HH DONATED SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS IN OPPOSITION, PF REFUSED TO COMMISSION THEM – STATE HOUSE

STATE House Chief Communications Specialist Clayson Hamasaka says President Hakainde Hichilema was building schools and hospitals even while in opposition, but the PF government refused to commission them.

On Monday, Tonse Alliance president Brian Mundubile wondered where the President was getting money to make huge donations, which he claimed he was not doing while in opposition.

This followed Infrastructure and Urban Development Minister Charles Milupi’s tour of a hospital in Mongu, which was donated by President Hichilema in memory of the treason incident.

But responding to that in an interview, Hamasaka argued that the President was making such donations even before he became a politician.

“The President in opposition was launching schools and clinics. But the government of PF was refusing to commission those projects and they were refusing to employ staff. Don’t you remember when he was donating a genset at Chawama Level One Hospital? Do you know what happened? They rejected it.

That’s when there was even that famous statement that ‘why does he want to donate to Chawama instead of donating to his village, Bweengwa?’ So those were donations that he was making even in opposition, but government was refusing. Was Mundubile in the country at that time? Maybe he was living abroad,” Hamasaka said.

“Are you not aware of the clinics and schools the boss has been building even in opposition? Even in his home village there, there’s a clinic and a school he commissioned himself while in opposition. Clearly, he doesn’t know the President. To claim that he is only doing this now clearly shows he doesn’t know the President. He has been doing these things for a very long time now, from his days in opposition. In fact, even before he joined politics, there are quite a number of projects that he has undertaken as a family, including boreholes and dip tanks in the community, even before he joined politics”.

He said if Mundubile was failing to do what he was supposed to do in his community, he shouldn’t take it out on the President.

“If Mundubile is failing to do what he is supposed to do in his community, he should not bring it to the President. I saw him somewhere where he’s failing to use CDF himself, he’s saying it’s a hoax. It just shows that someone doesn’t know what he’s doing as an MP. He wants to be president, but he doesn’t know what to do as an MP,” said Hamasaka.

News Diggers

CHIENGE MP SAYS SHE WILL WIN 2026 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Kalemba Reports that CHIENGE independent Member of Parliament and 2026 presidential aspirant, Given Katuta, says Zambians have already decided that she will be the country’s next and first female president.

Speaking on Crown TV, Mwelwa declared that her campaign is powered by ordinary citizens, not money, and that the time has come for Zambia to start afresh under a woman leader.  

What is your Take?
#SunFmTvNews #EveryoneIsWatching #EveryoneIsListening

There will be no Opposition in Zambia if you vote for UPND again in August- Binwell

By Mwamba James

Diploma lawyer and Ichabaice leader Binwell Mpundu has warned that Zambia could be left with no meaningful opposition if the United Party for National Development (UPND) wins this year’s general elections. Speaking on Hot FM, the Nkana Member of Parliament expressed concern that the ruling party could introduce constitutional changes similar to those in Bill 7, which he said may weaken opposition parties.

Mpundu also revealed that he would decline a nomination as running mate to Brian Mundubile if chosen by the Tonse Alliance. He explained that his decision would be based on the need for broader regional and tribal representation within the alliance’s leadership.

He has since urged Zambians to rally behind the Tonse Alliance, describing it as the most effective platform to remove the UPND from office and promote inclusive governance.

🇿🇲 EDITOR’S NOTE | Civility, Cyber Law & Limits of Political Expression

Zambia Police have confirmed the arrest of Mambwe Zimba for alleged “Transmission of Deceptive Electronic Communication” under Section 19(1)(a) of the Cyber Crimes Act No. 4 of 2025.

According to the official statement issued by Deputy Public Relations Officer Chipo Kaitisha, the suspect is alleged to have “transmitted a deceptive and misleading electronic image on a Facebook page known as ‘Zambia for All 2026,’ falsely depicting the Republican President and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Force, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, lying in a coffin.” Police further state that the publication “was false and misleading to members of the public both within and outside the country.”

