CCMG TO CHALLENGE ECZ’S INSISTENCE ON NON-PARTICIPATING PARTIES’ REGALIA

The Christian Churches Monitoring Group -CCMG- has disclosed that it intends to pursue remedial measures among them legal action to challenge the Electoral Commission of Zambia -ECZ- ‘s decision to bar non-participating political parties from using their regalia during campaigns in the Mfuwe parliamentary by election campaigns.

CCMG Chairperson Bishop Andrew Mwenda has questioned the legal basis for the ECZ’s directive, arguing that the electoral process act does not explicitly prohibit allied parties from displaying shared symbols, colors, or clothing in support of common candidates.

In an interview with Phoenix News, Bishop Mwenda pointed out that while the act defines campaign materials, it does not restrict who may wear them once political alliances are formally recognized.

He believes the ECZ’s directive exceeds the clear provisions of the law, specifically sections 2, 29(3), and 29(4), which focus on material distribution rather than prohibiting allied usage

Bishop Mwenda warns that unchecked interpretation of the law by the electoral body risks undermining established practices of political cooperation.

His comment comes after ECZ Chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis insisted that using campaign materials from non-participating parties is illegal and against the electoral process, allowing only materials depicting symbols, colors, and images of participating parties and candidates.

PN

When Outsiders Stir the Dust: PFSA, Politics, and the Disrespect of African Burial Customs

By Dr Mwelwa

When a hyena wants to stir the dust around the lion’s grave, it forgets that silence does not mean surrender—it means mourning. In the heart of Africa, where respect for the dead is sacred and mourning is not a political performance but a solemn right, we are now witnessing a disturbing twist of the knife into the soul of a grieving family. The Progressive Forces of South Africa (PFSA), a group whose political identity is as vague as its moral compass, has chosen to accuse the Lungu family of “running away from court cases.” This reckless pronouncement is not only ignorant—it is insulting, inflammatory, and profoundly misinformed.

It is not the African way to raise dust over a corpse; it is not the Zambian way to politicize a funeral. And yet, here we are—watching PFSA, from across the border, attempt to manufacture outrage and direct burial policy for a country they neither represent nor understand. There has been no uprising in Zambia, no petition, no grassroots protest accusing the Lungu family of wrongdoing. The Zambian people, in their collective wisdom, have responded to this moment with dignity, restraint, and silence—because they understand what it means to lose a loved one. But PFSA, apparently with time and funding to spare, has chosen to dishonor the dead and defame the living.

Let us make this plain: there is no court case in Zambia requiring the Lungu family’s presence. There is no warrant, no summons, no judicial order that has been ignored. If there are legal matters to be answered, they must proceed through lawful and independent processes—not through press statements issued by external pressure groups masquerading as moral authorities.

Even a family under investigation retains its constitutional rights. And in the case of burial, South African law explicitly vests the right of burial in the next of kin—not in the state, and certainly not in a South African fringe political group with no legal standing in Zambia. To suggest that mourning in another country is an escape from justice is not just shallow—it’s malicious. It also dangerously undermines both Zambia’s sovereignty and South Africa’s legal system, which rightly prioritizes the dignity of the dead and the rights of grieving families.

A child who does not know where the rain began to beat him will not know where to begin drying his body. PFSA does not speak for Zambia, and it does not speak for South Africa either. Their intervention is not driven by pan-African solidarity, but by a growing suspicion that they have been co-opted to carry a narrative foreign to both Zambian public sentiment and legal reasoning. One must ask: who benefits from this disruption? Who funds this indignation? Who writes their script?

The Lungu family, whether loved or criticized, is not on trial. They are in mourning. To convert their grief into a political tool is to dance naked in the village square and call it leadership. African culture teaches us that even an enemy deserves dignity in death. That principle is not suspended because of past disagreements or speculative investigations.

Let us be clear: the Zambian government itself has approached South African courts to stop the burial of a former President, a move that is both unprecedented and legally questionable. This has already created diplomatic friction and cast Zambia in an unflattering light. For PFSA to now insert itself as the moral compass of this tragedy is not only presumptuous—it risks inflaming tensions between two nations historically bound by freedom struggles, not funerals.

The African proverb reminds us: “When the roots of a tree begin to decay, it spreads death to the branches.” If political groups like PFSA continue to weaponize grief, distort law, and undermine family rights, the result will be not justice—but generational division, cultural erosion, and constitutional confusion.

The Lungu family deserves empathy, not condemnation. If there are legal matters to resolve, let them be handled after burial, through formal and competent courts—not through headlines authored by non-state actors with hidden agendas.

