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US tech millionaire has been accused of using funds from his federal government-contracted company to s3x traffic women

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A US tech millionaire has been accused of using funds from his federal government-contracted company to s3x traffic women.

According to Mail Online, Greg Brady, 64, allegedly cheated on his then-wife Claudia Brady, using an online dating website to procure ‘hundreds’ of women for trips on his luxury boats.

Tech millionaire accused of traff!cking women onto luxury yachts before r@ping and giving them STIs

Some of the women claim they were then r@ped or s3xually assaulted while aboard the vessels, according to legal documents filed by his ex-wife.

Greg Brady is not facing criminal charges and has categorically denied all of the accusations.

The lurid lawsuit emerged amid the fallout from his bitter divorce, which also saw him accuse ex-wife Claudia of stealing trade secrets from his former company, One Network.

The supply chain tech business is a Department of Defense contractor and was recently awarded a $62 million contract from the United States Air Force.

Claudia Brady’s new filing claims: ‘His pattern was to locate women online, often through a website designed to cover for such activities – millionairematch.com.

‘Mr. Brady’s pattern is to identify women he wants to have s3x with, pay using One Network funds to have them flown to the One Net (Mr. Brady’s yacht) in international waters.’

One Net is an 86ft yacht which can accommodate eight guests in three cabins.

The process would be repeated, ‘three or four times’ over the course of a weekend, according to the document.

Some women, ‘stated that they were raped by Mr. Brady while on the One Net. Others managed to fight him off,’ the filing, seen by DailyMail.com, states.

The document contains a screenshot of a text purportedly from one of the women who met Brady on another of his yachts, Noble House, in which she claims she was r@ped at Brady’s $6 million penthouse home in Dallas.

Noble House is a 177ft superyacht that boasts a gym, Jacuzzi, bar and baby grand piano among the accommodation for 12 people.

‘I feel like he used me,’ the message reads. ‘He raped me at the Azure. I was super angry about it. But I’m over it, lesson learned!

‘I’m pretty sure I was just one of many women he used and didn’t give two s***s about. But that’s gonna be his karma to deal with.’

The allegations appear in a petition for a Bill of Review filed by Claudia Brady to have her prenuptial agreement overturned.

Ms Brady claims the agreement was based on fraud since she had no knowledge of her ex-husband’s alleged infidelities at the time it was signed.

The document claims that five women allegedly had a consensual or non-consensual s3xual relationship with Brady aboard his yachts.

Among them was allegedly a Colombian national who, ‘personally contacted Ms. Brady to tell her about the fact that Mr. Brady had transmitted herpes to her’, the petition states.

It goes on to claim that Brady admitted he contracted genital herpes while in college.

Another woman, referred to as Jane Doe 1, was an employee of billionaire Mark Cuban, according to the document.

The filing states her travel arrangements to the One Net were, ‘made by the secretary of One Network Enterprises using a company credit card’.

But once aboard the vessel, things took a turn for the worse, according to the petition, which states that Brady became paranoid that he was being surveilled by the FBI.

The petition narrates how the woman had given Cuban’s email to Brady with her boss’ consent, since the two had both attended the University of Indiana.

However, the document claims that Brady became ‘erratic’ and began screaming ‘violently’ at her, accusing his then-wife Claudia Brady of conspiring with Cuban and Oracle boss Larry Ellison to spy on him.

The woman was then flown away from the luxury vessel, according to the petition, before another woman referred to as Jane Doe 2 arrived the same day.

The second woman claimed that during her trip, she was ‘assaulted’ by Brady.

‘Had she known that Mr. Brady had engaged and would continue to engage in what is believed to be hundreds of acts of s3x trafficking, she never would entered into a premarital agreement with him,’ the petition states. ‘She was fraudulently induced into signing the agreement.’

The third Jane Doe is the woman who claimed she was r@ped at the Azure penthouse in Dallas.

The document alleges that she was given multiple checks as ‘hush money’ in the aftermath.

Meanwhile, a fourth unnamed woman is said to have signed an NDA following her encounter with Brady.

Claudia Brady claims she is still owed $4 million as part of her divorce settlement after Brady sold his company for $850 million.

However, he has claimed that she violated confidentiality clauses in the agreement meaning she is no longer entitled to the money.

Brady also accused her of stealing One Network’s trade secrets by planting listening devices, accessing company phones and computers and leaking information to the media – all of which she denies.

His filing accuses his ex-wife Claudia of engaging in, ‘a nasty smear campaign’ against the company.

Her lawyers argue that the litigation could be tantamount to malicious prosecution and has been brought to ‘bully, harass, and intimidate—indeed, to silence—Ms. Brady’.

Ms Brady’s petition claims the only inside knowledge she has is that her ex-husband’s company, ‘fraudulently overbilled on some of its government contracts’.

Her petition states that this allegation forms part of a ‘Qui Tam’ lawsuit filed in federal court.

Qui Tam lawsuits allow whistleblowers to prosecute cases of fraud against the government on their behalf.

It is not the first time Brady has been dragged through the courts.

In 2005, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed suit in Dallas federal court charging Brady with insider trading and other federal securities law violations.

The SEC said that he and two former senior officers of Dallas-based technology company i2 Technologies, Inc. committed alleged accounting improprieties involving ‘materially misstated software license revenues’ to the tune of $1 billion.

The company agreed to pay a $10 million civil penalty and nominal $1 disgorgement but did not admit or deny the SEC’s findings.

Blue Yonder, which acquired One Network, said Brady stepped back following the sale.

‘Greg Brady separated from One Network in connection with the closing of Blue Yonder’s acquisition of the company on Aug 1, 2024, and he has no role at One Network, nor any employment or consulting relationship with Blue Yonder,’ a spokeswoman said.

Brady said in a statement to DailyMail: ‘We categorically deny all of these claims.’

The couple married in 2011 and share two daughters. They divorced in 2021.

Gold-capped tooth of Patrice Lumumba is safe and has not been stolen

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Gold-capped tooth of Patrice Lumumba is safe and has not been stolen

The gold-capped tooth of Patrice Lumumba, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s independence hero, is safe and has not been stolen, his daughter has told the BBC.

The news comes as a relief to a nation gripped by fear that the only remains of the country’s revered first prime minister had been swiped after his mausoleum in the capital, Kinshasa, was vandalised on Monday night.

But Juliana Lumumba said previous concerns about the security of the site had prompted the family to move the tooth to a more secure location.

The tooth was only returned to the Lumumba family by former colonial power Belgium two years ago – and had been placed in the special memorial building.

Lumumba was much loved not just by many at home but across Africa for his outspoken criticism of colonialism – and he became an icon of pan-Africanism.

He was seen as a symbol of change and hope after the harrowing years under Belgian rule, during which millions of Congolese people died or were brutalised.

But within months of the country’s independence from Belgium in 1960 he was toppled as prime minister.

At the age of 35 he was shot by a firing squad in January 1961, with the tacit backing of Belgium.

His body was then dissolved in acid, but Belgian police officer Gerard Soete, who oversaw the destruction, took the tooth as a macabre memento.

The return of Lumumba’s gold tooth in June 2022 was a cause for celebration in DR Congo – and it was taken on a tour of the vast country so people could pay their respects.

The vandalism of the mausoleum has caused outrage – and when Culture Minister Yolande Elebe Mandembo announced on Tuesday that an investigation had been launched, many feared the worst.

Footage circulated showing that a glass door had been smashed to get access to the chamber where a coffin could be seen.

But Ms Lumumba sought to reassure people on Wednesday – saying her father’s tooth had not been there at the time of the break-in.

Nonetheless she told the BBC she felt “anger and sadness” that her father’s grave had been disrespected.

Now 69, she spent years lobbying Belgium for the return of the tooth.

“Patrice Lumumba sacrificed himself for the sovereignty and independence of his country and the Congolese,” she said.

“This is so unrepresentative of our culture, which respects the graves of our dearly departed.”

Local authorities say four suspects have been arrested over the desecration, but their identities have not been made public.

Ms Lumumba said the Lumumba Foundation wanted to take over management of the mausoleum because of security worries and had been lobbying the government to do so.

ICC sentences Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz to 10 years over Mali war crimes

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The International Criminal Court (ICC) has sentenced a key member of a Malian armed group to 10 years in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed more than a decade ago in the city of Timbuktu.

Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz was convicted in June on charges including torture, rape and sexual slavery, as well as destroying religious and historic buildings, while serving as police chief after the al-Qaeda-linked Ansar al-Din group seized control of Timbuktu in 2012 for nearly a year.

Presiding Judge Kimberly Prost ruled on Wednesday that the 47-year-old contributed to the Ansar al-Dine rule, whose actions had a “traumatic effect on the population of Timbuktu”.

The people “lived in an atmosphere of fear, violence, oppression, [and] humiliation” and that period “remains present in the minds of victims in a deep-seated trauma”, she said.

The sentence “is proportionate to the gravity of the crimes and the individual circumstances and culpability of Mr Al Hassan”, she added.

“It adequately reflects the strong condemnation by the international community for the crimes committed by him and acknowledges the significant harm and suffering caused to the victims,” Prost continued.

Clad in all-white traditional West African robes with his head wrapped in a turban, Al Hassan showed no emotion after the judge read his sentence. But he listened intently with his hands folded in his lap.

He was later led away by ICC security guards.

Among the crimes committed by Al Hassan were “cruel treatment as a war crime” for flogging one person, “mutilation” for amputating a hand, and “torture as a crime against humanity and a war crime”.

The Hague-based court also heard that during the Ansar al-Dine rule, women were arrested then raped in detention.

There were also brutal floggings in the central square in front of crowds including children, as well as a public amputation by machete.

Al Hassan was, however, acquitted in June of the war crimes of rape and sexual slavery, as well as the crime against humanity of forced marriage.

Although the court ruled that certain crimes of sexual violence had taken place during the period, he was not found to bear responsibility for them.

Passengers use duct tape to tie up man who tried to open door during flight

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A group of passengers on board an American Airlines flight restrained and tied up a passenger with duct tape after he allegedly tried to open an aircraft door mid-flight.

The incident happened on American Airlines flight 1915 from Milwaukee to Dallas-Fort Worth on Tuesday this week according to AP.

Passengers came to help after seeing a disruptive passenger from Canada allegedly tell a flight attendant near the front of the plane that he needed to exit via a cabin door.

In the ordeal, the passenger went up to a flight attendant in the front galley of the aircraft and made a comment about “wanting and needing to exit the aircraft now,” according to a Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Department of Public Safety report.

The flight attendant told authorities the passenger’s voice got louder and he became more agitated. She made a call to the rear flight attendant to request more people in the front and also made a hand gesture to passengers near her indicating she needed assistance.

She then placed herself between the left, first entry door on the aircraft and the passenger, and he rushed towards her and the door. He jumped on top of her in his effort to access the cabin door, injuring her left wrist and neck, the report said.

One of the passengers, Doug McCright, bear hugged the passenger in an attempt to pull him off of her.

“The only thing you could think about was, ‘I’ve gotta stop this guy,’” McCright, who was sitting in the front row of the flight, told NBC News. He recalled hearing the unruly passenger say, “I’m getting off this plane. I need to get off the plane.”

Another flight attendant told authorities the passenger told her he wanted to get off the flight because he was the “captain.” This flight attendant tried to deescalate the man, but he did not listen and kept insisting he was getting off the flight.

Another Passenger called Charlie Boris also jumped into help.

“The fight or flight instinct kind of came over. And yeah after processing and the situation was done, yeah I’m very thankful to be here,” Boris told NBC’s Jesse Kirsch.

According to the report, Boris told authorities that on the flight he learned there was a man trying to open the cabin door and went to the front of the plane to assist. Once there, he saw the passenger on the ground trying to “get free.” Boris sprung into action by pinning the man’s legs down with pressure and he said duct tape was used to subdue the male. Boris said the man was talking about being from Toronto and seeing a therapist.

Other passengers were also mentioned in the report as witnesses and assisting in restraining of the unruly man. One told authorities it took at least three people to keep the passenger down.

When the plane landed at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, officers said they arrived to find “a male passenger on board who was secured and restrained with tape.”

The passenger was seen lying on his stomach with his hands behind his back bound as well as his ankles with duct tape, the report said.

The passenger was transported for evaluation and investigation is ongoing.

American Airlines said that the restraint tape used in the incident is included in an onboard kit as a safety measure.

“The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we thank our team members and customers for managing a difficult situation,” the airline said in a statement.

Urologist Darius Paduch sentenced to life in prison for ‘perverse and pervasive’ s£xual abuse of male patients

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Urologist Darius Paduch sentenced to life in prison for ‘perverse and pervasive’ s£xual abuse of male patients

Serial s£x abuser and disgraced urologist Darius Paduch was sentenced Wednesday, Nov. 20, to life in prison for s£xually assaulting male patients, including six minors, for more than a decade at some of the city’s most prestigious hospitals.

Paduch, 57, was convicted on May 8 of six counts of inducing a person to travel to engage in unlawful sexual activity and five counts of inducing a minor to engage in unlawful s£xual activity for the years of abuse.

He was handed a life sentence by Judge Ronnie Abrams Wednesday, according to the Manhattan US Attorney’s Office.

“Darius Paduch was a s£xual predator who preyed on patients seeking treatment for sensitive medical issues,” US Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement.

“He used his position as a renowned urologist at prestigious hospitals to s£xually @ssault vulnerable patients, including children, to gratify his own s£xual desires.”