This development comes at a politically sensitive time. Campaign season is fast approaching. Emotions are high. Narratives are sharpening.

But there is a line.

Political disagreement is lawful. Criticism is lawful. Satire is lawful within reasonable bounds. What is not lawful under Zambia’s current cyber framework is the deliberate creation and dissemination of deceptive digital content designed to mislead, provoke unrest, or simulate harm.

Artificial intelligence tools have made image manipulation effortless. A few clicks can fabricate a funeral. A few prompts can manufacture a crisis. A few seconds can ignite public outrage.

Technology has moved faster than political maturity.

Some in the opposition will inevitably frame this arrest as an attempt to gag dissent. This concern deserves to be heard. Any law touching speech must be scrutinized to ensure it is not weaponized selectively.

However, laws governing cyber deception are not inherently anti-opposition. They are protective instruments. They exist to shield citizens, public institutions and even political actors themselves from fabricated digital harm.

Today it is a sitting President. Tomorrow it could be an opposition leader. Next week it could be a private citizen.

The Cyber Crimes Act was enacted precisely because digital misinformation has consequences in real life. False death imagery of a Head of State is not mere banter. It has diplomatic implications. It has security implications. It has economic implications. Markets react to instability. Investors react to signals of unrest. Citizens react to fear.

Free expression must not be confused with digital vandalism.

Democracy thrives on debate, not deception.

As campaigns gather momentum, Zambia must resist descending into algorithm-driven hostility. Political competition should revolve around policy, economics, governance records and alternative visions for the country.

The public square must remain robust. But it must also remain responsible. Civility is not weakness. It is democratic discipline.

Opposition voices have every right to challenge the President on policy, on performance, on debt, on energy, on mining, on education, on asset recovery. Those are legitimate arenas of contest.

Simulated coffins are not.

The test now is consistency. Enforcement must be even-handed across political divides. The same standard applied here must apply elsewhere. Selective prosecution would erode public trust. Neutral enforcement strengthens the rule of law.

Zambia is entering an election year. Institutions will be tested. Politicians will be tested. Citizens will be tested. The digital age demands responsibility equal to its reach.

The law must protect everyone. And politics must remain a battle of ideas, not manufactured funerals.

© The People’s Brief | Editors

‎I’M CONFIDENT OF RE-ADOPTION – UPND MP
‎… I voted Bill 7. If there’s any technical error on one part, that doesn’t bother me

‎
‎
‎
‎By Mubanga Mubanga
‎
‎Bweengwa member of parliament Kasautu Michelo (UPND) says he is not scared of not being re-adopted by the ruling party over allegations that he abstained from voting on the government sponsored Bill 7.

‎
‎UPND deputy secretary general Gertrude Imenda on Sunday told Daily Revelation that ruling party members of parliament who dissented must leave and give chance to others, since they were “too big for such a small thing like Bill 7 to bother about.”

‎
‎This was after Daily Revelation had been informed that party members of parliament who abstained from the vote were first asked to exculpate themselves, and thereafter warned that they risked re-adoptions for going against the party position.

‎
‎Michelo, together with fired former ministers, Elijah Muchima and Elias Mubanga, and fellow MPs –  Garry Nkombo, Mirriam Chonya, Newton
‎
‎https://dailyrevelationzambia.com/im-confident-of-re-adoption-upnd-mp-i-voted-bill-7-if-theres-any-technical-error-on-one-part-that-doesnt-bother-me/

Going Again For President Hichilema: A Deserving Re-election

Four and half years is all it took for President Hakainde Hichilema to build a new Zambia we all wanted.

The transformation we have witnessed across our education sector alone speaks volumes of his passion for our nation’s future. From the increased funding that has built new schools and classrooms, to the recruitment of teachers that has given our children a better chance at life, his works are a living, breathing testament to his vision.