To PFSA: Zambia is not your playground, and our grief is not your podium. You do not speak for us, and you certainly do not decide where our leaders are buried. If you respect the memory of our shared liberation, stay in your lane and let the next of kin bury their dead in peace.

For Zambia knows what you have forgotten: “You do not point at your father’s house with the left hand.”

Buried Secrets: South Africans Expose the Lungu Family’s Hidden Agenda in Burial Standoff

By Farai Ruvanyathi

18th July 2025

Fate Steps In Where Diplomacy Fails

When adults fail to resolve simple matters with reason, fate often takes charge,  and so it has in the case of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu’s controversial burial impasse.

What began as a solemn family dispute has now exploded into public spectacle, with a South African civil movement,  the Progressive Forces of South Africa (PFSA), pulling back the curtain on what they allege to be the true motives behind the Lungu family’s refusal to repatriate his remains.

With each passing day, the situation takes on a more embarrassing and sinister dimension.

A Grieving Widow or a Calculating Heiress?

For weeks, Esther Nyawa Lungu has maintained a carefully cultivated image of a grieving widow, clad in black, her face solemn and drawn. But the PFSA claims this is merely a façade, suggesting the family’s insistence on keeping Lungu’s body in South Africa is rooted not in grief or principle, but in a desperate bid to conceal ill-gotten wealth and their pending criminal cases before Zambian courts.

According to the PFSA, the Lungu family is behaving like a “grumpy, selfish, corrupt mafia,” unwilling to let their patriarch return to the soil of his ancestors because his burial in Zambia might expose secrets they wish to keep buried.

For many Zambians, the underlying suspicions have always lingered. Yet, until now, political propaganda clouded the narrative, deflecting blame onto Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, unfairly so, while the true reasons went largely unexamined.

The King Speaks: A Cultural Rebuke

At a riveting press conference in South Africa yesterday, the PFSA brought out heavyweight voices to condemn the family’s actions.

King Khalo la Bataung Jacob Hlalele, monarch of the Bataung ba Hlalele Royal Kingdom, delivered a powerful and culturally charged statement:

“Edgar Lungu must be buried where the elders’ bones and graves are. Burying him in South Africa violates both custom and decency.”

His words struck at the heart of African tradition, underscoring how the ongoing impasse disrespects both Zambian and South African Bantu heritage.

Progressive Forces Accuse South African Government of Complicity

Mthetho Ngcukayithobi, the PFSA leader, did not mince words. He criticized South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s silence on the matter and questioned the motives behind Pretoria’s inaction.

“Why does this government hide behind the courts? What are they protecting, and at what cost to our dignity and security?”

Ngcukayithobi went further, accusing Zambia’s former Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba of adultery during his diplomatic posting as Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, and alluding to a mysterious Zambian benefactor, possibly James Ndambo, who allegedly whisked Lungu away through a departure lounge in a luxury vehicle upon arrival in South Africa.

These revelations add layers of intrigue to an already murky affair.

A Brewing Storm Between Pretoria and Lusaka

The PFSA warned that allowing Lungu to be buried in South Africa would turn his grave into a shrine, attracting hordes of Zambian pilgrims who won’t return to their country, and potentially creating a security headache. While the warning carries an undertone of xenophobia, it has clearly struck a nerve,  and elevated the issue from a private family matter to a national immigration security concern.

Meanwhile, the South African government’s indecision and reluctance to act may have quietly strained relations with Lusaka, where officials have reportedly grown impatient. Zambians have begun to publicly question why their government has swiftly repatriated the remains of South African freedom fighters buried in Zambia, yet their own president remains mummified in a South African morgue.

What if a Zambian citizen were to challenge this double standard in court, demanding proof of consent from the families of South African liberation fighters buried on Zambian soil? Such a move could open a Pandora’s box neither government is prepared to confront.

A Question of Dignity and Justice

The Lungu burial saga has exposed not just family secrets, but the frailty of diplomacy and the dangers of silence in the face of injustice. As South African activists refuse to let the matter rest and Zambians grow increasingly restless, both governments may soon be forced to confront uncomfortable truths.

When dignity is denied to the dead, it is the living who are haunted. How much longer can the charade last?

THEY’RE A LOT OF FAKE DOCTORS AT UTH – MUCHIMA

HEALTH Minister Dr Elijah Muchima has raised concern over the presence of imposters posing as medical professionals at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), warning that some individuals are swindling patients under the guise of providing healthcare services.

Speaking during a stakeholder engagement meeting in Lusaka, Wednesday, Dr Muchima urged UTH management to implement stricter identification systems for its staff in order to weed out fraudulent individuals, locally referred to as chimutengo, who exploit patients for money.

