal, it means the Government of the Republic of Zambia cannot access or move ECL’s body until the matter is determined by a court of higher jurisdiction.
Inadvertently, this new development will lead to a protracted legal process whose time frame for a final verdict remains unknown, at least for now. This process could drag on for another three to five or even seven months.
It’s therefore safe to assume that the protracted legal battle between the ECL family and the Government is likely to impact the future and structures of the former ruling party in one way or the other.
Firstly, information that is publicly available from several senior PF party leaders, indicate that decisions around the ECL funeral are made by the family and not the party leadership.
The party leadership on its part, has assumed a moral stance to support and stand with the family regarding decisions made concerning the movement and burial arrangements of the ECL remains.
Consequently, there’s now a very thin line between the family and the party with regards to moving forward after the demise of ECL.
It’s now very clear that as long as ECL remains unburied, however long it takes, the PF will not be in a position to reorganise itself.
Morally and by implication, the party “conclave” is deliberately bound and can not make the decision to choose a suitable successor as long as ECL is lying a mortuary.
While this spirit of empathy and Ubuntu is highly commendable, PF’s competitors are seeing this as a strategic weakness they can exploit to gain political mileage and infiltrate PF structures to their advantage.
Given that the family has exercised its right to appeal, the next legal phase is likely to have a telling effect on the future of the party and it’s structures few months into elections next year.
Already, publicly available evidence points to the fact that senior PF members are heavily invested in the funeral at the expense of campaigning during by-elections. The results of a dismal PF performance in recent by-elections is there for everyone to see.
The temptation is huge to try and blame a poor show on a number of factors, but the public should remember that against all odds, team spirit prevailed in the Petauke Parliamentary by-election where PF retained its seat.
The above truth alone shows that if PF can reorganise itself and focus on restrategising, not all hope is lost. The place of the PF in next year’s elections is so crucial that the larger opposition groups are looking for a PF hand and the support of its massive structures if they are going to secure a victory against an organised UPND with the full force of incumbancy.
On the above premise, the PF may still have to respect the ECL family wishes, but make a painful but necessary decision to choose a successor if the party is going make any meaningful participation in next year’s elections.
Coincidentally, on the day of the ECL judgement, another party stalwart and former Minister of Defence Davies Chama was sent behind bars for 8 years.
It’s a fact that PF is in decline, just count the number of parliamentary seats they have lost within a short space of time. To rise from these setbacks requires a bold and decisive new leadership to shakeoff the weight of political machinations and arouse the roar of structures and foot soldiers to guarantee a coveted splendid performance during next year’s elections.
A NATION’S CONSCIENCE ON TRIAL: CALLS FOR DECENCY IN THE LUNGU BURIAL DISPUTE
By Brian Matambo – Sandton, South Africa The Emmanuel Mwamba Verified livestream on Friday was more than a talk show. It became a confessional, a town hall, and a pulpit for a nation wrestling with grief, politics, and moral responsibility. With Bishop Paul Bupe as the guest, the discussion ran deep into the night, drawing voices from Zambia, South Africa, Europe, and the United States. The verdict from South Africa’s court on the burial of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu may have been handed down, but the court of public conscience is still in session.
The tone was set early. Callers spoke with urgency, some choking back emotion, others delivering their words like a closing argument. Almost all circled back to one demand: treat the Lungu family with dignity.
“You want the nation to find closure at the expense of the family’s closure? It doesn’t make sense to me,” one caller said. “Edgar Lungu is more important to his family than he is to the nation. Prioritize the family.”
Bishop Bupe anchored the discussion in scripture. From Isaiah 1:17 – “Learn to do good; seek justice; relieve the oppressed; plead for the widow”. Another caller referenced to Exodus 22:22-24’s warning against afflicting widows and orphans, he challenged both the government and citizens to measure their actions against biblical standards.
“Widows, widows, widows,” a called repeated. “They are vulnerable people. In moments like this, you don’t tower state machinery over them. You protect them.”