But his impact has been felt far beyond the classroom. The restoration of economic stability, the paying down of debt, and the renewed hope in the hearts of our people are all chapters in a remarkable story of leadership.

He has done so much in just four and half years. He has earned the right to rest and just wait for his second term inauguration.  Yes, he can go and rest today and he would still win with a landslide, not because of a campaign, but because his first term is his campaign. His exceptional four and half years are his legacy and his manifesto.

Let him retreat to the quiet of his beautiful Naminwe Farm in Namwala District. Let him recharge. Let him breathe. Because the engine he built is still running. The public service understands the mission. The policies are in motion. We don’t need him to exhaust himself campaigning. We need him to save his energy for us.

We need him strong for the next five years.
Let this be a time of rejuvenation. Zambia does not just need him for the next few months; we need a President Hakainde Hichilema who is refreshed, energised, and ready to conquer the challenges of a second term with the same, if not greater, vigour. To deliver even more development, we need him at his strongest. And the best way to be strong is to be well-rested.

This is where you, the masses and party functionaries, come in. He carried the burden of fixing Zambia. Now, you must carry the burden of his re-election whilst he rests.

💪🏽 You go and be his voice in the villages.
💪🏽 You become his feet in the markets.
💪🏽 You be his shield online and offline.

He secured our future. He built a solid future for our country to believe again. Now let us secure his second term. It is not as a politician or a party supporter, but simply as a proud Zambian who has watched you steer our country with unwavering dedication, that I support your re-election bid in the August 2026 general elections.

Go and rest, Mr. President. We have got the campaign. It is not your race anymore but ours. You focus on coming back stronger to finish what you started. Zambia needs the rested version of you for the next term.

Dr. Martin Mushumba
Public Policy Analyst

POLICE ARREST MAMBWE ZIMBA OVER HICHILEMA IN COFFIN IMAGE 

The Zambia Police Service has formally charged and arrested Mambwe Zimba of Water Works, Libala South, Lusaka..

This is for the offence of Transmission of Deceptive Electronic Communication, contrary to Section 19(1)(a) of the Cyber Crimes Act No. 4 of 2025. 

Police Deputy Public Relations Officer Chipo Kaitisha, confirmed the development in a statement.

Kaitisha explained that the suspect was apprehended following a joint operation conducted by the Zambia Police Service with other law enforcement agencies. 

She revealed that on 22 February 2026, Zimba, acting as a page administrator, transmitted a deceptive and misleading electronic image on a Facebook page known as “Zambia for All 2026.

Kaitisha said the image falsely depicted President President Hakainde Hichilema lying in a coffin.

She emphasised that the publication was false and misleading to members of the public both within and outside the country. 

Kaitisha said the suspect remains in police custody and is expected to appear in court soon. 

Byta FM

PHYSICIST CONVICTED FOR ASSAULTING ARMY OFFICER AFTER BEDROOM DISCOVERY

THIRTY-five-year-old physicist Dickson Musopelo has been found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm by the Lusaka Magistrate’s Court for attacking an army officer who discovered him in his matrimonial bedroom.

Magistrate Victoria Mututwa today convicted Musopelo following a full trial that heard how he assaulted Mr Chisha, an army officer, on the night of September 26, 2025. Evidence presented before the court established that Mr. Chisha returned to his bedroom after 22:00 hours to find Musopelo with his wife. The court was told that the wife had instructed Musopelo to hide in a wardrobe, but when discovery became inevitable, Musopelo punched Mr Chisha, inflicting bodily harm.

State Advocate Georgina Daka led the prosecution, presenting evidence that remained intact after rigorous cross-examination of the two witnesses called by the defence.

Musopelo’s sister, Martha Musopelo, testified that on September 27, 2025, her brother arrived at her home bleeding, with bruises on his left eye and two broken teeth. She stated that she rushed him to Kabwata Police Station for a medical report and later took him to the University Teaching Hospitals for treatment.