“The car park is fee paying, but we also need a car park for our members of staff. We cannot be charging them that money; they are coming here for work. The car park is supposed to be free for those coming for work”

News Diggers

ECZ’s CAMPAIGN MATERIAL BAN OUTRAGEOUS

…it is an attempt to control political expression and dismantle opposition alliances ahead of the 2026 general elections, says Luzendi

Lusaka… Friday July 18, 2025 – The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has come under intense criticism following its recent directive banning the use of campaign materials such as t-shirts, chitenges, and banners by political parties not directly contesting in an election.

The decision, which the Commission claims is intended to promote public order, has been described by some political stakeholders as a dangerous move against Zambia’s democratic principles.

In a statement, Mr. Thompson Luzendi, a political activist and member of the Socialist Party, condemned the directive as a “direct attack on alliance and coalition politics.”

He argued that the ECZ’s action was unconstitutional and politically motivated, claiming it aimed to dismantle electoral coalitions and silence allied political voices ahead of the 2026 general elections.

Mr. Luzendi recalled the 2021 general elections, during which members of the UPND Alliance, a coalition of opposition parties, were free to wear their party regalia and campaign side by side without interference.

He questioned why the ECZ would now seek to outlaw practices that were once allowed and even encouraged.

“The ECZ’s new position betrays its mandate to facilitate free and fair elections,” Luzendi stated.

He added that the move not only contradicted ECZ’s past precedent but also infringed on constitutional rights, particularly those enshrined in Articles 20 and 21, which guarantee freedom of expression and association.

The activist went further to suggest that the ban was not genuinely about maintaining public order but rather an attempt to control political expression and dismantle opposition alliances at a time when the ruling party, UPND, is facing growing criticism and declining popularity.

“We are seeing tactics used by authoritarian regimes,” Luzendi warned.

He disclosed that similar strategies had been used in other countries where electoral commissions were weaponized to stifle dissent and narrow civic space under the guise of regulation.

He also criticized the ECZ for overstepping its role, stating that maintaining public order falls under the mandate of the Zambia Police, not the electoral body.

He called the ECZ’s decision “an illegal administrative overreach” and an effort to reverse democratic progress under the false pretense of regulating elections.

Meanwhile, Luzendi has called on the ECZ to immediately withdraw the directive, allow alliance and coalition partners to campaign freely, and uphold the country’s constitutional and democratic foundations.

“Our democracy is not a gift from those who are temporarily in power. It is the inheritance of the people,” he emphasized..

UPND’S OPPOSITION ARE ZAMBIANS – SIMUYEMBA

UPND Alliance former Secretary General Musenda Simuyemba has warned that the UPND’s biggest opposition are ordinary Zambians who are feeling the real effects of bad governance and not political formations.

And Mr Simuyemba has described the UPND as a failed government that has lost moral and spiritual legitimacy to lead the country, accusing it of being thieves, who are sowing political confusion, economic bleeding and disrespecting Christian values.

Mr Simuyemba, who is the president of Movement for Change said while the opposition may appear disorganised at the surface, the real opposition was the Zambians themselves, who were “swimming in deep and dangerous economic waters” under the current administration.

“The Church has a non-negotiable responsibility to guide the nation and help the people choose leadership that is Godly…so that demons do not take over this country,” Mr Simuyemba said.

He bemoaned what he described as growing moral decay, saying even those promoting same-sex marriages were now marching openly without consequence, while ordinary citizens were being gagged with so-called hate speech laws that stifle free expression.

Mr Simuyemba has also accused the UPND of having stolen the Kawambwa parliamentary seat previously held by jailed Nickson Chilangwa.

“UPND’s actions are a litmus test of what they are capable of. Beyond lies, they have now become thieves. They stole the Kawambwa by-election. I participated in that election and I know for a fact that they stole. How can you get more than 1, 000 votes in an area where there are 600 or 700 voters…and voter turnout has never been 100%,” Mr Simuyemba said.

He said the UPND came into power through a wave of popular support but had squandered public goodwill through vindictiveness, abuse of power and broken promises.

“Numbers don’t lie. The people are suffering. The Church must rise and help this country choose light over darkness,” he said.

Mr Simuyemba has asked President Hakainde Hichilema to respect the wishes of the family of late former President Edgar Lungu who have barred him from attending or being anywhere near the body of his predecessor.

He said the current tension surrounding former President Lungu’s funeral and burial was caused entirely by President Hichilema’s unwillingness to respect the wishes of the Lungu family, who have maintained that they do not want him near the former President’s body.