*Outrage Over Celebration * If there was one theme that drew near-universal condemnation, it was the sight of public figures celebrating the court ruling. Multiple callers demanded that an MP seen dancing in a viral video be disciplined.
“In Italy or anywhere in Europe, he would be suspended immediately,” one priest caller said. “Mocking the dead is unworthy of any honorable person.”
*FEAR AND THE CHILLING EFFECT* A striking feature of the program was the number of callers who insisted on remaining anonymous. For Bishop Bupe, it was a sign of the times.
“Since when did Zambians fear to speak?” he asked. “God has not given us the spirit of timidity, but of power, love, and a sound mind.”
*DIALOGUE OVER LITIGATION* Several speakers argued that the matter should never have gone to court. “When you take a matter to court, there are no winners,” one caller reflected. “Jesus said, ‘Settle matters quickly with your adversary.’ The judges will not look at your personal interest; they will consider other facts, and those may not go your way.”
Another caller from the UK described the case not as Lungu family vs. the State, but as “HH vs. ECL,” framing it as personal revenge disguised as protocol.
“They are spending millions in South Africa just to ridicule the family,” she said. “This is not leadership; it is vengeance.”
*THE CHURCH, WHERE ARE YOU?* One of the most repeated refrains came in the form of a challenge to Zambia’s church leaders. “Churches, please don’t feel ashamed to stand for truth,” one commenter urged in the live chat.
The Bishop echoed the call: “Church, where are you when these doctrines are being preached contrary to what we have known and what the Bible taught? Speak for the people and fear not, for God is with you.”
*A TEST OF NATIONAL CHARACTER* What emerged from the livestream was not simply a debate about a burial location. It was a referendum on the nation’s character. Callers warned that the way Zambia treats yesterday’s leaders is a rehearsal for how it will treat tomorrow’s.
“Any government can find itself in this position one day,” one contributor said. “Decency should not be partisan; it is a national insurance policy.”
Others spoke bluntly about the international embarrassment. “We are part of history now, and not in a good way,” said one caller from California. “Posterity will judge us for how we treated a grieving widow and family.”
*A FINAL PLEA* In his closing words, Bishop Bupe turned directly to the Lungu family.
“No temptation has overtaken you except that which is common to people,” he said, quoting 1 Corinthians 10:13. “God is faithful. He will not put on you more than you can bear. In the time of temptation, He will make a way where there seems to be no way.”
And to the nation, he added: “This is no time to fight or curse each other. It is the time to lift one another up, to care for the weak, the feeble, the dying. Comfort the grieving. Honor the dead. Protect the widow and the orphan. That is who we are meant to be as a people.”
In the end, the show revealed a hard truth: the legal case may be over, but the moral case is still before us. And on that count, the verdict is yet to be written.
Note that the family has filed an appeal in the courts of South Africa. We continue to stand with the Lungu family.
No Appeal has been administered in the high court yet
It is important to have a clear understanding of the facts. It is misleading to suggest that the Lungu family has already appealed the judgment before the Pretoria High Court. The truth is that they have only prepared an appeal.
An appeal remains just that—an appeal—until it is formally lodged with the court. This requires the court to first receive the document and stamp it. Once stamped, the court will then determine whether the appeal has merit. If merit is found, it may grant a stay of execution, temporarily suspending the earlier order it issued.
At present, what is being shared on social media is merely an unstamped notice of intention to appeal—not an appeal that has been lodged or acted upon by the court. The court has neither formally received the document nor issued a stay of execution. In legal terms, nothing has changed.
The earliest opportunity to lodge the appeal is today; if that does not happen, the next will be Monday. Should the Zambian Government move the body before Monday, the appeal would become academic.
It is therefore crucial that this matter be reported accurately and based solely on verified facts.
GIVE ROOM TO THE ECL FAMILY TO MOURN IN PEACE – MONDE
…calls on President Hichilema to censure his members including Muchinga province Minister for mocking the bereaved family following the court ruling in South Africa
Lusaka… Friday August 8, 2025 – Former Fisheries and Livestock Minister Greyford Monde says the family of late former Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu must be given room to mourn him with dignity.