However, under cross-examination by Advocate Daka, Ms Musopelo admitted she was not present during the alleged assault and could not testify to what actually transpired. She also conceded that the medical report described Musopelo as stable.

The second defence witness, Dr Sithokozile Nandazi, who attended to Musopelo at the casualty department, testified that he complained of difficulty swallowing, jaw pain, a laceration above the eye, neck bruises, nausea and two broken teeth. She told the court that Musopelo reported having been hit during an altercation and briefly losing consciousness.

But under cross-examination, Dr Nandazi admitted that she conducted no specific examination on the broken teeth, presented no photographs or physical evidence of the injuries before court, and acknowledged that the injuries could have been caused by another person or even self-inflicted. She further confirmed that at the time of examination, Musopelo was stable and not bleeding.

Delivering judgment, Magistrate Mututwa found that the prosecution had proved all elements of the offence beyond reasonable doubt. The court determined that the defence failed to create any reasonable uncertainty regarding Musopelo’s guilt, and that the evidence clearly established that he assaulted Mr Chisha, causing actual bodily harm.

Musopelo now awaits sentencing, which will be pronounced in accordance with the law. The offence of assault occasioning actual bodily harm carries penalties commensurate with the seriousness of violent conduct.

NPA

NPA SEIZES GBM TRUCKING LIMITED IN NON CONVICTION BASED FORFEITURE

By Cecilia Kayaya Mporokoso

The National Prosecution Authority (NPA) has taken over GBM Trucking Limited, a company owned by former Defence Minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM), in a non-conviction based forfeiture.

NPA Public Relations Manager Vivian Nsingo confirmed the development, stating that GBM Trucking Limited is a substituted property to recover the actual value of the proceeds of crime.

Mr Mwamba was sentenced to five years imprisonment with hard labor on October 9, 2024, for 13 counts, including conflict of interest, possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime, and money laundering.

He was also fined K50,000 and ordered to repay $899,970 (K24.9 million) and K20 million to the State.

The former Defense Minister was later released from prison on medical grounds in April 2025.

#NewsOnTheGo

UNPOPULAR TRUTH – DOORS CLOSE ON  PARTIES WITH DELAYED CONVENTIONS

A KBN TV EDITORIAL

Today, 25th February, 2026, the nation awaits judgment in one of the most consequential anticipated ruling regarding the fiercely contested party ownership of the Patriotic Front.

Whichever way today’s ruling goes, it will have consequences on the direction and future of a party that was politically hijacked and remotely controlled for over 4 years.

Even though hijackers had hoped for the former ruling party to disintegrate, it didn’t.

As a matter of fact, the attempted instigation to fuel confusion in PF, may have ironically, exposed selfish elements that should be avoided, such as those who voted for Bill 7 against the party position.

Away from the anticipated court ruling, political players should brace themselves for more complex maters to navigate as the clock ticks towards the August 13 polls.

Through this editorial, we would like to highlight one of the key bottlenecks that is likely to slam doors in the faces of some political parties and their aspiring presidential candidates. We hope to help them see the bigger picture and avoid wasting time and resources on trivial matters.

At this hour, one of the key deciders on who will participate in this year’s general elections, hinges on holding of conventions within the remaining 8 weeks and being able to navigate a tight process to meet all legal requirements before the presidential and parliamentary nominations in the next two months.

The process it takes from holding a convention to having the party register updated at the Registrar of Societies, is the biggest elephant that those planning conventions are avoiding to talk about. Unfortunately, this process is outside the control of any political party, however powerful or influential.

For purposes of giving clarity and helping those concerned to fast track their decision making, we have painstakingly attempted to highlight the process involved below.

It must be understood that after holding the convention, a political party is required to submit convention resolutions to the Registrar of Societies. After that, the Registrar of Societies is required to write to the Inspector General of Police (IG) asking for the submitted list of office bearers to be vetted.

Simultaneously, the Registrar will also write the the Office of the President (OP) to request for background checks to be conducted on each of the elected office bearers.