The creep doctor @bused dozens of patients under the guise of medical treatments backed by the prestige of his employers — including Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University and Northwell Health Systems — to cause his victims to doubt the @buse and often return to his office for more, prosecutors said.

A total of 310 victims have come forward with allegations and lawsuits against Paduch — breaking the horrific record of the most male victims @bused by a single pr£dator, according to a lawyer for some of the plaintiffs, Anthony DiPietro.

The urologist’s abuse goes back to 2007 and continued through at least 2019 at several different hospitals, according to evidence presented during his two-week grand jury trial.

Some of the victims were @bused by the doctor — who specialized in infertility and male reproductive health — for several years during medical appointments.

Paduch would m@sturbate his patients, order them to m@sturbate while he watched, use his hand to penetrate them without gloves and press his own erect p£nis against their bodies during the medical appointments, prosecutors said.

He also used s£x toys on his victims, feds said.

Paduch — who’s been behind bars since his April 2023 arrest — claimed to his victims that the @buse was part of medically necessary exams.

“Paduch’s @buse was p£rverse and pervasive, spanning over a decade and v!ctimizing patients both inside and outside of hospital rooms. He repeatedly violated his oath to ‘Do No Harm,’” Williams said.

“Today’s sentence demonstrates that medical providers who exploit their position of trust to commit s£*ual @buse will be held accountable for their conduct.”

The disgraced doctor is also facing multiple civil lawsuits from a total of 310 former patients and victims.

The lawsuits detail further disturbing patterns of alleged @buse — including inflicting pain on his patients by skipping anesthesia during unnecessary procedures and performing p£nile enlargements that led to disfigurement.

Canadian billionaire Robert Miller accused of s£xually abusing dozens of underage girls in pr0st!tution ring

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Canadian billionaire Robert Miller accused of s£xually abusing dozens of underage girls in pr0st!tution ring

A Canadian billionaire is facing allegations of s£xually abusing more than five dozen women when they were children — with the victims alleging they were recruited and paid to participate in his chilling s£x ring.

Robert Miller, the founder of Future Electronics, is accused of repeatedly giving underage girls money and gifts in exchange for s£x between 1994 and 2016, Canadian outlets reported, citing that the alleged abuse happened in hotels throughout Montreal.

Miller was ordered on Friday, Nov. 15, to hand over two of his million-dollar Montreal homes as part of a lawsuit filed by four of his accusers, who feared the 81-year-old would try to hide his assets as his legal woes worsened.

The four victims, who are suing for millions, challenged that the two homes — worth more than $2 million each — were listed under the names of lawyers for several years, according to The Canadian Press.

“It is troubling to note that Miller, a billionaire, has no bank account in his name,” Justice Serge Gaudet said in Quebec Superior Court, noting a “persistent” pattern of listing his fortune and valuables under other people’s names, the outlet reported.

The women accused the alleged predator of recruiting them as high school students to have s£x in exchange for money, describing his pr0stitution scheme as a “planned system of s£xual exploitation” of girls and teens, according to court documents, obtained by Canadian outlets.

One victim alleged she had s£x with Miller more than 30 times over two years starting in 1999 when she was 14 years old, according to court documents.

On one occasion, she was given $1,000 to have s£x with Miller — who allegedly refused to wear a c0ndom due to a latex allergy — at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel after being pampered with steak and champagne by one of his employees.

The victim said the alleged s£xual abuse left her su!cidal as she struggled with alcohol and drugs.

Miller, who has denied the allegations, is also facing a separate proposed lawsuit by more than 50 women who reported that he gave them money and gifts in exchange for s£x between 1996 and 2006, CBC reported.

He was also arrested in May on s£xual abuse and exploitation charges involving 10 victims, some of whom were minors at the time of the alleged offenses, which occurred between 1994 and 2016.

Miller stepped down from his tech company following a Radio-Canada Enquête report that exposed him for paying minors between the ages of 14 and 17 cash and gifts in exchange for s£x between 1994 and 2006, according to CBC.

The report resulted in dozens of women coming forward to report the abuse they sustained as minors.

Lawyers for the accused, who is bedridden with Parkinson’s disease, have attempted to delay the criminal case due to his health, according to Canadian outlets.

His cases will continue in December.

Is there a more controversial and litigated constitutional case in Zambian history than the third term one? A reply to Prof Hamalengwa’s critique of my article

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Is there a more controversial and litigated constitutional case in Zambian history than the third term one? A reply to Prof Hamalengwa’s critique of my article

Is there a more controversial and litigated constitutional case in Zambian history than the third term one? A reply to Prof Hamalengwa’s critique of my article



By Dr Lawrence Mwelwa



Let me begin my response by humbly acknowledging that I am not a learned counsel in the traditional sense of formal legal training. Instead, I am a devoted political scientist with a deep commitment to the study of leadership and the principles of constitutionalism. The delay in addressing Professor Munyonzwe Hamalengwa’s article was deliberate, as I waited nearly a year in the hope that his learned colleagues in the legal field would take up the task of addressing the inaccuracies and misrepresentations in his arguments. However, in the absence of such a response, I feel compelled to step in—not to influence the judiciary in any way, but rather to exercise my intellectual and academic freedom in engaging with these issues constructively and critically.

Prof Munyonzwe Hamalengwa’s article advocates for vacating Zambia’s third-term precedent established in Danny Pule and Others v. Attorney General. While he frames his arguments in the context of dynamic judicial processes and international jurisprudence, his position, upon closer scrutiny, lacks sufficient legal grounding and risks undermining the judiciary’s independence. Below, I provide a detailed critique of his argument while substantiating my own position with relevant legal principles, precedents, and scholarly perspectives.

1.  Dismantling the claim of unchallenged theoretical foundations



Prof Hamalengwa’s assertion that “Nowhere does Dr. Mwelwa attack the foundation of my analysis, the basis of my theoretical foundation” is both inaccurate and dismissive of the substance of my critique. The foundation of his analysis, which rests on the premise that the third-term precedent in Danny Pule parallels historical cases such as Dred Scott and Plessy, was directly challenged in my initial response. I demonstrated that his reliance on these precedents fails to recognise the significant differences in context, legal principles, and societal impact. Unlike the moral and civil rights crises that necessitated the overturning of Dred Scott and Plessy, the third-term precedent in Zambia addressed a constitutional interpretation question grounded in clear legal principles without infringing on fundamental human rights. By failing to substantiate how the Zambian precedent rises to the same level of historical injustice or moral urgency, Prof Hamalengwa’s argument collapses under its own weight. My critique attacked this theoretical underpinning by emphasising that judicial decisions must be evaluated within their specific sociopolitical and legal contexts, not forced into inappropriate analogies to bolster a weak case for vacatur. Prof Hamalengwa’s failure to adequately address this contextual dissonance undermines the credibility of his foundational argument, leaving it vulnerable to critique

2. Misapplication of international precedents

Prof Hamalengwa’s reliance on international precedents such as Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), and Roe v. Wade (1973) is intellectually engaging but contextually flawed. These cases represent decisions that were vacated to rectify deeply entrenched societal injustices, such as racial segregation and reproductive rights. Their historical significance stems from the grave violations of fundamental human rights they perpetuated and the moral imperative to correct them.

By contrast, the third-term precedent in Danny Pule was neither a violation of fundamental rights nor a miscarriage of justice. It was a reasoned interpretation of the Zambian Constitution, particularly Article 106(3), which defines a presidential term. The court clarified that serving less than three years of a term does not constitute a full term. This was a constitutional question, not an issue of human rights deprivation. Equating the third-term precedent with the injustices addressed in Plessy or Dred Scott overstates its significance and introduces a false equivalence.

Furthermore, judicial decisions in the aforementioned US cases were overturned due to broad societal consensus and shifts in legal philosophy (Brown v. Board of Education, 1954; Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organisation, 2022). Zambia’s third-term precedent, however, enjoys constitutional clarity and has not elicited a comparable moral or social consensus for reversal. This distinction is critical, as courts must operate within the bounds of their legal frameworks and societal contexts (Dworkin, Taking Rights Seriously, 1977).

3.  The Rights of officeholders and the rule of law

Prof Hamalengwa’s argument overlooks the critical issue of safeguarding the rights of officeholders to serve their constitutionally mandated terms. Article 106(6)(b) of the Zambian Constitution explicitly provides that serving less than three years does not disqualify an individual from standing for re-election. This provision reflects a deliberate legislative choice to balance democratic accountability with the rights of officeholders.

The Constitutional Court, in Danny Pule, correctly interpreted this provision to uphold the principle of legal certainty. This aligns with international standards that emphasise the importance of predictability in the application of the law (Fuller, The Morality of Law, 1964). Vacating this precedent would not only undermine the rights of potential candidates but also destabilise Zambia’s constitutional framework.

Additionally, the argument that vacating the third-term precedent is necessary for “justice” ignores the broader implications for the rule of law. Courts must exercise restraint in overturning precedents unless compelling new evidence or legal grounds emerge (Cardozo, The Nature of the Judicial Process, 1921). In the absence of such grounds, judicial decisions should stand to maintain legal stability and public confidence.

4.  Judicial independence and public trust



Prof Hamalengwa’s suggestion that changes in the Constitutional Court’s composition could facilitate the overturning of the third-term precedent is deeply concerning. Judicial independence, a cornerstone of democracy, requires that courts operate free from political or public pressures. The argument that a “changed bench” might deliver a different outcome implies that judicial decisions are contingent on the political leanings of judges rather than sound legal reasoning. This perspective risks eroding public trust in the judiciary. As the Supreme Court of Canada emphasised in Reference re Secession of Quebec (1998), the legitimacy of judicial decisions depends on their fidelity to the rule of law, not their alignment with prevailing political sentiments. By framing judicial change as an opportunity to revisit established precedent, Prof Hamalengwa inadvertently undermines the judiciary’s impartiality and credibility.

Moreover, the invocation of dissenting opinions as a basis for vacating precedent, while theoretically valid, requires caution. Dissent is an integral part of judicial discourse but does not automatically invalidate majority rulings. The dissent in Danny Pule is no exception. While dissenting opinions can guide future legal developments, they must be evaluated within the broader context of legal stability and constitutional integrity (Scalia, Scalia Dissents, 2004).

5.  The Danger of Judicial Populism

Prof Hamalengwa’s call for the Constitutional Court to entertain new arguments and accept amicus curiae briefs to challenge the third-term precedent raises important questions about the role of external inputs in judicial decision-making. While such inputs can enrich judicial deliberations, they must not supplant the court’s primary obligation to interpret the Constitution impartially.

Judicial populism—where courts align their decisions with public opinion or political pressures—poses a significant threat to the rule of law. The judiciary’s legitimacy rests on its ability to deliver decisions grounded in constitutional principles, not transient political considerations. As Chief Justice Marshall articulated in Marbury v. Madison (1803), “It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is.” Courts must remain steadfast in this duty, even when faced with contentious or politically charged cases.

6.  The third-term precedent as a pillar of stability

The third-term precedent established in Danny Pule serves as a stabilising factor in Zambia’s political and legal landscape. It provides clarity on the eligibility of presidential candidates and ensures that constitutional provisions are applied consistently. Prof Hamalengwa’s proposal to vacate this precedent risks introducing uncertainty and opening the door to politically motivated litigation.

As the Kenyan Supreme Court demonstrated in Raila Odinga v. Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (2017), courts must strike a delicate balance between protecting constitutional principles and maintaining public confidence. Zambia’s Constitutional Court achieved this balance in Danny Pule by delivering a decision that adhered to the letter and spirit of the Constitution. Vacating this decision would not only destabilise Zambia’s legal framework but also set a dangerous precedent for future political interference in judicial processes.

7.    Conclusion: a call for judicial restraint



While Prof Hamalengwa’s article offers an intellectually stimulating exploration of judicial precedents, it ultimately fails to justify vacating the third-term precedent in Zambia. The decision in Danny Pule was legally sound, constitutionally consistent, and essential for maintaining judicial independence and democratic stability. Courts must exercise restraint in revisiting established precedents, ensuring that their decisions reflect enduring legal principles rather than transient political dynamics. The third-term precedent embodies this principle by upholding the rule of law and protecting the rights of officeholders.

As Zambia continues to navigate its democratic journey, the judiciary must remain steadfast in its commitment to constitutional integrity. Vacating the third-term precedent, as Prof Hamalengwa suggests, would undermine this commitment and risk compromising the judiciary’s role as an impartial arbiter of justice. The judiciary must resist such attempts to rewrite established precedents for political expediency, ensuring that its decisions stand the test of time rather than the test of politics.



The author is an academician, politician, musician, and revolutionary writer. Send feedback to: lmwelwa@gmail.com

IT’S SCIENTIFIC, ZAMBIA IS HEADED FOR A SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT

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IT’S SCIENTIFIC, ZAMBIA IS HEADED FOR A SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT

IT’S SCIENTIFIC, ZAMBIA IS HEADED FOR A SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT

By Nawa Sitali, Socialist Party Member

Science is clothed in fact and one cannot argue with it, forget the fake paraded crowds transported to carry placards of support for the UPND in order to deceive and stroke the egos of its leader, they don’t mean anything, votes and science do, and the science shows that The Socialist Party is the next Government.

Cde President Dr Fred M’membe had once shared with me an interesting concept of winning the Battle vs winning the W@r, he always emphasizes, focus on winning the war, not the small battles, you can win all the battles, but lose the w@r. Now keep this concept in mind, as it will make sense down the line.