Speaking when he featured on Millennium TV’s ‘The National Pulse’ program, Hon. Monde said it is sad that those aligned to the UPND are mocking the bereaved family following the Pretoria High Court ruling that ordered that the remains of Mr. Lungu be handed over to the Zambian Government for repatriation and subsequent burial at the Embassy park in Lusaka.
He said the celebrations from the UPND camp following the court judgement will not help the country in any way.
Hon. Monde who served as Cabinet Minister in the Patriotic Front (PF) administration under President Edgar Lungu has asked President Hakainde Hichilema to censure his members including Muchinga province Minister Njavwa Simutowe for mocking the bereaved family.
“President Hichilema takes time to act when he is needed. He is taking time to speak to his people mocking the late ECL and the grieving family. This is a matter of high concern. We need to put politics aside on issues of national importance. Let there be peace in the country and also give room to the ECL family to mourn him with dignity. These celebrations from the UPND camp will not help the country in anyway,” Hon. Monde said.
And Hon. Monde said the PF remains solidly behind the family of later former President Lungu adding that what they will decide is what the party will go with.
“Let President Hichilema be the man with a big heart, and he can even follow the burial proceedings online, there are many events that he has foregone. The family demonstrated that they were willing to bring the remains of ECL and we do not expect the Government to take a hard approach after this court ruling. We need more prayers to ask God to guide us in the governance of this country,” Hon. Monde said.
And Chiengi member of parliament Hon. Given Katuta who called in during the program said she is saddened by the conduct of Muchinga province Minister Njavwa Simutowe who was filmed celebrating the Pretorial High Court ruling in a video that has gone viral on various social media platforms.
She questioned whether the UPND Government will bury late former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu in good faith.
“We have a leadership that is heartless, they should stop mocking the bereaved family. My prayer is that the UPND will not turn the burial into a political event where there members will dominate,” she said.
Mere Notice of Appeal Suspends Court Judgement or Court Orders-Act No. 10 of Superior Courts Act of 2013
Suspension of decision pending appeal
18. (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), and unless the court under exceptional circumstances orders otherwise, the operation and execution of a decision which is the subject of an application for leave to appeal or of an appeal, is suspended pending the 20 decision of the application or appeal. (2) Subject to subsection (3),
(5) For the purposes of subsections (1) and (2), a decision becomes the subject of an application for leave to appeal or of an appeal, as soon as an application for leave to appeal or a notice of appeal is lodged with the registrar in terms of the rules.
High Court in SA orders ECL body to return to Zambia …the long turbulent journey of an African President
Amb. Anthony Mukwita wrote-
8 Jun 25.
On 5 June 2025, H.E Edgar Chagwa Lungu, Zambia’s sixth president, died in Pretoria, South Africa.
Today, 8 August, his body remains unburied. That’s 64 days of suspended mourning.
Sixty-four days of legal wrangling, political frost, and a family frozen in grief. In the Pretoria High Court today, the widow Esther Lungu sat draped in black, flanked by daughters Chiyesu, Tasila, son Daliso, and ECL’s only surviving elder sister, Bertha.
Their faces bore the fatigue of mourning too long. No tears left. Just silence. The kind that screams.
Then came the verdict: “The body of the sixth President of Zambia has to be repatriated to Lusaka, Zambia for final burial at Embassy Park where five others rest.” Just like that, the case seemed to be over. The spirit, however, is not.
H.E Edgar Lungu was born in Ndola in 1956, trained in law, and rose through the ranks to become Zambia’s President in 2015. He was not a man of bombast.
He was a man of bridges, literal and metaphorical. Roads, clinics, airports, and flyovers bore his signature. He believed in building, even when the economy buckled beneath debt and drought. Dr. Fred M’membe, a long-time friend and political rival, said it best: “Despite great political achievements, he remained the same ‘Mwana’ to me.
His humility made him acceptable to many of our people.” Lungu’s presidency was a paradox: a builder of infrastructure, yet accused of dismantling democratic norms by critics.