The OP will separately interview office bearers individually and write to the Registrar of Societies regarding their findings on each of the elected office bearers.

On the other hand, the police will also conduct one on one interviews with each and every elected office bearer to corroborate the findings with the OP report.

Then there is the aspect of lifting finger prints. The criminal investigations unit will then inform the IG if the finger prints have successfully been cleared or not.

Procedurally, the IG, after being in receipt of the CID report, would then write back to the Registrar of Societies that the finger prints have been cleared of any criminal records.

Based on the evidence collected, the final decision will be made by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs,  instructing the Registrar of Societies to either effect or reject the changes to the  register in question.

The compliance process described above sounds simple and straightforward, but evidence abounds to indicate that it takes even more than 12 months in certain instances.

Ideally, if the police and the Ministry of Home Affairs in particular, wanted to be professional and keep politics out of the way, this process should be concluded within a few weeks. But remember, you must also budget for countless times of “lost” finger prints within that process, which adds to the agonising delays.

Evidently, opposition parties that have not yet gone to the convention or are attempting to use a special purpose vehicle and hoping to tincker with records at the Registrar, can’t beat this red tape.

They should have known better! They absolutely have no time to do anything about this tight rope other than to either psychologically accept the reality or start negotiating a winning partnership with an existing clean political party.

It’s therefore astonishing that some political parties are behaving as if they are the ones in power. They want to portray an ideal situation that everything is okay and they have the luxury of time on their hands to go for a convention and file returns to have their registers updated within the remaining limited timeframe before nominations.

If you talk to anyone who was close to the late former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, they will tell you how he used to emphasise to members of the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) and Tonse Alliance to ensure they put their party papers in order. As former Head of State, he understood what lay ahead.

CHABINGA BOWS OUT OF 2026 RACE, PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR BALLY.

‎
‎By Michael Himusa Jnr
‎
‎Opposition Patriotic Front (PF) faction president Robert Chabinga has announced that he will not contest the August General Elections, citing his alliance with President Hakainde Hichilema.

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‎In a statement shared on his official Facebook page, Mr. Chabinga said he will instead rally behind President Hichilema.
‎

‎Despite leading an opposition faction and amid ongoing leadership wrangles within the PF, Mr. Chabinga has consistently expressed support for President Hichilema, aligning himself with the ruling leadership ahead of the polls.

The Fractured PF Front: A Three-Way Civil War

The Patriotic Front (PF), once a formidable political juggernaut, has devolved into a collection of warring factions competing for a brand that is rapidly losing its value. This is a total structural collapse that has left the party in an “abusive relationship” with its own ambition.

The fragmentation has split the party into three irreconcilable camps, rendering it effectively paralyzed: The “Tonse Alliance 1” Faction (Mundubile): Once anchored by former President Edgar Lungu, this group lost its “center of gravity” following the Constitutional Court’s December 2024 ruling definitively disqualifying Lungu from the 2026 race. Without its figurehead, this faction has drifted towards crowning a successor, Brian Mundubile.

The “Tonse Alliance 2” “Legal Successor” Faction (Given Lubinda): Operating as the bridge between the Lungu era and the party’s uncertain future, this faction is led by Given Lubinda (the acting president) and Raphael Nakacinda (Secretary-General). They claim the “moral high ground” of the party’s original hierarchy. However, they are caught in a pincer movement: rejected by the state-recognized wing and overshadowed by the broader Tonse Alliance’s search for a fresh presidential face.

The “Official” Faction (Chabinga): This group holds the legal “stamp” from the Registrar of Societies and recognition in Parliament. Under Robert Chabinga, it has pivoted toward a “working relationship” with President Hakainde Hichilema (HH). This creates the political absurdity of an opposition party serving as a cheerleader for the incumbent it is tasked to challenge.