As we come closer to the close of 2024 and sniff the 2026 general elections, the political landscape has undergone interesting shifts. The UPND is facing a notable decline in support, and follower-ship, whilst the Socialist Party of Zambia is experiencing serious increase in support. If science is anything to go by, then we must all agree that UPND is heading for an upset in 2026 because the Socialist Party will emerge as the winner of the 2026 general elections. Here is why;

By-Elections: By elections are usually seen as an indication of the political climate, infact, in one of the few truths he has told so far, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema himself has talked about their importance, stating (verbatim-so he doesn’t deny), “By-elections are an indication of how people feel about the government and its performance.” I know he is a difficult man to believe for obvious reasons, however, If we take his statement at face value, the recent by-election results paint a picture that the UPND is losing support, despite winning the electoral seats (Remember the concept of small battles and W@r, think about it for a second).

Now let’s justify our sentiments with the use of numbers, and numbers, do not lie. Between 2021 and 2024, the UPND has experienced an average decrease of approximately 24.69% in vote share across various wards and districts (attached an analysis in the comments). This decline is particularly significant in areas like Lusangazi District, where the UPND’s vote share reduced by 83.7%. Even in areas where the UPND managed to retain some support, such as the Kawambwa Council Chairperson by-election, they still saw a decrease of 4.6%.

In contrast, the Socialist Party has shown an impressive average growth of approximately 112.68% in vote share over the same period. This growth is not limited to a few isolated areas but is spread across multiple wards and districts across the country. For instance, in Mumbotuta Ward, Milenge, the Socialist Party’s vote share increased by a staggering 242.9%, while in Buntungwa Ward, Mufulira, we saw a 176% increase.

Given the current trends of Loadshedding, increased cost of living, disenfranchised UPND voters, and emergence of new voters in the next elections, a significant portion of undecided, frustrated and first time voters will likely gravitate towards the Socialist Party as the political alternative of the UPND. To be fair, UPND might also capture some of these first time voters (not the frustrated ones, there is no mirracle that captures those), but their declining trend suggests they may not benefit as much as the Socialist Party from these voters.

Afrobarometer Report-2024;

It’s not just the by-election results that indicate trouble for the UPND. The recent Afrobarometer report also highlights growing dissatisfaction with the UPND government. The report indicates that that about 70% of Zambians feel that the UPND has not lived up to its promises and that there is a growing desire for change.

If we tie the two indications together, it means that the UPND will continue to lose support, and their failures have continued to prevent them in maintaining their current level of support. Over five years (from 2021 to 2026), this could result in a total decrease of approximately 41.15% for the UPND.

On the other hand, the Socialist Party’s growth suggests they won’t only be a contender but will actually win the 2026 elections. Factoring by election results and reflecting them over five years tied with the Afrobarometer report, the Party is experiencing an increase of approximately 187.8% per year.

Mr. Hakainde himself said, consult the graph, because numbers don’t lie, and right now, according to the numbers, Zambians are saying the UPND is not right for them, this means that Zambia is at the blink of electing its first socialist government.

A Socialist Government is inevitable, but it requires you to contribute to its growth. Join the many Zambians that have taken the decision to be part of the Socialist Party today. Let us work together, to deliver Zambia from the Socio-economic disastrous lying and manipulative UPND.

Mnangagwa Officially Insults Zambia Presidency, Removes Kaunda’s Name In Harare

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Mnangagwa Officially Insults Zambia Presidency, Removes Kaunda’s Name In Harare

As Zimbabwe is still to respond to SADC Summit questions over its recent calls for war against Zambia, the recent renaming of Kenneth Kaunda Avenue to Fidel Castro Road in Harare, has rekindled controversies surrounding President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s political history, raising questions about his alleged role in Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle and his leadership’s motives. The move is viewed as an erasure of the legacy of Kenneth Kaunda, a stalwart of Southern Africa’s independence movements, while simultaneously reviving long-standing accusations against Mnangagwa.

The removal of Kenneth Kaunda’s name marks a symbolic and calculated move by Mnangagwa, one that lundermines the legacy of Zambia’s founding father and liberation icon. Mnangagwa has executed the first of his missions to attack Zambian presidents since his recent plea with the Russian government earlier in the year to assist in his phantom claims. Mnangagwa, operating as a Rhodesian mercenary (allegations undenied by him for years to date) for over 50 years since being released from prison under the guise of a liberation fighter, has been orchestrating efforts to reverse the achievements of black liberation in Zimbabwe and beyond.

Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia’s first president and a staunch supporter of liberation movements across Africa, is being targeted, critics argue, for his pivotal role in pressuring the United Kingdom to impose sanctions on Rhodesia and ultimately forcing Ian Smith’s regime to negotiate at the Lancaster House Conference in 1979. This renaming of a road bearing Kaunda’s name is perceived as part of a broader attempt to erase his contributions to Southern Africa’s freedom and independence.

Grace Mugabe’s Striking Allegations Against Mnangagwa.

Former First Lady Grace Mugabe made bold accusations against Mnangagwa during her public tirades in 2017. She alleged that Mnangagwa worked with external forces to undermine her husband, the late President Robert Mugabe. Grace said:

“He wanted to kill the president, he was working with white people when he told the president to go to Mozambique saying the whites want to kill you. ‘The President was ordered by Nyerere, Robert go back home!, I said go back home.’”

This statement underscores her claim that Mnangagwa played a duplicitous role, working covertly against Mugabe under the guise of loyalty.

Cde Karen Kazingizi’s Testimony

Karen Kazingizi, a respected liberation war veteran, has also publicly challenged Mnangagwa’s credentials as a freedom fighter. In a scathing critique, she stated:

“Emmerson Mnangagwa didn’t fight in the liberation struggle, he was only handpicked by Robert Mugabe to displace and divide real fighters.”

Her statement directly undermines Mnangagwa’s longstanding narrative of being a liberation hero and highlights divisions within Zimbabwe’s liberation movement.

Allegations of Infiltration and Division

Historical accounts of Mnangagwa’s activities during the liberation struggle are riddled with allegations of betrayal and manipulation. During the 1970s, Mnangagwa was accused of fostering division within ZANU leadership. In 1975, he reportedly formed a relationship with Josiah Tongogara’s sister, which was perceived as a strategic move to consolidate influence within the movement. These claims, though never proven, fuel speculation about his intentions during the liberation war.

Mr Mnangagwa did not immediately respond to requests for comment at the time of writing.

The Death of Josiah Tongogara

Perhaps the most contentious allegation is Mnangagwa’s suspected involvement in the death of Josiah Tongogara, a revered ZANLA commander, in 1979. While no concrete evidence has emerged to implicate Mnangagwa directly, speculation persists, tarnishing his reputation among some segments of Zimbabwe’s political landscape.

Diana Mnangagwa’s Personal Account

Adding a personal layer to the controversy, Diana Mnangagwa, Emmerson Mnangagwa’s sister, recounted a troubling episode from their childhood:

“He made me eat snake poison, and I ended up assaulting him, biting him at the forehead.”

While anecdotal, her account paints a vivid picture of Mnangagwa’s character from an early age, further fueling public skepticism about his leadership style.

Implications of Renaming Kenneth Kaunda Avenue.

The renaming of Kenneth Kaunda Avenue is viewed as more than a symbolic gesture. For critics, it signifies a calculated attempt to erase historical figures like Kaunda who were central to Zimbabwe’s liberation. The road’s renaming to honor Fidel Castro, while celebrating an international revolutionary, is seen as an effort to divert attention from local legacies that directly shaped Zimbabwe’s independence.

The removal of Kenneth Kaunda’s name from a major street and the decision to replace it with Fidel Castro’s underscores the ongoing ideological and historical battles within Zimbabwean politics. For many, this is not merely a name change but an indication of a broader campaign to reshape the nation’s narrative, often at the expense of transparency and accountability. Mnangagwa’s controversial past, coupled with these recent developments, continues to cast a shadow over his presidency and Zimbabwe’s political future.- zimeye

Marginal Gains Signal Big Wins Ahead for CF and the United Kwacha Alliance

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Marginal Gains Signal Big Wins Ahead for CF and the United Kwacha Alliance

Marginal Gains Signal Big Wins Ahead for CF and the United Kwacha Alliance.

In the journey to political dominance, it is often the small victories that set the foundation for future triumphs. The recent by-election results in Iyaya and Dilika Wards are a testament to this principle, as the Citizens First Party (CF), under the umbrella of the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA), has made significant strides in winning the hearts of Zambians.

Polling 498 votes in Iyaya Ward (Northern Province) and 556 votes in Dilika Ward (Eastern Province) may not appear as outright victories, but in the broader context of Zambia’s political landscape, these numbers reflect a growing confidence in CF’s leadership and its message of renewal. These results, achieved in regions historically dominated by ruling and legacy parties, highlight the emergence of UKA as a credible alternative. 

A Growing Political Force

The resilience shown by CF and UKA amidst the well-oiled campaign machinery of the UPND and other state-sponsored hurdles is particularly noteworthy. For a relatively new political movement, these results prove that the message of “something new and fresh” in Zambian politics is resonating with the electorate. The spirited campaigns by Noricus Chileshe and Lucky Chileshe in their respective wards are a testament to the dedication of CF’s grassroots structures. 

Building a Movement from the Ground Up

The CF and United Kwacha Alliance’s leadership, in its gratitude to the voters, has emphasized its commitment to addressing the issues raised during the campaigns. By connecting directly with the electorate and prioritizing grassroots mobilization, CF/UKA is strengthening its base across rural and urban Zambia. The promise to revisit and thank the communities in person further demonstrates CF’s determination to remain engaged with the people, long after the ballots have been counted. 

Fresh Politics for a New Era

CF and it’s alliance partners under the UKA umbrella’s performance is symbolic of a fresh start—a departure from the politics of entitlement that has long defined Zambia. The results in Iyaya and Dilika Wards are not merely numbers; they are the manifestation of a growing appetite for change and an indicator that Zambians are beginning to see CF/UKA as the future of governance. 

The Road Ahead

As the CF builds on these marginal gains, the focus remains on uniting Zambians under a common vision. UKA’s leadership has called for continued mobilization and the strengthening of grassroots structures. This is the way forward for CF to transform these encouraging performances into a larger political wave that will one day govern the nation. 

In politics, small victories often foreshadow greater success. For CF and the UKA, the by-elections in Iyaya and Dilika Wards represent not just a moment to celebrate but a stepping stone toward the ultimate goal of transforming Zambia’s political landscape.

The future, it seems, is ours to claim!

Harry Kalaba
President – Citizen First.
#Munchintelelwe

Diddy’s handwritten ‘to-do list’ asking a family member to ‘find dirt’ on victims was among materials seized

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Diddy’s handwritten ‘to-do list’ asking a family member to ‘find dirt’ on victims was among materials seized

Diddy’s handwritten ‘to-do list’ asking a family member to ‘find dirt’ on victims was among materials seized during a recent raid in his jail cell.

This was disclosed during an emergency court hearing in New York on Tuesday, November 19.

At the court hearing, Lawyers for Didd claimed his sex trafficking case may have to be dismissed due to ‘prosecutorial errors’ during the prison raid.

Attorney Marc Agnifilo accused prosecutors of a ‘complete institutional failure’ that they say could have potentially jeopardized the case.

The defense team claimed the rapper’s constitutional rights were violated last month when federal investigators seized 19 pages of his notes during a sweep of his cell and shared them with prosecutors.

Agnifilo claimed the material contained Diddy’s handwritten privileged notes to his legal team concerning defense strategies for his upcoming trial.

The court heard feds also seized Diddy’s ‘Things to Do’ list, which included telling a family member to ‘find dirt’ on two alleged victims, as well as pages in which he wrote ‘inspirational’ quotes for himself.

Agnifilo called the pre-planned sweep a ‘pretext’ for a prison investigator to target Diddy – real name Sean Combs.

The potential remedy could include the ‘dismissal of the indictment’, he said, or the recusal of the prosecution team.

‘We don’t know enough to say which is the reasonable remedy’, he told the court.

Judge Arun Subramanian ordered that the prosecution delete all of its copies of the papers for the time being.

The emergency hearing came after the defense filed new court documents revealing they only learned prosecutors were in possession of the privileged material from the October 28 raid on Friday.

Diddy has been languishing in jail as he awaits trial for racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

He was arrested on September 17 and is expected to go on trial next May. He has denied all charges.

Agnifilo told the court that defense lawyers are now looking into the incident to determine how serious the matter is.

He also said the court needed to review the surveillance footage from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where Diddy is being held, to work out what happened during the search.

Judge Subramanian ordered the Bureau of Prisons to preserve the footage.

Why Mnangagwa met Botswana’s Boko

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Why Mnangagwa met Botswana’s Boko

President Emmerson Mnangagwa used the platform of the regional World Children’s Day commemoration in Victoria Falls on Saturday to hold a crucial meeting with newly elected Botswana President Duma Boko, signaling efforts to restore and realign diplomatic ties following the ousting of Mnangagwa’s ally, former President Mokgweetsi Masisi.

Boko’s Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) secured a resounding victory over Masisi’s Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which had ruled for 58 years. The unexpected outcome unsettled Mnangagwa, whose initial hesitation to congratulate Boko underscored the strain the election result placed on Zimbabwe-Botswana relations.

A Diplomatic Reset

According to an official present at the Victoria Falls event, the engagement between Mnangagwa and Boko was aimed at recalibrating relations:

“Presidents Mnangagwa and Boko had a good engagement about how their governments and countries should relate after the recent elections. Mnangagwa was deeply hurt by Masisi’s defeat but needed to swiftly fix relations with Boko to avoid repeating the diplomatic mistakes he made with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema.”