Daily Nation Zambia

IT’S RIDICULOUS AND DICTATORIAL – MITI ON POLITICAL PARTY REGALIA

Regulating what regalia political parties who are in an Alliance together, however loose, sounds both ridiculous and dictatorial to me.

I mean, are colours and chitenges patented? And if they were, isn’t it the owner that should  complain if they are used outside an organisation?

What next, a Catholic choir can’t sing at a UCZ funeral?

This is serious over each by the ECZ. There are electoral issues to work on, especially the law. Not this random rule comes across as serving the ruling party.

By Laura Miti

By CIC.

COURT TO RULE ON NAKACINDA ACQUITTAL BID.

CHIEF Resident Magistrate Davies Chibwili is poised to rule on whether to acquit Patriotic Front (PF) faction Secretary General Raphael Nakacinda or put him on his defense in a case where he is charged with seditious practices.

The magistrate has set August 22, 2025, as the date for the ruling on the case to answer.

The prosecution has concluded its case, with two witnesses testifying against Nakacinda.

He is accused of uttering seditious words on September 26, 2024, via the KANELE 97.7 FM Facebook page.

The alleged words, “The Republican President of Zambia gave directives to the Drug Enforcement Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Zambia Police Service to raid and search the house of Former Head of State Edgar Chagwa Lungu,” were purportedly intended to “raise discontent or disaffection among the people of Zambia.”

Nakacinda pleaded not guilty to the charge of seditious practice, which is contrary to Section 57 as read with 60(1)(e) of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

During the trial, a Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) public relations officer, Allan Tamba, testified that President Hakainde Hichilema did not issue any directive for the commission to raid and search the former president’s house.

Tamba, 42, stated that Nakacinda’s assertions were “inaccurate and incorrect” and had the potential to “cause public panic.”

Tamba told the court that after seeing a video of Nakacinda on social media, he conducted an internal fact-finding at DEC and found that no such instructions had been given by the Presidency.

He then issued a press statement to “dispel Nakacinda’s assertions” and provide the public with the DEC’s correct position.

Tamba was later summoned by the Zambia Police Service Headquarters to provide a statement about the video.

Another witness, Joseph Kasonka, a farmer, also testified against Nakacinda.

Kasonka told the court that he was not happy with the words uttered by Nakacinda in the video and had gone to police headquarters to follow up on the matter.

During cross-examination by defense lawyer Maluza Chongola, Kasonka stated that while offering checks and balances was not illegal, keeping alert was.

The defense team requested the court to consider the prosecution’s evidence and determine if a prima facie case has been established.

The outcome of the ruling on August 22 will decide whether Nakacinda will need to present his defense.

Credits: Zambia yatu

I’ll ENGAGE LAWYERS OVER MY EX-PS’ K20M LIE – MALANJI

FORMER Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji says he is shocked that his own Permanent Secretary he served with under the late Edgar Lungu, Dr Ronald Simwinga, claimed under oath that he did not have any money beyond the over K20 million that he declared before court.

And Malanji said he will engage his lawyers on what direction to take on the matter.

In an interview with Daily Revelation yesterday, Mr. Malanji said the submission in the Ndola High Court by former Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Director General Thom Shamakamba that Dr Simwinga was asked to forfeit only K23 million of the K60 million “unexplained” funds in his bank account because the ACC had decided to turn him into one of the key witnesses in a prominent case.

Daily Revelation

LUSAKA-NDOLA DUAL CARRIAGEWAY PROJECT HITS 36% COMPLETION – RDA

The Road Development Agency (RDA) has announced that the Lusaka–Ndola Dual Carriageway project has reached 36 percent completion, marking a major milestone in one of Zambia’s most ambitious infrastructure developments.

RDA Chief Communications and Corporate Affairs Manager Anthony Mulowe notes that the project, which began in May 2024, is progressing steadily despite seasonal weather disruptions and the complexity of road construction processes.

Speaking during a media tour of the project, Mr Mulowe disclosed that the project has seen steady progress, with over 100 kilometers of new carriageway already completed and open for use in selected sections.

“This is a very critical road project for Zambia and the region, it traverses key mining towns and facilitates the movement of minerals and goods not only from our own mines but also from neighboring countries,” he noted.

Mr Mulowa added that, a total of 415 kilometers has been cleared and grubbed, 269 kilometers of selected layer has also been laid, and 231 kilometers of cement-stabilised soil has been completed.

And Micro Ocean Investment Consortium Limited (MOIC) Site Engineer Xu Chuanjun explained that in some selected section’s the stabilisation phase a critical component of road building has already been completed.

ZANIS