The Anatomy of Collapse: Induced or Inherent?
The destruction of the PF is a “perfect storm” of internal incompetence and external exploitation.
Inherent Failure: By failing to hold a timely general conference post-2021 and attempting to keep the leadership seat “warm” for the late President ECL, the leadership invited internal vultures and created a power vacuum.

State Maneuvering: The UPND government has skillfully utilized the “favorable environment” created by this chaos. By recognizing the Chabinga/Sampa wing, the “powers that be” have effectively neutralized the PF as a unified electoral threat.

In early 2026, the party remains trapped in courtrooms. With Miles Sampa still challenging the Registrar’s amendments to office-bearers, the very definition of “the PF” is being decided by judges rather than the electorate.

The PF is currently doing the UPND’s campaign work for them. Every hour spent in a courtroom or a factional press briefing is an hour stolen from addressing the cost of living and the economy. While the ruling party may be holding the door open, it was the PF leadership—divided between the Mundubile loyalists, the Lubinda “legitimists,” and the Chabinga “cooperator”—that chose to walk through it.

The bitter truth, unless the PF can stop fighting for the name and start fighting for the people, it is no longer an opposition party, it is merely a ghost in the machinery of power.
The Struggle Continues,

Sensio Banda
Former Member of Parliament
Kasenengwa Constituency
Eastern Province

Poll Backlash Erupts: Brian Mundubile Camp Torches Emmanuel Mwamba After Controversial Ranking Stunt

Political tempers have exploded after Emmanuel Mwamba unveiled his much-trumpeted “opinion poll” — a spectacle that critics say looked less like public sentiment and more like a carefully staged performance with a script written in advance.

Supporters of Brian Mundubile erupted in fury after the results placed their leader a distant third, trailing behind Malukula Makebi Zooloo and Harry Kalaba. The backlash has been fierce, mocking what they describe as Mwamba’s self-styled “analysis” as a predictable echo chamber dressed up as democracy.

The poll — broadcast across Facebook, X, YouTube, and TikTok — drew thousands of reactions, but detractors argue the outcome was hardly a surprise after months of glowing promotion on Mwamba’s platform. To critics, the exercise resembled a one-man applause machine, with Mwamba cast simultaneously as host, referee, and chief cheerleader.

Outraged supporters, led by blogger Lydia Matumbo, unleashed blistering attacks, branding Mwamba bitter, dismissive of dissent, and quick to silence opposing voices. They accuse him of blocking critics while proclaiming wide reach — a contradiction they say has become his trademark.

Meanwhile, the political landscape surrounding the Patriotic Front factional battles and the Tonse Alliance remains unsettled, adding fuel to an already volatile contest of influence, loyalty, and narrative control.

EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU HANDED OVER A ROBUST AND A HEALTHY ECONOMY

By Kellys Kaunda

According to both the World Bank and the IMF based on official government figures, the following is how the economy performed during the time PF was in office:

2012: GDP = 7.3 to 7.7%;

2013: GDP = 6.6%

2014: GDP = 6.0 to 6.5%

2015: GDP = 3.2 to 4.6%

2016: GDP = 3.4 to 3.7%

2017: GDP  = 3.8 to 4.3%

2018: GDP = 4.0%

2019: GDP = 1.44 to -2%

2020: GDP = -2.79 to -4.2%

2021: GDP = 6.23%.

In 2019, the economy contracted due to a drought which affected agricultural output and electricity supply.

This was further compounded by the outbreak of Pandemic in December of the same year and intensified in 2020.

This is what affected Zambia’s ability to service her debt when the country had always met her obligations.

But Zambia put in place one of the most robust disaster management plans (thanks to Dr. Chitalu Chilufya who was Minister of Health at the time) that kept the economy afloat amid the devastating pandemic.

In addition, an economic recovery program was put in place which included a debt restructuring program under the G2O framework.

A number of development projects were shelved while no further debts were to be contracted.

It was on account of these efforts that the Zambian economy recovered in a resounding fashion ending 2021 on an impressive note of 6.23% in terms of GDP.