The two leaders reportedly discussed bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, border management, security, and economic collaboration. They agreed on the need for regular dialogue and mutual respect, despite their differing political affiliations—Mnangagwa representing a network of former liberation movements and Boko aligning with a rising tide of opposition parties in the region.

Regional Shifts in Power

Boko’s victory sent shockwaves across Southern Africa, where liberation movements have long dominated. Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF, Mozambique’s FRELIMO, and South Africa’s ANC have all seen waning support in recent years. Masisi’s loss amplified Mnangagwa’s concerns about the growing strength of opposition parties, particularly as his government faces criticism for economic challenges and governance issues.

At Boko’s inauguration, Mnangagwa and Masisi were met with boos, while Boko and former Botswana leaders received enthusiastic applause. Zimbabwean opposition figures Nelson Chamisa and Job Sikhala were also present and were warmly received, adding to Mnangagwa’s discomfort.

Lessons from Past Missteps

Mnangagwa’s strained relationship with Hichilema following Zambia’s 2021 elections served as a cautionary tale. After initially mishandling relations with his northern neighbor, Mnangagwa faced challenges in mending the diplomatic fallout. This time, he moved quickly to engage with Boko and avoid further regional isolation.
Shared Interests Amid Political Differences

While the ideological divide remains—Mnangagwa representing entrenched liberation-era politics and Boko championing opposition-driven change—the leaders emphasized pragmatic cooperation. Issues such as border management, trade facilitation, and regional security were prioritized to ensure stability and mutual benefit.

An official summed up the significance of the meeting:

“What happened in Botswana needed to be managed carefully. Mnangagwa and Boko agreed to put their countries first and work together properly going forward. But the dynamics of liberation movements versus opposition parties remain a reality.”

The meeting marks a strategic step for Mnangagwa in navigating the region’s shifting political landscape while attempting to maintain Zimbabwe’s influence and stability amid growing opposition momentum.

Tina Knowles speaks on how much Beyoncé was paid for speaking at Harris’ rally

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Tina Knowles took to social media over the weekend to deny reports that her daughter Beyoncé received $10 million as payment for speaking and appearing at Vice President Kamala Harris’ October rally in Houston.

Beyoncé and her Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland attended the event and threw their weight behind Harris. Beyoncé also addressed the crowd and urged voters to vote for Harris.

But rumors swirled online that the 43-year-old Grammy winner had been paid $10 million to attend and speak at the rally. Right-wing commentator Candace Owens also propagated that rumor on her podcast, The Independent reported.

“Beyoncé allegedly got paid $10m for that pathetic little endorsement of Kamala Harris. What was it, three minutes? $10m for three minutes of her life?” Owens, who is known for stirring controversy, said.

And though Owens admitted that those rumors were yet to be determined as true, she stated that there should be “some truth to these reports” because Harris’ campaign has “gone completely mum and refused” to provide answers about those claims.

Owens’ post was later blurred by Instagram and labeled as “false information” that had been “reviewed by third-party fact checkers.” Beyoncé’s mother also shared a screenshot of the blurred post on her Instagram page and wrote that it had been “flagged on Instagram as fake news and taken down.”

“It’s called False Information. Sadly other platforms with a lack of integrity still have it up,” she also wrote. “The lie is that Beyonce was paid 10 million dollars to speak at a rally in Houston for Vice President Kamala Harris. When In Fact : Beyonce did not receive a penny for speaking at a Presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harrris’s Rally in Houston.”

Knowles also said that her daughter “actually paid for her own flights for her and her team, and total Glam.” “They are not only lying and disrespecting Beyonce’s name but they are trying to further discredit the power of our vice president! When does the lies and rumors stop? Of course you won’t see this in the news !!!!!” she added.

Knowles condemning the rumors also came after Oprah Winfrey denied claims that she was paid $1 million to host a town hall event for Kamala Harris during her presidential campaign, Face2Face Africa previously reported.

Oprah responded to the claims when TMZ asked her about it. She told the celebrity and entertainment news outlet that those claims were “not true” and she “was paid nothing — ever.”

The billionaire business and media mogul subsequently addressed those claims in the comment section of a post by The Shade Room. “For the live streaming event in September, my production company, Harpo, was asked to bring in set design, lights, cameras, crew, producers and every other item necessary (including the benches and the chairs we sat on) to put on a live production,” she explained.

“I did not take any personal fee. However, the people who worked on that production needed to be paid. And were. End of story.”

Gabon approves law allowing junta leader to contest elections

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Gabon approves law allowing junta leader to contest elections

An overwhelming majority of Gabonese people have voted for a new constitution, military authorities say, in a move that marks a new phase for the country following last year’s coup.

Provisional results showed 92% of voters backed the new constitution, according to the country’s electoral body.

The outcome sets the stage for a transition to civilian rule, although critics say it is designed to allow coup leader Brice Oligui Nguema to remain in power.

Nguema is yet to openly say whether he will run in the election.

Voter turnout was estimated at 54%, according to the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI). There were no serious incidents reported during Saturday’s vote.

The final results will be announced by the Constitutional Court.

As he voted, the military leader hailed the referendum as a “great step forward”, adding that Gabonese were “coming to vote in a transparent fashion”.

Prior to the vote, the transitional authorities described it as a crucial step towards the return to constitutional order in the oil-rich country.

The referendum paves the way for the holding of elections tentatively scheduled for August next year – two years after Nguema took power to topple President Ali Bongo Odimba, whose family had ruled the country for decades.

The draft constitution establishes a seven-year term, renewable once, replacing a five year-term that had no limits and which allowed for dynastic rule.

It also bars members of a president’s family from running for the country’s top job and also requires candidates to be exclusively Gabonese and have a Gabonese spouse.

This effectively bars the deposed leader, who is married to a French woman.

It is being seen as an attempt to end the family succession phenomenon engineered by the Bongo family, which maintained a 55-year dynasty.

Bongo had ruled for 14 years before he was toppled. He took office after the death of his father who had been president for 41 years.

The new law removes the prime minister’s position and introduces two vice-president roles.

While some have hailed the draft law, others have warned it could concentrate too much power in the presidency.

Despite Gabon’s oil wealth and vast forests, one third of its 2.4 million people live below the poverty line, according to the UN.

Mnangagwa gets Commonwealth leaders support in bid to rejoin bloc

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PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s efforts to get Zimbabwe back into the Commonwealth are being backed by the grouping’s secretary general, Patricia Scotland, who believes he has done enough to warrant a return.

This is despite a report by its own observers that casts doubt on the integrity of Zimbabwe’s latest election.

Scotland, who is the outgoing Commonwealth secretary general, sent a 52-page report to all members of the union of former British colonies, seeking objections to her intended steps towards re-admitting Zimbabwe which she says has made “remarkable democratic progress”.

The report acknowledges that Zimbabwe still has “challenges” on issues such as political prisoners, repression of civil society and restrictions on political activity. But an “overwhelming number” of Commonwealth member states believe readmission would help Zimbabwe to improve its democratic processes, the report says.

The Commonwealth members are facing pressure to give their views on Zimbabwe’s readmission within weeks after they were given a deadline of November 26 to reply.

If there are no objections, she said, she will invite Zimbabwe to make a formal application, the final stage before it can rejoin the Commonwealth.

“Various stakeholders in Zimbabwe have underscored progress made and reported an overall improved political environment in Zimbabwe, and though there is still much to be achieved, I am certain that with the help of the Commonwealth family, the country will flourish once again,” reads part of the confidential document.

“Zimbabwe has delivered on its commitment to demonstrate solid and sustained political will towards implementing the necessary reforms to align Zimbabwe’s democratic institutions and processes with Commonwealth values and principles.

“While Zimbabwe is still in the early stages of its democratic journey, and challenges remain, including the outstanding issue of political prisoners and upholding freedom of association, most of the core criteria have been sufficiently and broadly met.

“Should the broader membership agree, the Secretariat is well equipped to support Zimbabwe further strengthen its democratic and human rights credentials, and maintain its commitment to upholding the integrity of Zimbabwe’s Constitution, as a member of the family.

“In this regard, I recommend that Zimbabwe’s membership process progresses to the next stage of the membership process, which entails my consultation with member countries.

“I hereby request Heads to consider allowing me to invite Zimbabwe to submit its formal application for readmission. In the absence of any objections submitted to me by the date specified on my letter, I will invite Zimbabwe to submit a formal application in line with the 2007 agreed membership process.”

Late President Robert Mugabe pulled Zimbabwe out of the grouping at the height of Zimbabwe’s tiff with the United Kingdom and other Western countries, in the early 2000s.

But his successor, Mnangagwa, announced in 2018 that he was seeking readmission to the Commonwealth, as part of a broader strategy to regain access to foreign investment and international loans.

The case for readmission, however, is undermined by a critical report from the Commonwealth observers who monitored Zimbabwe’s election in 2023. The report was completed in early 2024 but was not made public for most of this year. The report is still not listed on the main public pages of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s website, although in recent days it has been released to those who request it.

The 108-page report says the Zimbabwe election had deficiencies that “call into question the credibility, transparency and inclusivity of the election.” It says the Commonwealth observer group was unable to endorse the vote because of significant issues before and during the election, including a lack of reform on political party registration, campaign finance and the election commission, and a media landscape that was heavily biased toward the state.

The deficiencies were “significant enough to severely affect” the credibility of the election, the report says.

Charmaine Wright, a spokesperson for the Commonwealth Secretariat, said the report by Scotland is being kept confidential because it is for the consideration of Commonwealth member states to help them make an “informed decision” about Zimbabwe’s possible membership.

“The readmission of member countries has a robust membership process that includes consultation with stakeholders and reviews of the information provided,” she said.

The Commonwealth, according to its charter, promotes the principles of “free and democratic societies” – including human rights, the rule of law and freedom of expression. But critics say that these principles are increasingly jeopardized by its decision to admit countries such as Rwanda, Gabon and Togo, which are heavily authoritarian states with poor records on human rights.

Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), says it strongly opposes the country’s bid to rejoin the Commonwealth.

CCC spokesperson, Promise Mkwananzi, said the Commonwealth should reject Zimbabwe’s application because of the country’s “gross violations” of democracy and human rights, including tainted elections, voter intimidation, manipulation and corruption by its election commission, and “unprecedented attacks” on the opposition.

Most African countries appear to support Zimbabwe’s bid for readmission. But other countries are less keen. Several British politicians have argued that Zimbabwe is far from ready to rejoin the Commonwealth.

Source – Agencies

Who wins when Nigeria’s richest man takes on the ‘oil mafia’?

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Who wins when Nigeria’s richest man takes on the ‘oil mafia’?

Petrol production at Nigerian business tycoon Aliko Dangote’s $20bn (£15.5bn) state-of-the-art oil refinery ought to be some of the best business news Nigeria has had in years.

But many Nigerians will judge its success on two key questions – firstly: “Will I get cheaper petrol?”

Sorry, but probably no – unless the international price of crude drops.

And secondly: “Will I still have to spend hours watching my hair turn grey in a hypertension-inducing fuel queue?”

Hopefully those days are gone but it might partly depend on the behaviour of what Mr Dangote calls “the oil mafia”.

For much of the time since oil was first discovered in Nigeria in 1956, the downstream sector, which includes the stage when crude is refined into petrol and other products, has been a cesspit of shady deals with successive governments heavily involved.

It has always been impossible to follow the money, but you know there is something dreadfully wrong when the headline “Nigeria’s state-owned oil firm fails to pay $16bn in oil revenues”, pops up on your news feed, as it did in 2016.

It is only in the last five years that the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has been publishing accounts.

The Africa head at the Eurasia Group think-tank, Amaka Anku, hails the Dangote refinery, in which the NNPC has a 7% stake, as “a very significant moment” for the West African state.

“What you had in the downstream sector was an inefficient, corrupt monopoly,” she says.

“What the local refinery allows you to do is have a truly competitive downstream sector with multiple players who will be more efficient, profit making and they’ll pay taxes.”

To put it bluntly, the population of this oil-rich nation has been conned on a colossal scale for many years.

Oil revenue accounts for nearly 90% of Nigeria’s export earnings but a relatively small number of business people and politicians have gorged themselves on the oil wealth.

Aspects of the business model have been baffling, including that of Nigeria’s four previously existing oil refineries.

Built in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, they have fallen into disrepair.

Last year Nigeria’s parliament reported that over the previous decade the state had spent a staggering $25bn trying and failing to fix the moribund facilities.

So Africa’s largest oil producer has been exporting its crude which is then refined abroad, much to the delight of some well-connected traders.

It would be like a bakery with a broken oven. But rather than fix it, the owner sends balls of dough to another firm that shoves them in a working oven and sells the loaves back to the baker.

The NNPC swaps Nigeria’s crude oil for the refined products, including petrol, which are shipped back home.

Exactly how much money changes hands and who benefits from these “oil swaps” is just one of the unknowns in these deals.

“No-one has been able to nail down who exactly has benefited. It’s almost like a beer parlour gossip about who is getting what,” says Toyin Akinosho of the Africa Oil+Gas Report.

The NNPC began subsidising the price of petrol in the 1970s to cushion the blow when global prices soared. Every year it clawed this money back by depositing lower royalty payments – the money it received for every barrel pumped out of the ground – with the Nigerian treasury.