A man who commuted death sentences for hundreds. A leader who declared a National Day of Prayer, yet presided over economic challenges and booms.
But in death, the contradictions fade. What remains is the man. The father. The husband. The brother. The builder, the President.
AND ENTER THE COURT BATTLE FOR THE HEART ANF BODY OF ECL
The legal battle over Lungu’s burial reads like a tragic telenovela. The family wanted a private burial in South Africa. The government, led by Attorney General Mulilo Kabesha, insisted on repatriation to Embassy Park.
Kabesha, in a press briefing, said: “He went to South Africa for medical care. He was not a refugee. Morally, culturally, and spiritually, he must be buried in Zambia.” He added, with solemnity: “Let’s pray for the family to heal. There will be no winner or loser. The courts are simply giving us what is best.”
But the family feels defeated. Madam Esther Lungu returns to mourning. The body language in court said it all: shoulders slumped, eyes hollow, hands clenched not in anger but in resignation. The spirit refuses to die. The history grim.
Zambia has buried five presidents before: Kenneth Kaunda (died 17 June 2021), Frederick Chiluba (died 18 June 2011), Levy Mwanawasa (died 19 August 2008), Rupiah Banda (died 11 March 2022), and Michael Sata (died 28 October 2014).
Now Edgar Lungu joins them. But unlike the others, his final journey has been marred by political frost. His benefits were stripped. His travel restricted.
WHAT NEXT FOR ZAMBIA
His legacy (ECL) was contested. So what does this say about Zambia? It says we need a law, cast in stone, like Dodoma in Tanzania that governs the burial of presidents. Not court battles. Not injunctions. Just dignity. There are lessons to learn from ECL’s treatment while alive and when dead. First, respect must be institutionalized. Presidents should not depend on the goodwill of successors for dignity.
There must be legal guarantees. Second, death should not be a political battlefield.
The dead deserve peace. The living deserve closure. Third, legacy is built in life, cemented in death. H.E Lungu’s infrastructure may crumble, but his humility endures. His flaws were many like everyone else, but his humanity was real.
Today, the courtroom in Pretoria was packed with former officials from H.E Lungu’s era: Given Lubinda, Mutotwe Kafwaya, Joseph Malanji, Chanda Kabwe, Freedom Sikazwe, Brian Mundubile, many more.
Some from the previous administration, some not. All united in grief. It was a reunion of the fallen. A reminder that power is fleeting. That today’s king is tomorrow’s mourner.
The family lost a chance to bury their loved one in peace, the government appears to have scored a hail mail pass. Nobody won.
AND ENTER THE SA HIGH COURT
The courts gave a verdict, but not closure. And so we ask: How do we return to peace, unity, and love after ECL?
Perhaps we start by acknowledging the pain. By letting the widow mourn without politics. By letting the children cry without cameras. By letting the nation reflect without rancour.
Like Michael Jackson, Alexander the Great, and Kwame Nkrumah, H.E Edgar Lungu’s figure looms larger in death perhaps more than it did in life. His faults are softened. His virtues magnified. He was not perfect, no one is. But he was ours.
In Zambia, we say umupashi tawufwa, the spirit does not die. Today, that spirit sits in a courtroom in Pretoria. It walks through government offices.
It lingers at the airports and flyovers. It whispers in the dry eyes of a mourning widow. And it asks: Will Zambia learn? Will Zambia heal? Only time will tell. But for now, we mourn. We reflect. We remember. And we wait, or the burial. For the peace. For the spirit to rest. — Amb. Anthony Mukwita is an International Relations Analyst & Author.
The family of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu have filed papers for leave to appeal Friday’s High Court judgement.
Earlier on Friday, Gauteng Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba delivered an order that Lungu’s remains be repatriated to Lusaka for burial.
However, the family has filed papers on their intention to apply for leave to appeal the judgement in the supreme court.
It has been two months since the former Zambian head of State died in Johannesburg while receiving medical attention.