Hichilema was sworn into office on the 24th of August 2021, four months to the end of the year.

I know politicians have the obsession of claiming credit for anything good that happens on their watch.

And President Hichilema is no exception to this rule.

However, GDP is a product of the nation’s budget which, in the Zambian case, starts in January and ends in December.

Therefore, the 2021 GDP growth of 6.23% must be credited to the PF under Edgar Chagwa Lungu.

This was the economy that President Hichilema inherited.

And yet, Hichilema told the Zambian people that he inherited an economy in ruins.

It was classic misinformation and disinformation for which, ironically, he is arresting and sending people to jail!

How can an economy growing at 6.23% be in ruins? If this were true, then his economy, using his own logic, which hasn’t even reached these levels yet, must be a disaster!

And yet, he and his supporters describe it as very good and strong enough to begin bearing fruits in all sectors.

Like Hichilema kept telling us while he was in the opposition, numbers don’t lie.

I accept that economic fundamentals are looking good. We can argue on adjectives such as ‘very’ good economy or not.

But that’s neither here nor there. What is important is what the numbers are saying.

So, how does one explain Hichilema’s almost apocalyptic portrait of the state of the economy when he came into office?

I think he wanted to justify the mandate that Zambians had given him.

He wanted them to believe that indeed there was work for him, a lot of it for that matter.

He wanted Zambians to believe his predecessor had failed but that he was equal to the task.

As expected, the narrative that has emerged is that ECL left a disastrous economy and that he was a disaster himself.

And that the whole decade of PF in power, especially starting with ECL, was a lost decade.

Hichilema is now being portrayed almost in Messianic terms.

He is portrayed as though he saved Zambia from the edge of a precipice.

His accomplishments  are being portrayed almost a miracle.

But just as the description of the state of the economy that ECL handed over was steeped in partisan politics, the image created of Hichilema is equally steeped in partisan politics.

There is neither substance nor analytical value in both descriptions.

Instead, analytical value lies in numbers. And numbers, like Hichilema would rightly remind us, don’t lie. But people lie.

COURT ORDERS CHANGALA TO OPEN DEFENCE ON MARCH 23 IN SEDITIOUS PRACTICES CASE

THE Lusaka Magistrate Court has ordered Civil Rights Activist Brebner Changala to open his defense on March 23 in a matter he faces one count of seditious practices contrary to section 57 (1)(b) as read together with section 60(1) (b) of the penal code.

When the matter came up for mention and setting of trial dates before Lusaka Chief Resident Magistrate Davies Chibwili, Mr. Changala’s Lawyer Kabamba Simukonda informed the court that the defense was not ready to proceed, stating that they had only appeared to verify information circulating on social media following the dismissal of an application to halt the proceedings by court of appeal Judge Cathrine Makungu in march last year.

Mr. Simukonda indicated that the defense had since confirmed the dismissal and was prepared to proceed, but proposed that trial dates be set for May and intends to call 15 witnesses because March and April are already committed to High Court matters, including a constitutional challenge relating to the same case and an elective conference.

However, Magistrate Chibwili said the matter had remained dormant for over a year and that the notice of dismissal by the court of appeal had not been formally brought to his attention.

He said sufficient time was allocated for the defense to prepare and rejected the proposal to commence proceedings in May, directing instead that the defense opens its case on 23rd March.

Despite objections from the defense that Mr. Changala is scheduled to appear before the High Court on 23 March in relation to the constitutional challenge, the court ordered that the defense hearing proceeds from 23rd to 26th March 2026, citing the absence of proof of any conflicting engagements.

Mr. Changala is alleged to have made seditious utterances in May 2024 in connection with comments on the disappearance of then Petauke Central Member of Parliament Emmanuel Jay Banda.

Mr. Changala was found with a case to answer on 10th September 2024, but the matter was stayed following an order by Court of Appeal Judge Cathrine Makungu in November 2024 before the stay was later dismissed this year.

PN