In 2022 the subsidy cost the government $10bn, more than 40% of the total money it collected in taxes.

On his second day in office Nigeria’s Vice-President Kashim Shettima referred to “the fuel subsidy scam” being “an albatross around the neck of the economy”.

Nigerian oil expert Kelvin Emmanuel says in 2019 the country’s official petrol consumption “jumped by 284% to 70m litres per day without empirical evidence to justify such a sharp increase in demand”.

Parliament has previously reported that – at least on paper – importers were being paid to bring in far more petrol than the country consumed. There was a lot of money to be made exporting some of the subsidised petrol to neighbouring countries where prices were far higher.

The NNPC earned billions of dollars a year from the crude oil production. But for many years, under previous governments, some of its profits never reached the treasury as it was accused by state governors and federal lawmakers of including these inflated subsidy costs on its balance sheet.

The NNPC did not respond to a request for an interview or a response to these allegations but in June denied it had ever “inflated its subsidy claims with the federal government”.

It may have been the main source of revenue for successive governments but for decades, until 2020, the board did not disclose its audited accounts. Its press release from March this year promised more transparency and accountability.

After coming to power in May 2023, President Bola Tinubu said the subsidy was unsustainable and suddenly cut it – pump prices immediately tripled.

He also stopped the policy of artificially propping up the value of the local currency, the naira, and let market forces determine its value.

When he took over, the exchange rate was 460 naira to the US dollar. In November 2024 it was over 1,600.

The triple shock of higher fuel prices, sporadic shortages of supply and a depreciating currency has been a tough body blow for people across the country, many of whom are forced to run generators to keep the lights on and phones charged.

“Beyond the financial burden, the uncertainty and stress of constantly dealing with fuel shortages have added a layer of anxiety to everyday tasks,” is how one Lagos resident summed it up.

“I feel like I’m always navigating through crisis mode. It’s exhausting.”

As the naira plunged and pump prices increased several times, the government, aware of the potential danger of protests, continued to pipette some medicine to the masses.

In a move which could be likened to swallowing half a paracetamol for acute appendicitis, the government made sure people were paying slightly less than the market rate for a litre of petrol.

In other words, the NNPC was selling at a loss and the subsidy was still alive.

But with two recent increases in October, Nigerians are now paying market prices for fuel for the first time in three decades. In the main city Lagos it went up from 858 naira ($0.52) to 1,025 naira per litre.

One of the major factors in Nigeria’s economic crisis has been a limited supply of foreign currency. The country does not export enough products and services to bring in the dollars.

But lots of people, including fuel traders, have been chasing the same limited supply of foreign currency, which leads to the naira losing even more value.

The good news is that Mr Dangote’s facility is going to buy crude and sell refined fuels in Nigeria in the local currency, which will leave more dollars available for everyone else.

The bad news for those hoping this will mean cheaper fuel is that the price Mr Dangote pays for a barrel of local crude will still be the naira equivalent of the international cost in dollars.

So if the price of crude goes up on the world market, Nigerians will still be forced to fork out more naira. Refining locally will mean less freight costs but that’s a relatively small saving.

It is hoped that the arrival of Mr Dangote’s oil refinery will help bring a measure of transparency to the sector.

He knew he would be upsetting some of those who benefit from the murky status quo when the $20bn project began. But, he says, he underestimated the challenge.

“I knew there would be a fight. But I didn’t know that the mafia in oil, they are stronger than the mafia in drugs,” Mr Dangote told an investment conference in June.

“They don’t want the trade to stop. It’s a cartel. Dangote comes along and he’s going to disrupt them entirely. Their business is at risk,” says Mr Emmanuel, the oil expert.

The fact that there have been some public disagreements with the regulator has only fuelled that suspicion.

Mr Dangote’s refinery near Lagos is thirsty, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels of crude a day.

You would have thought being located in Nigeria would make supply easy but then up pops this headline: “Nigeria’s Dangote buys Brazilian crude”.

It follows a row over supply and pricing. The regulatory authority has complained about Mr Dangote’s negotiating tactics.

Nigeria’s crude oil is low in sulphur and, as one of the most prized in the world, fetches a higher price than many of its competitors.

When discussions over price began, Farouk Ahmed, the chief executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), accused Mr Dangote of “wanting a Lamborghini for the price of a Toyota”.

Mr Dangote has complained of not being allocated as much crude as earlier agreed but even when the price issue is resolved, he will still need to import some crude.

“NNPC doesn’t have enough crude for Dangote. Despite all this instruction to give ample supply of crude to the refinery, NNPC can’t supply Dangote with more than 300,000 barrels per day,” says Mr Akinosho of the Africa Oil+Gas Report.

He says this is partly because the NNPC has pre-sold millions of barrels of oil for loans.

In August 2023 it secured a $3bn loan from the Afreximbank financial institution. In return it is due to supply 164 million barrels of crude.

In September the NNPC admitted it was significantly in debt. It was reported to be owing its suppliers around $6bn for fuel brought into the country.

Nigeria’s oil production has plummeted in recent years from around 2.1 million barrels per day in 2018 to around 1.3 million barrels per day in 2023.

The NNPC has been stressing oil theft as the number one reason why production has dropped.

It says in just one week – from 28 September to 4 October – there were 161 incidents of oil theft across the Niger Delta and 45 illegal refineries were “discovered”.

But Ms Anku believes that “the theft problem is overrated by the NNPC and the oil sector”.

“It’s a convenient excuse,” she adds.

She points to other contributing factors causing the drop in production, including international oil companies selling their on-shore oil fields – some of which may no longer be viable having pumped oil for 60 years.

The 66-year-old Dangote, who is listed by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index as the second wealthiest person in Africa, made his fortune in cement and sugar.

He has always denied the suggestion that his empire benefitted from links to politicians in power who helped ensure he had a monopoly.

Today there are those who are critical of Mr Dangote’s tactics and amid tension with the regulatory authorities, the same accusation has resurfaced when it comes to the supply of fuel in Nigeria.

“Mr Dangote asked me to stop issuing licences for importation and that everyone should buy from him. To which I said ‘No’ because it’s not good for the market. We have energy security interests,” says Mr Ahmed of the regulatory authority.

Mr Dangote has not commented on the accusation but has said it makes business sense for the traders to buy from his refinery rather than from outside.

A feud between the regulator and Mr Dangote over supplies and pricing has rumbled on and morphed into another row with local fuel traders refusing to buy from the new refinery.

The mud slinging has also included allegations that some traders have been buying up substandard fuel from Russia which is then blended with other products before being shipped into Nigeria.

But not everyone is worried or surprised by the disagreements.

Ms Anku points to lessons learnt from US businessmen back in the 19th Century.

“The JP Morgans and the Stanfords – they didn’t have it easy either. That’s why they had to go and get government support and subsidies to build their railways and so on.

“I see the drama as a very normal process as you’re changing the structure of the economy. There are losers, they lash out. There’s no chance they’ll stop the refinery from working or selling its products to the Nigerian markets… in my view.”

The modern, local refinery has also led to a debate over the quality of fuel on the market. It is an important issue given the vast number of generators belching out fumes across Nigeria as a result of the woeful power supply.

“Every day I wake up to the smell of what I’m sure [could] kill me. It’s because of the quality of the diesel,” says Mr Akinosho.

He sees Mr Dangote’s refinery as a real opportunity for higher quality petroleum products in Nigeria which would be better for both car engines and people’s lungs.

But right now, Nigerians being hit hard in the pocket may find it difficult to be optimistic.

Arguments between officials at the Dangote refinery, the oil marketers and the regulators are batted back and forth in the media. All sides have been accused of hiding some facts and figures which leaves people guessing what is going on inside this still somewhat opaque industry.

“Everyone is a villain. There are no heroes here,” concludes Mr Akinosho.

-BBC

Inside South Africa’s ‘ruthless’ gang-controlled gold mines

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Along with about 600 other men, Ndumiso lives and works in a small gang-controlled “town” – complete with markets and a red light district – that has grown up deep underground at a disused gold mine in South Africa.

Ndumiso told the BBC that after being laid off by a big mining firm, he decided to join the gang in its underground world to become what is known as a “zama zama”, an illegal miner.

He digs for the precious metal and surfaces every three months or so to sell it on the black market for a huge profit, earning more than he ever did before – though the risks now are far higher.

“The underground life is ruthless. Many do not make it out alive,” said the 52-year-old, who spoke to the BBC on condition that his real name was not used as he feared reprisals.

“In one level of the shaft there are bodies and skeletons. We call that the zama-zama graveyard,” he said.

But for those who survive, like Ndumiso, the job can be lucrative.

While he sleeps on sandbags after back-breaking days underground, his family lives in a house he has bought in a township of the main city, Johannesburg.

He made cash payments of 130,000 rand (about $7,000; £5,600) for the one-bedroom house, which he has now extended to include another three bedrooms, he said.

An illegal miner for about eight years, Ndumiso has managed to send his three children to fee-paying schools – one of whom is now in university.

“I have to provide for my wife and children and this is the only way I know,” he said, adding that he preferred to toil underground rather than adding to the high crime rate by becoming a car-hijacker or robber, after spending many years trying to find legal work.

His current job is at a mine in the small town of Stilfontein, around 90 miles (145km) south-west of Johannesburg, which is at the centre of global attention after a government minister, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, promised to “smoke out” the hundreds of miners who were underground there, with the security forces preventing food and water from being sent down.

“Criminals are not to be helped. Criminals are to be persecuted,” Ntshavheni said.

A campaign group, The Society for the Protection of Our Constitution, has launched a court case to demand access to the mineshaft, which police say is about 2km (1.2 miles) deep.

The court has given an interim ruling, stating that food and other essentials could be delivered to the miners.

Ndumiso works at a different shaft at the mine, and surfaced last month, before the current stand-off.

He is now waiting to see how the situation unfolds, before deciding whether to return.

The stand-off follows a government decision to crack down on an industry that has spiralled out of control, with mafia-like gangs running it.

“The country has been grappling with the scourge of illegal mining for many years, and mining communities bore the brunt of peripheral criminal activities such as rape, robbing and damage to public infrastructure, among others,” said Mikateko Mahlaule, chairman of the parliamentary committee on mineral resources.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said the mine was a “crime scene”, but police were negotiating with the miners to end the stand-off, rather than going down to arrest them.

“Law-enforcement authorities have information that some of the miners may be heavily armed. It is well-established that illegal miners are recruited by criminal gangs and form part of wider organised crime syndicates,” he added.

Ndumiso was among hundreds of thousands of workers – both locals and nationals of neighbouring states like Lesotho – who have been retrenched as South Africa’s mining industry has gone into decline over the last three decades. Many of these have gone on to become “zama zamas” at the abandoned mines.

South Africa-based Benchmark Foundation researcher David van Wyk, who has studied the industry, said there were about 6,000 abandoned mines in the country.

“While they are not profitable for large-scale industrial mining, they are profitable for small-scaling mining,” he told the BBC Focus on Africa podcast.

Ndumiso said he used to work as a drill operator, earning less than $220 (£175) a month, for a gold-mining company until he was laid off in 1996.

After struggling for the next 20 years to find a full-time job because of South Africa’s crushingly high unemployment rate, he said he decided to become an illegal miner.

There are tens of thousands of illegal miners in South Africa, with Mr Van Wyk saying they number about 36,000 alone in Gauteng province – the country’s economic heartland, where gold was first discovered in the 19th Century.

“Zama zamas will often spend months underground without surfacing and depend heavily on outside support for food and other necessities. It is arduous and dangerous work,” said a report by campaign group Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime.

“Some carry pistols, shotguns and semi-automatic weapons to protect themselves from rival gangs of miners,” it added.

Ndumiso told the BBC that he did own a pistol, but he also paid his gang a monthly “protection fee” of about $8.

Its heavily armed guards fend off threats, especially from Lesotho gangs reputed to have more lethal firepower, he said.

Under the 24-hour protection of the gang, Ndumiso said he used dynamite for rock-blasting and rudimentary tools such as a pick axe, spade and chisel to find gold.

Most of what he finds he gives to the gang leader, who pays him a minimum of $1,100 every two weeks. He said he was able to keep some gold, which he sells on the black market to top up his income.

He was among the fortunate miners to have such an arrangement, he said – explaining that others were kidnapped and taken to the shaft to work like slave labourers, receiving no payment or gold.

Ndumiso said he normally stayed underground for about three months at a time, and then came up for two to four weeks to spend time with his family and sell his gold, before going back into the deep pits.

“I look forward to sleeping on my bed and eating home-cooked meals. Breathing in fresh air is an amazingly powerful feeling.”

Ndumiso does not come out more often in case he loses his digging spot, but after three months it gets too much to remain underground.

He recalled that once when he reached the surface: “I was so blinded by the sunlight that I thought I had gone blind.”

His skin had also become so pale that his wife took him for a medical check-up: “I was honest with the doctor about where I lived. He did not say anything, and just treated me. He gave me vitamins.”

Above ground Ndumiso does not just relax. He also works with other illegal miners as ore-bearing rocks brought up from below are blasted and crushed into fine powder.

This is then “washed” by his group at a makeshift plant to separate the gold using dangerous chemicals like mercury and sodium cyanide.

Ndumiso said he then sells his share of the gold – one gram for $55, less than the official price of about $77.

He said he has a ready-made buyer, whom he contacts via WhatsApp.

“The first time I met him I did not trust him so I told him to meet me in the car park of a police station. I knew I would be safe there.