The court battle – which has taken place in the same time frame in South African courts – between the Zambian government and the Lungu family is far from over.
The Lungu family has approached the High Court for leave to appeal its judgement in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).
In its papers the family argues that the full bench, which heard the matter earlier this week, erred in granting the Zambian government its wish to repatriate president Lungu’s body.
On Friday, the court agreed with the Zambian government that an agreement was reached between the State and the family in meeting in June for Lungu’s remains to be repatriated and for a State funeral to be held for him in Lusaka.
But the family disputes this, saying the court failed to consider the full set of events between the parties in that meeting.
The High Court will now consider the Lungu family’s application for leave to appeal and if granted the matter will be heard in the SCA.
Tembo Blames Family Lawyer’s Admission for Government Victory in Lungu Burial Case
Opposition leader and Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) president Sean E. Tembo has attributed the government’s victory in the controversial Edgar Lungu burial case to what he describes as a “critical blunder” by the late president’s family lawyer during the court proceedings in South Africa.
Tembo, who also serves as spokesperson for the opposition Tonse Alliance, published a detailed analysis on Thursday morning explaining how the South African court ruled in favour of the Zambian government after initially appearing to lean toward the Lungu family’s wishes.
“It soon became apparent to me that ECL’s family clearly had an upper hand, for the simple reason that South African law gave the next of kin the right to determine where and how a dead person should be interred,” Tembo wrote.
The Zambian government had obtained an interim injunction to stop the burial of former President Lungu, which had been scheduled for June 26, 2025, in South Africa. It argued that the burial should take place in Zambia, citing public interest.
Tembo acknowledged that the government’s public interest argument was weak and lacked credible evidence, such as statistically sound surveys or widespread national consensus.
“You literally have to undertake a statistically sound survey where it is determined that the majority of Zambians want ECL to be buried in Zambia,” he explained. “Government tried to demonstrate public interest by… engaging proxies to undertake protests in front of the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. But these efforts fell far short.”
However, according to Tembo, the tide turned during the August 4 hearing when the judge asked the Lungu family’s lawyer whether it was in the public interest that the former president be buried in Zambia.
“The ECL family lawyer answered in the affirmative, but quickly qualified his answer by saying, ‘… it is however the desire of the family that he should be buried here in South Africa,’” Tembo revealed.
That single admission, Tembo claims, effectively handed the government the legal victory it had struggled to secure.
“At that moment, I sunk in my seat with helplessness. The moment the lawyer agreed that it was in the public interest that ECL should be buried in Zambia, I knew that we had lost the case,” he said.
Tembo further questioned whether the lawyer’s apparent misstep was due to incompetence or possible compromise.
“The question that shall remain lingering on the back of my mind is whether that was due to plain incompetence or he was compromised?” he asked.
DEMANDS TO BURY SOMEONE YOU ARE INSULTING – “aka TUMBI” ( little corpse).
It would be quite #comforting if most people who want the body of the deceased former President to return to Zambia against the FAMILY’s wishes, also #showed respect and some love for the former President in their demands.
A big disconnect however #lies between the insults and the demand the body. “Aka TUMBI kaleisa, tuka shike”, is said in a video #featuring the Muchinga Provincial Minister. Will he be disciplined by the appointing authority? Will the Church demand for his apology?
Unruly cadres can be expected to desecrate the body of the deceased, but a Provincial Minister CANNOT be expected to associate with such gross misconduct.
OUR STATEMENT ON THE SA ECL REPATRIATION COURT JUDGEMENT
We share in the pain and deep grief of the Lungu family. We know that in the short term, the court’s decision may seem painful, But it serves a noble goal in the long-term, an aspiration which shall preserve the legacy of the former President.
While this judgment, of the South African court, which has sought to uphold the dignity and protocol of the office of the President of Zambia comes amidst much tension and emotion, the ruling has preserved the ideals that govern us as a people, ensuring that President Edgar Changwa Lungu’s legacy remains accessible to his family, the very ordinary people of Zambia over whom he precided, his wider Patriotic Front family, and the future generations to come.