“Now we meet in any car park. We have a scale. We weigh the gold on the spot. I then hand it to over to him, and he pays me in cash,” he said, pointing out that he walks away with between $3,800 and $5,500.

He gets this amount every three months, meaning his average annual income is between $15,500 and $22,000 – far more than the $2,700 he earned as a legally employed miner.

Ndumiso said the gang leaders earned far more, but he did not know how much.

As for the buyer of his gold, Ndumiso said he did not know anything about him, except that he was a white man in an illegal industry that involves people of different races and classes.

This makes it difficult to clamp down on the criminal networks, with Mr Van Wyk saying the government was targeting miners – but not the “kingpins living in the leafy suburbs of Johannesburg and Cape Town”.

Mr Ramaphosa said that illegal mining was costing “our economy billions of rands in lost export income, royalties and taxes”, and the government would continue to work with mining firms “to ensure they take responsibility for rehabilitating or closing mines that are no longer operational”.

Mr Van Wyk told the BBC Focus on Africa podcast that the government would worsen South Africa’s economic crisis if it clamped down on the “zama zamas”.

“There should be a policy to decriminalise their operations, to better organise them and to regulate them,” he added.

When Ndumiso goes back underground to work, he takes with him cartons of canned food to avoid paying the exorbitant prices at the “markets” that exist there.

Apart from food, basic items – like cigarettes, torches, batteries – and mining tools were sold there, he said.

This suggests that a community – or a small town – had developed underground over the years, with Ndumiso saying there was even a red light district, with sex workers brought underground by the gangs.

Ndumiso said the mine where he worked was made up of several levels, and a labyrinth of tunnels that connected to each other.

“They are like highways, with signs painted to give directions to different places and levels – like the level that we use as the toilet, or the level that we call the zama-zama graveyard,” he said.

“Some are killed by rival gang members; others die during rockfalls and are crushed by massive boulders. I lost a friend after he was robbed of his gold and shot in the head.”

Although life underground is perilous, it is a risk that thousands like Ndumiso are willing to take, as they say the alternative is to live and die poor in a nation where the unemployment rate stands at more than 30%.

Will.i.am says he hasn’t bought a house all these years and lives in a hotel: ‘I don’t think I made it’

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Rapper Will.i.am has disclosed that he lives in a hotel. The Grammy-winning artist told People, “As far as the idea of ‘I made it,’ I don’t think I made it, because every milestone takes me to the next milestone. I’m making it. I’ve never had a house.

“I bought myself a studio. I have my office, but I stay in a hotel. I don’t have a house because I ain’t bought the house that says, ‘I made it.’”

During his recent appearance at the AfroTech conference in Houston last week, the 49-year-old talked about his lucrative job as a sought-after tech investor behind startups like Fyi.AI, a new messenger and tool for streamlining apps, making them a one-stop shop on one’s device.

He also told the audience that he was raised in a housing project in South Los Angeles.

He recounted, “I remember my mom was like, ‘Wait, put your clothes on. You go up here to get our food stamps. Sit in this line to get this cheese. When you are in a project, that’s your reality. You come outside, your best friend that you grew up with is no longer with you because he got shot and you want to dream different — that’s where I get ambition from.”

Even so, the member of the Black Eyed Peas manages to maintain a balance between his tech business and his music career. He revealed that, despite his success in both music and investments, he always makes time to return to his roots.

“I go back to the projects every weekend when I’m home,” he shared. “And I’ve done that since when I was living there.”

In 2005, he volunteered overseas to help with tsunami relief, which sparked him to take action and give back to his community.

“I was like, ‘Wow, there’s a tsunami that happens in every hood, every single day and it’s not a tsunami of water but one of no opportunity, of neglect, of bad food, bad zoning. I thought, ‘Why am I not giving back to my own neighborhood?’”

This encounter, together with the popular educational documentary “Waiting For Superman,” motivated the celebrity to use his connections and resources to introduce robotics lessons and college access programs to underperforming local schools.

He thought, “If I marry these two things, these kids are going to graduate college with a job waiting for them, not graduate college with debt and a diploma.“

Now, the programs are in over 500 schools. “Here we are and we have kids that now graduated from Stanford and Brown and Dartmouth,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, Will.i.am announced that he is still searching for his futuristic ideal home, stating, “When I get that house, then I’ve made it.”

Mozambique’s Mondlane lodges appeal to annul vote in Zimbabwe constituency

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Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane has lodged an appeal with the Mozambican Constitutional Council asking for the vote in the Zimbabwean constituency to be declared null and void, claiming that 296,519 Zimbabweans “without active electoral capacity” voted for him.

According to the appeal presented by Judite Simão, Venâncio Mondlane’s attorney, it invokes the “nullity of the presidential election” of 9 October in the neighbouring country’s constituency, citing data from the report by the Southern Africa Human Rights Lawyers High Commission Mozambique, which states that that number of Zimbabwean citizens voted “illegally”.

“If there is a will and interest in examining the matter, steps can be taken with the ministry of the interior to ascertain whether or not the 296,519 voters (…) are Mozambicans with dual nationality,” reads the appeal, documented with photos of voter registration cards.

Mozambique’s National Electoral Commission (CNE) approved the setting up of 602 polling stations in seven African and two European countries for a total of 331,939 voters registered abroad and eligible to vote in the 9 October presidential and legislative elections.

The country with the largest number of polling stations was neighbouring South Africa, with 359, for 215,831 voters, but the establishment of 60 polling stations in Zimbabwe was also approved.

Venâncio Mondlane disputes the attribution of victory to Daniel Chapo, the candidate supported by the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo), with 70.67 % of the vote, according to the results announced on 24 October by the National Electoral Commission (CNE) and which have yet to be validated by the Constitutional Council.

The leaders of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), Ossufo Momade, and the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), Lutero Simango, the two largest opposition parties and both also candidates for the post of country’s president in the October vote, have in recent days called for the elections to be cancelled and repeated, alleging various irregularities in the process.

“Forget it. We want electoral truth. Whoever won, won. Votes can’t be negotiated,” Venâncio Mondlane said on Tuesday.

On the same day, Mozambican president Filipe Nyusi invited the four presidential candidates to a meeting, including Venâncio Mondlane, and said that the violent post-election demonstrations were creating ‘chaos’ and that “spreading fear in the streets” was weakening the country.

“I promise that, until the last day of my mandate, I will use all my energy to pacify Mozambique, I will. But for me to succeed in this mission, we need all of us and each one of you (…) Mozambicans have to be together to solve the problems,” said Nyusi, in a message to the nation, lasting around 45 minutes, on the “situation of the country in the post-election period”.

Calling for “freedom from selfishness” in this post-election process, the head of state, whose last term ends in January, guaranteed that the government is “open” to “together” finding “a solution” to the current moment, marked by stoppages and demonstrations called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane.

“We even need the different candidates for president. We need the involvement of Lutero Simango, Daniel Chapo, Venâncio Mondlane and Ossufo Momade. We need the involvement of their collaborators and supporters. I want to take this opportunity to invite all of them, those four I spoke of, the candidates, to accept my call to meet with the four of them, to jointly assess this situation and find a solution that benefits Mozambicans,” said Nyusi.

Source – Lusa

Investigations launched after mausoleum keeping Patrice Lumumba’s tooth is vandalized

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Investigations launched after mausoleum keeping Patrice Lumumba’s tooth is vandalized

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have launched an investigation after the mausoleum where Patrice Lumumba’s tooth is being kept was vandalized. Per Reuters, the incident occurred on Monday evening.

Lumumba, who was the DR Congo‘s first democratically elected Prime Minister, was assassinated in January 1961 in a Western-backed overthrow from power. Besides the tooth, there are no other known remains of Lumumba.

In 2022, Belgian authorities returned the tooth to members of Lumumba’s family at an official ceremony at Egmont Palace in the Belgian capital city of Brussels,

More than three decades after his death, a senior Belgian policeman, Gerard Soete, disclosed that he and another helper had exhumed the corpses of Lumumba and his two ministers Joseph Okito and Maurice Mpolo, adding that they “hacked them in pieces and put them into the acid.”

In a documentary aired on the German TV channel ARD, Soete showed two teeth that he said had belonged to Lumumba. Soete’s daughter also showed a gold tooth, which she said had belonged to Lumumba, during an interview with a newspaper.

A police officer told Reuters that the coffin containing Lumumba’s tooth was “open and empty.” The officer, however, could not tell if the tooth remained in the coffin. The Central African nation’s culture ministry did not also clearly mention if the tooth had been stolen.

“The site has been secured, and an investigation is underway to determine the facts and identify those responsible,” the ministry said. Lumumba’s daughter Juliana Lumumba Amato also told the news outlet that what happened at the mausoleum was “a despicable and incomprehensible act.”

“Patrice Lumumba sacrificed his life for his country and the Congolese people,” she continued. Juliana also said the government was yet to give her information about the incident, adding that she’s waiting for that.

Since January 17, 1961, no one has been held accountable for the brutal murder of Congo’s independence leader Lumumba. However, all fingers point to multinational perpetrators who sanctioned the elimination of one of Africa’s bravest politicians and independence heroes who stood his ground against colonizers.

Lumumba led the DR Congo to independence on June 30, 1960, after the country was passed on from King Leopold II, who took control of it as his private property in the 1880s, to Belgium in 1908 as a colony.

Lumumba transformed the country in just three months in office and he strongly advocated for a united Africa until his death by firing squad. His death was felt all over Africa and the world as he was filmed in captivity and manhandled by soldiers under the authority of his chief of staff Joseph-Desire Mobutu, who had taken over the country after a coup d’etat.

Silent Exodus: Why French Africans are considering new beginnings elsewhere

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Menka Gomis, a 39-year-old born in France, has opted to forge his future in Senegal, the birthplace of his parents. His decision reflects a growing trend among French Africans who are leaving France, citing rising racism, discrimination, and nationalism as motivating factors. This phenomenon, termed a “silent exodus,” has caught the attention of BBC Africa, which aims to investigate the reasons behind the discontent prompting individuals like Gomis to seek opportunities abroad.

Gomis has recently established a travel agency dedicated to reconnecting people with their African roots, now operating an office in Senegal. “I grew up in France and faced the harsh realities of racism from a young age,” Gomis recounted during an interview with the BBC World Service. “When I was six years old, I was called the N-word at school—something that happened daily.” He emphasizes his dual identity, stating, “I may be French, but I also come from elsewhere.”

His mother, who immigrated to France as an infant, struggles to understand her son’s choice to leave behind family and friends. For Gomis, the move stems from a sense of responsibility toward his ancestral homeland and the opportunities he sees in Africa. “Africa is like the Americas during the gold rush,” he said. “I believe it’s the continent of the future, with immense potential to build and develop.”

The historical ties between France and Senegal are deep and complex. Senegal, a predominantly Muslim nation and former French colony, played a significant role in the transatlantic slave trade. A recent BBC investigation highlighted the dangers faced by many migrants attempting to reach Europe, particularly France, where a record number sought asylum last year. According to the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA), about 142,500 individuals applied for protection in 2023, with roughly one-third of those requests granted.

While determining how many individuals are making the reverse journey to Africa is challenging, research suggests that many highly educated French citizens from Muslim backgrounds, often the children of immigrants, are quietly emigrating. Many express concerns over increasingly hostile attitudes toward immigration in France, particularly as right-wing political parties gain influence.

In response to rising anti-immigrant sentiment, Prime Minister Michel Barnier and Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau have pledged to tighten immigration policies, both legal and illegal. Their efforts include advocating for legislative changes at both the national and European levels.

Fanta Guirassy, a 34-year-old single mother and nursing practitioner in Villemomble, a suburb of Paris, plans to move to Senegal, her mother’s birthplace. “For years, we’ve felt increasingly unsafe in France. It’s sad to say, but that’s the reality,” she shared. Guirassy’s anxiety heightened when her son was recently stopped and searched by police while hanging out with friends. “As a mother, it’s traumatic to witness such events, especially when they hit so close to home.”

The social climate in France has been tumultuous, particularly following the police shooting of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk, a French citizen of Algerian descent, which sparked nationwide riots. These incidents highlighted longstanding frustrations regarding the treatment of ethnic minorities in France. A recent survey indicated that 91% of Black respondents reported experiencing racial discrimination.

In the aftermath of the riots, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called on France to confront issues of racial discrimination within its law enforcement. However, the French foreign ministry dismissed these claims, asserting that accusations of systemic racism are unfounded.

Data from the French interior ministry indicates that racist crimes surged by a third last year, with over 15,000 incidents recorded based on race, religion, or ethnicity. For Audrey Monzemba, a Congolese schoolteacher, the shifting societal attitudes have become anxiety-provoking. Each morning, she commutes through a multicultural, working-class neighborhood, discreetly removing her headscarf before arriving at school—a practice shaped by France’s controversial secularism laws.

A growing number of French Muslims are reportedly leaving the country, driven by rising Islamophobia, particularly after the 2015 attacks in Paris. Olivier Esteves, co-author of the report France, You Love It But You Leave It, noted that this exodus represents a significant brain drain, as many highly educated individuals choose to depart.

Fatoumata Sylla, a 34-year-old tourism software developer, plans to move to Senegal to establish a business, echoing her father’s advice to remember their roots. Her brother Abdoul, however, remains skeptical about their heritage. “I don’t feel the need to reconnect with anything,” he told the BBC, emphasizing his ties to France.

In Dakar, Gomis’s travel agency is flourishing, and he eagerly anticipates obtaining Senegalese citizenship. As he explores new ventures, including a dating app tailored for Senegal, Gomis remains optimistic about the opportunities that await him and others in his community. “The future is bright,” he said, “and I believe that Africa is where I can truly thrive.”

Mali junta chief fires prime minister in row over return to civilian rule

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Mali’s military leader has sacked the Prime Minister, Choguel Kokalla Maïga, and his government.

It follows rare criticism by Maïga of the junta’s lack of clarity about a once-promised return to democracy.

A decree read on state television by junta leader Col Assimi Goïta said the duties of the prime minister and the members of the government were “terminated”.

Mali has suffered years of jihadist and separatist violence – resulting in military coups in 2020 and 2021.

The junta had promised to hold elections and hand back power to civilians by March 2024, but subsequently postponed the vote.

Relations between the military president and his civilian prime minister have been worsening for some time.

On Saturday, Maïga while speaking to his supporters, criticised the lack of transparency in the running of the transition.

“The transition was supposed to end on 26 March, 2024, but it has been postponed indefinitely, unilaterally, without debate within the government,” he said.

“This is not normal in a government,” he added, revealing that as prime minister, he was not informed about the junta’s decision to postpone elections.

He also underscored the potential challenges and risks the current confusion surrounding the transition could pose for the country.

Prior to his dismissal, there had been calls for Maïga to step down following his outrage against the military leaders.

A pro-military group, the Collective for the Defence of the Military, on Sunday urged him to resign within 72 hours, describing his outburst as betrayal.

But his dismissal comes as little surprise given signs of a rift within the ruling class for months.

In June, Maïga openly endorsed a document by one of his supporters who had been arrested a month earlier for criticising the military’s prolonged stay in power.

Maïga was appointed prime minister in 2021 by the junta leader, following a second coup against the transitional president Bah N’Daw.

The 66-year-old has previously served as a minister on several occasions and ran three times as a presidential candidate.

His departure from the government further raises uncertainty about the running of the transition, and his future.

There is speculation that he might morph into an opposition figure who could potentially challenge his former boss for the country’s top job, whenever elections are scheduled.

There have been mixed reactions locally and regionally after his sacking, with supporters saying he should aim for the presidency while other see him as a traitor.

The junta had popular support when it seized power three years ago.

It followed huge demonstrations against former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, amid complaints of corruption, economic uncertainty and insecurity.

The junta has however struggled to contain jihadist violence – and there is growing anger from a large part of the population against the transitional government.

Whoopi Goldberg Net Worth: Earnings, Career Success, and Legacy

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What is the net worth of Whoopi Goldberg?
Apart from being celebrated as an actress and comedian, Whoopi Goldberg is also a savvy businesswoman. Her financial success reflects her multifaceted career. Goldberg has an estimated net worth of about $60 million. Over the years, she has amassed wealth by working in the film industry, television and theatre. Her other ventures include being a producer, author and co-host on The View.

More about Whoopi Goldberg
Goldberg began her journey from stand-up comedy before attaining stardom in Hollywood. She has clinched multiple wards and attained ground-breaking achievements and her financial success is just one part of her incredible legacy. With a career which has spanned decades, the American actor has risen to be an icon in the entertainment industry—with many looking up to her.

Her career on stage commenced in 1983 through her one-woman show, Spook Show. It was rebranded as Whoopi Goldberg and transferred to Broadway. Following this, the show aired from 1984 to 1985. The show’s recording helped her to earn a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.

In 1985, Whoopi Goldberg got her breakthrough in film after she played the role of Celie in Steven Spielberg’s period drama film The Color Purple. Her role was about a maltreated woman in the Deep South. Through this role, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama).

She bagged an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and also another Golden Globe Award following her role in the 1990 romantic fantasy film Ghost—in which she acted as an eccentric psychic.

Goldberg, in 1992, featured in Sister Act and the sequel Sister Act 2. Her role in 1993’s Back in the Habit made her the highest-paid actress during that period. She also had a role in Jumpin’ Jack Flash in 1986, acted in Clara’s Heart in 1988, Soapdish in 1991, Ghosts of Mississippi in 1996 and starred in 2022’s Till. Her voiced roles were in The Lion King in 1994 and Toy Story 3 in 2010.

Her stage roles include starring in the Broadway revivals of Stephen Sondheim’s musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, a play by August Wilson. After producing Thoroughly Modern Millie, she grabbed a Tony Award. Her third nomination for a Tony Award came in 2011 for the stage adaptation of Sister Act.

When it comes to television, Whoopi Goldberg acted as Guinan in Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1988 to 1993 and Star Trek: Picard in 2022.

Whoopi Goldberg on The View
Goldberg’s stint on The View started on September 4, 2007, when she replaced Rosie O’Donnell as the new moderator and co-host.

On September 4, 2007, Goldberg became the new moderator and co-host of The View, replacing Rosie O’Donnell. Goldberg’s debut as moderator attracted 3.4 million viewers, one million fewer than O’Donnell’s debut.

However, within two weeks, The View was averaging 3.5 million total viewers under Goldberg—a 7% increase from the 3.3 million average during O’Donnell’s tenure the previous season.

She has won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host and also hosted the Academy Awards ceremony four times.

The former president seeking to lead Ghana once more

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The former president seeking to lead Ghana once more

John Dramani Mahama has been Ghana’s president once before – and now he is back for another punt at the top job.

The 65-year-old led Ghana from 2012 to 2017 and is one of the West African country’s most experienced politicians. He has served at all levels of office, as an MP, deputy minister, minister, vice-president and president.

Long before it became a career, politics played a significant role in Mahama’s childhood. When Mahama was just seven, his father, a government minister, was jailed during a military coup and later went into exile.

Personal trials like this appear in Mahama’s acclaimed writing – he has been published by a number of international news outlets and his memoir, My First Coup D’etat, won praise from two African literary greats, Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Chinua Achebe.

When penning his manifesto for this year’s elections, Mahama told voters Ghana “is headed in the wrong direction and needs to be rescued”.

But critics argue he may not be the right man for the job, given that his administration was hit by economic problems and a string of corruption scandals.

Mahama’s journey began in 1958, when he was born in the northern town of Damongo. After a few years he moved to the capital, Accra, to live with his father, Emmanuel Adama Mahama.

In My First Coup d’Etat, Mahama Jr describes himself as “an observant child with an active imagination and an unbounded curiosity”.

He was also relatively privileged. The family had another home in the town of Bole, which at the time was not on the national grid. Mahama’s parents were able to invest in a diesel generator for their six-bedroom house, meaning theirs was the only house in the town with lights.

Local residents would gather outside the house when night fell, captivated by the curious orange glow.

The future president attended Achimota boarding school, a prestigious institution known for educating heads of state like Ghana’s Jerry John Rawlings, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe and Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first prime minister after it gained independence from the UK.

It was at Achimota, in 1966, that Mahama heard there had been a coup. Military and police personnel had stormed Ghana’s government buildings, seizing power from Nkrumah, who was away on a foreign trip.

As updates trickled in, Mahama became increasingly anxious – he had heard no word from his father. Seven-year-old Mahama feared his father had been killed because of his proximity to Nkrumah.

It turned out his father had been imprisoned – he would remain in jail for approximately a year.

In 1981, after a second military coup, Mahama’s father fled the country for Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Mahama spent his twenties and thirties studying – he got a Communication Studies degree from the University of Ghana before studying at Moscow’s Institute of Social Sciences.

Mahama noted that his stay in Russia, then part of the Soviet Union, alerted him to “the imperfections of the socialist system”.

After returning to Ghana in 1996, Mahama followed his father’s footsteps into politics.

He was elected as a Member of Parliament for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party and from there, scaled the political ranks. He zeroed in on the NDC’s messaging, taking up roles as the parliamentary spokesperson and minister for communication.

In 13 years, Mahama worked his way up to become vice-president, second-in-command under President John Atta Mills.

But after just three years in office, Mills died unexpectedly at the age of 68.

Just hours after this tragedy, a 58-year-old Mahama was sworn in as president. In his speech, Mahama described the day as the “saddest” in Ghana’s history.

General elections were held later that year and voters chose to keep Mahama in office.

So what kind of leader is Mahama? Franklin Cudjoe, a Ghanaian political commentator and head of the Imani Centre for Policy and Education, told the BBC the former president was an “excellent communicator”.

While political scientist Dr Clement Sefa-Nyarko described Mahama as a “pragmatist”.

Mahama has the it-factor but only in a climate where “politics is driven by reality and intelligent communication”, said Dr Sefa-Nyarko, who lectures on African leadership at King’s College London.

But in contemporary Ghana, many voters are captivated by overambitious pledges, according to Dr Clement Sefa-Nyarko, which means pragmatic Mahama is “not able to charm the populace much”.

When campaigning to stay in power ahead of the 2016 elections, Mahama highlighted various infrastructure projects completed under his administration, such as those in the transportation, health, and education sectors.

But under his watch, Ghanaians also experienced an ailing economy and widespread power cuts. Mahama was nicknamed “Mr Dumsor” in reference to the blackouts – “dum” means off and “sor” means on in the local Twi language.

His term was also blighted by corruption scandals. For instance, a UK court found that aviation giant Airbus had used bribes to secure contracts with Ghana for military planes between 2009 and 2015 – but Ghana’s Office of the Special Prosecutor concluded there was no evidence that Mahama was involved in any corrupt activities himself.

There are “lingering issues” surrounding these graft scandals – ones that the current electorate will “remember”, Mr Cudjoe said.

But he also points out that, according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), corruption became worse under Nana Akufo-Addo, who beat Mahama in the 2016 elections.

Ghana averaged 45.8 under Mahama but dropped to 42 under Akufo-Addo in the CPI ranking where zero equates to “highly corrupt” and 100 is “very clean”.

Mahama attempted to win his old job back in 2020, but lost out to Akufo-Addo once again.

Despite these defeats, Mahama has remained in the political sphere – he is currently leader of the opposition.

He also enjoys a busy life away from politics – he has seven children and spends time with his wife, Lordina.

Mahama is also a prolific writer. Asides from his memoir, he has written for media outlets like The New York Times, leading African-American magazine Ebony and Ghana’s state-owned Daily Graphic.

Mahama has also expressed his passion for music, saying Nigerian Afrobeat icon Fela Kuti helped him form “political consciousness” and that Michael Jackson is “one of the greatest artistes that ever lived”.

And in a full-circle moment, the former president was immortalised in Mahama Paper, a song by Ghanaian dancehall star Shatta Wale. Wale said the title was a reference to the Ghanaian banknotes printed during Mahama’s administration.

Naturally, Mahama has used the hit in his current campaign, pointing out that under Akufo-Addo, Ghana has plummeted into its worst economic crisis in years.

He has also been reminding Ghanaians of his extensive political experience but the fact remains – he was voted out of power once before as the public felt his performance wasn’t good enough.

Mahama is seeking to persuade voters this time will be different – a communications whizz hoping his message is clear enough to win him a second chance in Ghana’s highest office.

Hichilema’s Communication Crisis, Forces him to hire Kenyan Firm to bolster Government Failing Communication- Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

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Hichilema’s Communication Crisis, Forces him to hire Kenyan Firm to bolster Government Failing Communication- Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba

Hichilema’s Communication Crisis, Forces him to hire Kenyan Firm to bolster Government Failing Communication

Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba writes:

Government has hired a Public Relations agency and communications consulting firm, to structure its communications strategy and train Ministers and the Permanent Secretaries on how to drive and deliver communication.

Instead of attending to his communication crisis and failure of both the strategy and team, President Hichilema has chosen, once again, to pick another layer of bureaucracy to mask the crisis his government faces.

He has hired Gina Din-Kariuki of Gina Din Corporate Communications (GDCC) from Kenya.

A BRIEF BACKGROUND

When President Hichilema appointed Anthony Bwalya as Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations, and later Clayson Hamasaka as Communications Specialist,for whatever reason, Anthony, a well performing Spokesperson, was shown the door and shipped to Tanzania as a diplomat but leaving a lacklustre Hamasaka at the helm of Presidential communication.

At the Ministry of Information and Media, Hichilema appointed Chisamba Member of Parliament Chushi Kasanda, who also acted as Chief Government Spokesperson.

This was highly risky and quickly proved to be a false start as Kasanda was clearly unprepared for the job and appeared to be constantly engaged in learning to do her job.

To cure this, a new position was specifically created to complement the failing Minister, Director Spokesperson!

MDC party and UPND Alliance Spokesperson, Thabo Kawana was appointed as Director Spokesperson.

New CEOs were hired for ZNBC, Times, Daily Mail and ZANIS.

This was at a crucial stage of Hichilema’s new government and he should not have gambled as he was expected to set stage and set a narrative for the next five years.

But as the economy tanked, and the cost-of-living crisis became worse, so did the glaring Information gap widen and its systemic failure became clearly apparent.

President Hichilema dropped Kasanda, clearly a fall guy ( girl), to the failing communication crisis at State House and Government.

President Hichilema transferred and promoted Southern Province Minister and UPND Spokesperson, Hon. Cornelius Mweetwa to become the new Minister of Information and Chief Government Spokesperson.

He hired former ZESCO Spokesperson, Henry Kapata as Director Spokesperson at the Ministry and elevated Thabo Kawana as Permanent Secretary.

This shake-up appeared that it would succeed. But it was not to be!

All these were occurring with the background of the Brenrhurst Foundation, a Johannesburg-based think-tank established by the Oppenheimer family and the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, providing advisory services to Hichilema.