This decision also upholds the preservation of Zambia’s Presidential Order as maintained at Embassy Park, without any interruption, and ensures that his final resting place will be in accordance with our established national customs and protocols.
As we move forward, I urge every Zambian to come together and focus on one thing and one thing only: to put to rest the man who held office as President of the Republic of Zambia for seven years in respect and dignity.
During this time, let us spare each other any unnecessary, contentious and divissive matters. For those with the need to do so, they will have an opportunity to have those matters looked into and debated weeks, months, and even years after the burial is done, in line with our ‘isambo lya mfwa’ tradition.
Let us all come together and give President Edgar Changwa Lungu the dignity and respect he deserves in his final moments.
Why the Lungu Family Lost the Pretoria Case Against the Zambian Government
Tobbius Chilembo Hamunkoyo, LLB 08/08/25
On Friday, the Pretoria High Court dismissed the Lungu family’s case against the Zambian government over the repatriation and burial of the late former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu aka ECL.
From my careful listening to the full oral submissions made on 4th August 2025, it became evident that the government’s victory was almost inevitable. Here’s why.
1. There was No dispute over repatriation. The most critical fact was that both parties, the Zambian government and the Lungu family, agreed on the repatriation of the former President’s remains. This meant the main relief sought by the family was already uncontested. It was observed that Judges repeatedly noted that there was no legal quarrel about bringing the body back to Zambia, rendering this part of the application effectively redundant.
2. Core issue outside South African jurisdiction; The real point of disagreement was President Hakainde Hichilema’s participation in the funeral. When the judges asked if the court could make an order preventing the President of Zambia from being involved, the family’s lawyer admitted;
“No, and that’s why we get to the counter…”
That concession was decisive. It confirmed that the court could not grant the central wish of the family. Matters involving the role of a sitting president at a state funeral fall squarely within the sovereign rights of Zambia and are not matters the South African courts can decide.
3. Lack of enforceable legal grounds; The court pressed the family’s lawyers for any binding legal instrument, such as a will, a signed agreement, or a court order from Zambia, proving that the late President had specified funeral conditions or a burial location. None was produced, this was a big flop on the Lungu’s family. The closest evidence offered were podcasts and public statements, which hold little legal weight in such proceedings. Without documentary proof, their claim lacked a legal foundation.
4. Evidence of political rather than legal dispute; The judges drew attention to document EL19, a burial program prepared by the Zambian government, and questioned whether the resistance was driven more by political preference than by enforceable rights. This undermined the family’s claim further because courts cannot rule based on political sentiment.
5. Proper forum is Zambia, not South Africa The bench made clear that even if disagreements persisted after the body was repatriated, the correct venue for resolving them would be the Zambian courts. This principle of proper forum is well-established in international law, disputes tied to a sovereign state’s internal ceremonial and constitutional matters must be handled within that state’s own legal system very important.
6. Government’s position aligned with law and protocol
The Zambian government’s stance , to repatriate the body and accord the late President a state funeral according to national protocols , aligned with international practice and Zambia’s constitutional powers. The court was not persuaded that there was anything unlawful or improper in this approach.
The Lungu family lost because of their primary concern, excluding the sitting President from the funeral, was outside the court’s jurisdiction, lacked legal documentation, and appeared to be a political preference rather than a legal right. The uncontested nature of the repatriation issue meant there was no real case to decide.
By upholding Zambia’s sovereign authority over its state ceremonies, the Pretoria High Court not only reinforced legal boundaries between nations but also brought this highly emotional dispute closer to closure.
Disclaimer This article reflects the author’s personal views based on court proceedings and does not constitute legal advice.
ZAMBIA RESPONDS TO USA VISA BOND REQUIREMENTS FOR B-1/B-2 APPLICANTS
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has taken note of the recent decision by the Government of the United States of America (USA) to introduce visa bond requirements for certain categories of visa applicants, a measure that may have significant implications for Zambian nationals intending to travel to the USA for temporary business or tourism purposes.
This follows the announcement on 5th August 2025, that Zambian applicants for B-1 (temporary business) and B-2 (tourism, medical treatment, and family visits) visas will be required to pay a visa bond ranging from USD 5,000 to USD 15,000, as determined at the time of the visa interview.
The measure is effective 20th August 2025.
The visa bond requirement arises from a pilot programme introduced by the Government of the United States of America, under Section 221(g)(3) of the USA Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and the corresponding Temporary Final Rule (TFR).
While the government of the United States of America has a prerogative to initiate policy changes, the Zambian government views this development with serious concern, given its potential economic implications on trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.
This includes the unnecessary financial strain on Zambian Nationals.
The decision is contrary to the spirit of the meeting held with His Excellency, Mr.Michael C. Gonzales, Ambassador of the United States of America to Zambia, at State House in Lusaka on 9th July 2025, which centred on exploring new pathways to deepen the enduring partnership between the two nations.
Further, the pilot programme does not foster or engender the deepening of bilateral relations, but rather, it is counter to the spirit of mutual beneficial relations between the two sovereign states.
The Ministry wishes to clarify that the scope of this measure only affects; • Zambian nationals applying for B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourism, family visits, and medical treatment) visas after 20th August 2025.
However, it does not affect; • Zambians applying for student visas or • Zambians who were already issued valid B-1/B-2 visas before 20th August 2025.
The Ministry wishes to assure the public that this matter is being treated with the urgency and seriousness it deserves. The Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has taken immediate steps to engage at the highest level with the United States Government through formal diplomatic channels to seek clarity on this programme and explore possible solutions that safeguard the mutual interests of Zambia and the United States of America.
(Original signed) Hon. Mulambo Haimbe, S.C, M.P MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
GOVT DISMISSES CLAIMS OF WIDESPREAD MINISTERIAL CORRUPTION
CHIEF Government Spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa has dismissed suggestions that all cabinet ministers are implicated in corruption following the Anti-Corruption Commission-ACC’s announcement that investigations into various ministers are ongoing.
Mr. Mweetwa tells Phoenix News that no reasonable stakeholder can label the entire cabinet as corrupt while the acc is yet to disclose the identities or number of those under scrutiny.
He notes that the ACC has assured the public it will publish names once investigations advance and should be allowed to complete its work without premature conclusions.
Mr. Mweetwa has recalled his tenure as Chairperson of the Africa Parliamentary Network Against Corruption -APNAC-, where he never promoted a blanket narrative against elected officials without substantiated evidence.
ACC Chairperson, Retired Justice Evans Hamaundu, recently confirmed progress in the investigations but reiterated that ministerial names would remain confidential until the commission is ready to release them.
New Dawn Government’s Commitment to Accountability: A Lesson for All in Public Office
By Timmy
The recent sentencing of former Defence Minister Davies Chama and Dumisani Nyoni to eight years imprisonment with hard labour by the Mongu High Court is a powerful reminder of the New Dawn Government’s unwavering commitment to justice and accountability.
Delivered by Judge John Mbuzi, the judgment stems from a 2015 incident during the Mulobezi parliamentary by-election in Western Province, where the two were found guilty of acts intended to cause grievous harm to UPND member Mushaukwa Mushaukwa, whom they shot during a political altercation.
This conviction is not just about punishing wrongdoers—it reflects the high standards the New Dawn Government has set for itself and for the nation. It is proof that no one, regardless of their former or current position, is above the law. Such decisive action has strengthened public confidence, showing that the government is delivering according to the people’s expectations.
However, this moment should serve as more than just a victory for justice. It is a warning to those currently in public office: power is a responsibility, not a tool for personal or political gain. Abuse of office carries consequences, and history has shown that a day of reckoning always comes for those who misuse authority.
Let this case be a lesson to all leaders—past, present, and future—that the mandate to serve the people must always be exercised with integrity, fairness, and accountability. The New Dawn Government’s example should inspire those in office to uphold the highest standards and avoid the mistakes of the past.
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