It wasn’t long before the feelings of anger welled up in the country against President Hichilema and his government, as his 2021 campaign promises and pledges became broken, national crises from high food prices,
lack of medicines in hospitals, failing agriculture programs, volatile exchange rate, drought, rising debt, rising inflation, hunger and load-shedding took centre stage and ravaged the country and its people.

MORE LAYERS CREATED

In March 2023, President Hichilema created the Presidential Delivery Unit ( PDU) to attempt to monitor and accelerate implementation of his programs and appointed Kusobile Kamwambi and Chipokota Mwanawasa as head and Deputy respectively.

The PDU was expected to act as a nexus of power between State House, Cabinet Office, Government Ministries and agencies.

PDUs have been criticized as a new layer of bureaucracy that create more problems than it solves them.

The emergence of delivery units has been driven by the political and reputational risks associated with governments struggling to deliver on their commitments.

The delivery unit approach depends on the visible backing of the head of government, and his/her successor will often not want to continue an initiative developed by his/her predecessor.

So they are now deemed to be a short-term intervention linked to a particular administration and may not be a permanent feature at the centre of government.

President Hichilema touted the Presidential Delivery Unit as a magic bullet against bureaucracy, stalled project and failing public service delivery.

The naivety of it all was that a quick and simple solution would resolve the complex and difficult problems Hichilema was facing.
The problems have NOT gone away, they have been compounded.

APPOINTED Whitney Mulobela

To mitigate the continued crisis of communications, Hichilema recently appointed veteran journalist and lawyer, Whitney Mulobela as State House Chief Communications Strategist!

Mulobela’s impact is yet to be dertermined.

However, President Hichilema is now constantly blaming social-media for his poor image while the economy flounders and his policies falter.

Infact, as seen by his public utterances, Hichilema sounds increasingly more frustrated than ever, always blaming his predecessor Edgar Lungu, the former ruling, Patriotic Front, for the current problems.

So the action to hire Gina, a Kenyan businesswoman specializing in strategic communication and public relations in Kenya,is yet another layer masking Hichilema’s policy and government failures.

And the various communication units will probably to falter more and act disjointedly.

But Hichilema’s biggest PR success will come when he delivers on resolving the troubles affecting the country and our people.

Dismissed Concourt judges want their removal from office reviewed

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Dismissed Concourt judges want their removal from office reviewed

Dismissed Concourt judges want their removal from office reviewed

Three dismissed Constitutional Court judges have challenged their firing insisting that they made decisions on the 2016 presidential election petition in good faith, exercising their judicial function.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CA9hYKkoe/?mibextid=oFDknk

The trio claims it was illegal for the Judicial Complainants Commission to find them wanting and recommend their removal from office.

Anne Sitali, Mungeni Mulenga and Palan Mulonda have instituted judicial review proceedings against the State in the Lusaka High Court seeking an order of certiorari to quash their dismissal on allegations of incompetence raised by businessmen Moses Kalonde.

The trio is seeking an order that the proceedings before JCC were illegal, a nullity and void ab initiio on grounds of lack of jurisdiction.

Sitali, Mulenga and Mulonda want punitive damages for an injury to their reputation and mental anguish and torture.

They are demanding their full retirement package in accordance with a judge’s conditions of service, and accrued benefits for personal to holder vehicles.

In an affidavit in support of application for judicial review the three said the JCC’s finding of a prima facie case of incompetence and gross misconduct against them, based on mere and untested allegations of incompetence and gross misconduct by the complaint without evidence, was procedurally improper, irrational and made in bad faith.

The erring former judges said the JCC was wrong to submit to the President a report, advising him that a prima facie case had been established against them and recommended that they should be suspended from office as Concourt judges.

“The JCC’S decision to reopen and rehear issues of alleged misconduct relating to our handling of the presidential election petition in the case of HH and another and ECL and others in cause no.2016/CCZ/0031, which issues were previously conclusively heard and determined by JCC in its six rulings of October, 2017 and to review and reverse its initial findings against us on the same issues, was illegal for want of jurisdiction and statutory power  and was unreasonable and procedurally improper,” the three said.

The three argued that the report of the JCC to the President dated September 23, did not state the new issues raised by kalonde under his complaint and further did not state the grounds on which the prima facie was made against them.

Sitali and her colleagues said they only learned about their suspension through a press statement issued by State House chief communications specialist Clayson Hamasaka and was widely circulated in the media.

“The JCC conducted a hearing on October 14 and 16 October, 2024, and our advocates on record were directed to file our submissions on October 18, 2024, a public holiday,” the three said.

“On Sunday evening, October 20, we learnt trough a press release issued by the President’s chief communication specialist and availed to the public media and broadcast by various relevant radio stating that the Republican President had removed us from office as ConCourt judges base on a report of JCC dated October 20.”

The former judges said they received the JCC’s report and dismissal letters on Monday October 21, 2024.

“The decision of the JCC to recommend our removal from office based on the performance of our Judical function made in good faith in the presidential election petition is illegal, procedurally improper, irrational and made in bad faith,”said Sitali and her colleagues.

“It is our position that there is a case fit for further investigation in judicial review proceedings and the threshold for such proceedings and for grant of leave has been met.”

Sitali, Mulenga and Mulonda are seeking an order of certiorari to quash the decision of the JCC made on September 23, that it has jurisdiction to reopen and hear a complaint by Moses kalonde relating to the handling of presidential election petition when the issues raised in the said complaint were dealt with and concluded by the commission in 2017 in earlier complaints.

They want an order of certiorari to quash the decision of JCC to recommend their suspension based on a purported prima facie case of incompetence or gross misconduct arising from a complaint and relying solely on the complaint and the response in that matter contrary to the previous ruling of JCC dated October 13,2017.

The three want the court to order that the decision and failure by the JCC to avail the findings and recommendations to them, the reports recommending their suspension and removal from office before they were effected was illegal and improper and contrary to the rules of natural justice.

The trio is further seeking damages arising from its removal from holding office as ConCourt judges following the illegal and incompetent recommendation by the JCC.

By Mwaka Ndawa

Kalemba November 21, 2024.

YOUR  POLICIES ARE  NOT SUPPORTING ECONOMIC GROWTH MUSOKOTWANE TOLD

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YOUR  POLICIES ARE  NOT SUPPORTING ECONOMIC GROWTH MUSOKOTWANE TOLD

YOUR  POLICIES ARE  NOT SUPPORTING ECONOMIC GROWTH MUSOKOTWANE TOLD

21st November 2024, Lusaka

It is impossible to grow the economy with the unsound economic policies your government is implementing.

We have taken note of the recent statement by Minister of Finance and National Planning, Honourable Musokotwane, suggesting that the economy will strengthen by next year. However, as the Advocates for National Development and Democracy, we do not foresee any significant growth in the economy next year or in the near future. This is due to the fact that the UPND administration continues to implement economic policies that are detrimental to the domestic economy.

Recently, the Bank of Zambia raised its Policy Monetary Rate (PMR) from 13.5% to 14%. This decision further hampers economic growth, as it increases the cost of accessing financial resources within the economy. Consequently, the cost of doing business and production will rise, negatively impacting the economy.

With the PMR now at 14%, domestic economic activities, especially within small businesses and key sectors such as manufacturing and agriculture, will continue to contract. This is harmful to our economy.

Given the increase in the PMR, Zambians should not expect the economy to grow.

Low productivity, reduced export volumes, high costs of doing business and production, and an ongoing energy crisis have contributed to the continued depreciation of the Kwacha, which is now trading at K28 against the US Dollar. The weak exchange rate is another major factor hindering economic growth.

While Minister Musokotwane may continue to make political claims about economic growth, the reality of key economic indicators, such as the exchange rate, reveals that he is not implementing effective economic solutions or managing the country’s economic affairs with prudence.

Furthermore, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently downgraded Zambia’s 2024 growth projection from 2.3% to 1.2%. This downgrade is a clear indication that the Zambian economy is heading in the wrong direction. It should serve as a wake-up call to the government that their current economic policies are not fostering growth.

As the Advocates for National Development and Democracy (ANDD), we believe it is crucial for the Minister of Finance and National Planning to convene an Economic Indaba. All relevant stakeholders, including civil society organizations, the church, economic and development experts, and other progressive groups, should be invited to discuss and find solutions to Zambia’s economic challenges.

Samuel Banda 
Executive Director 
Advocates for National Development and Democracy

100 YEARS of COPPER MINING,
WHAT has been the benefit to Zambia?

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for 100 YEARS of COPPER MINING,
WHAT has been the benefit to Zambia?

KK & SATA said the same thing in early 70’s and Nationalized, creating ZCCM, and what was the benefits then?

FTJ and SATA SOLD OFF all mines, and what was the benefits?

Mines stayed SHUT 46 YEARS, and ECL & PF CLOSED MOPANI, KCM, KASENSELI, etc, what was the benefits then?

Unfortunately MINING remains Zambia biggest curse, because SIMPLETONS think that just having minerals WE ARE RICH.

Zambia HAS NO TECHNOLOGY to mine copper,
No technology to process copper,
NO USE FOR COPPER,
and NO MARKET for copper, let alone NO CAPITAL to mine copper.

Therefore either we DIE doing nothing, or we CRY to INVESTORS to come mine copper, and employ SOME citizens and MAYBE EAT 5% MINERAL ROYALTY TAX.

And everyone knows the drill, but we SUDDENLY GO “THEY ARE STEALING OUR MINERALS, once the INVESTORS we cried for start thriving.

Copper Production is at 800,000 MT x $9,400 LME = $7.52 BILLION POTENTIAL REVENUE, NOT FOR ZED, but for the MINES.

Ours is about
$7,520,000,000 x 70% x 5% = $263,000,000 in MR TAXES pa.

Hence Copper is our BIGGEST CURSE, coz $263,000,000 pa REVENUE is A JOKE.

South Africa makes $100,000,000,000 whilst us can’t even manage a BILLION and yet our FOREX NEEDS are $10 BILLION pa.

EDGAR LUNGU, SATA and PF went and OVER-BORROWED CHINA KALOBA AND FAILED TO REPAY.

CHINA WANTS their money.

Only IMF BAILOUT PROCESS could help, because it’s the only way to get back CREDIT RATINGS, and have FDI start flowing so that we earn FOREX with which is to REPAY LOANS.

Even LUNGU knew this, hence they started the IMF PROCESS, via LAZARD BROKERS, but only HH manages to succeed.

IMF wants us to be doing 3,000,000, in 10 years time, from current 800,000, meaning Potential REVENUE of $28,200,000,000, of which OURS is ONLY $987,000,000, which is still FAR TOO LITTLE for a country our size, for 100 years of copper Production.

Possible answer is to CHASE ALL INVESTORS, and MINE OUR OWN COPPER.

But DO WE HAVE CAPITAL?

DO WE HAVE TECHNOLOGY?

WILL MARKETS BUY FROM US?

Hence, as an economist I’d say HH is THE BEST PRESIDENT ZAMBIA has had in 60 years, that’s following the US EU IMF type of CAPITALISM.

But as UMUNTUNSE, CAPITALISM is NONSENSE, especially the CURRENT POLITICS.

WE ARE GOING NOWHERE.

For me, OURS IS NOT COPPER, but TOURISM.

VICTORIA FALLS (Eco Tourism) can see 10,000,000 TOURISTS, each with $10,000 = $100 BILLION REVENUE.

EGYPT EARNS as much.

CHRISTIANITY TOURISM can earn us $10,000,000,000

SAUDI ARABIA does it.

SPORT, HEALTH, EDUCATION, CULTURE TOURISM can also EARN us BILLIONS.

FIFA, OLYMPICS, MISS UNIVERSE, INDIA etc, do it,
so can we.

So to answer your question:

OPENING MINES is THE BEST SCENARIO for ZAMBIA, FOR NOW, in these SUNKA MA DAYS existence were in.

WE TALK TALK but WE CANT EVEN MAKE A SIMPLE BAMBA olofye ka TOOTHPICK.

Our BRAND ZAMBIA IS SHIT.

We are living in SA, US, UK, etc, coz WE FAILED ZAMBIA, but wanna TALK TALK from the comforts of OTHER CAPITALIST COUNTRIES, instead of coming back home to DEVELOP ZAMBIA.

Zambia doesn’t need POLITICS, as we just DIVIDE OURSELVES.

We need to do it how China did, and the did a NATIONAL INDABA and DEVELOPED CHINA TOGETHER, NO POLITICS.

HH got funding from US, hence US will DICTATE.

M’MEMBE and LUNGU are getting funded by RUSSIA, so RUSSIA will dictate.

ZAMBIA NEEDS ZAMBIA to DEVELOP.

If we can’t go this route, LET’S SHUT UP, pantu TAPABA EFYO TWAKWATA, olo EFYO TWABA, buunda bwaku BWATA BWATA.

We own
NO BANK
NO SUPERMARKET
NO MINE
NO MALL
NO FACTORY
NO CAFES

Every nice in Malls is SOUTH AFRICAN.

Your Main Role is to Promote Peace, President Hichilema Urges Student Officers

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Your Main Role is to Promote Peace, President Hichilema Urges Student Officers

Your Main Role is to Promote Peace, President Hichilema Urges Student Officers

By Buffalo Reporter

Lusaka

Republican President and Commander-in- Chief of the Defence Force, Mr Hakainde Hichilema yesterday, 19 November, 2024 graced the launch of a book entitled “The Art of War and Peace” authored by David Kilcullen and Greg Mills at the Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) in Lusaka.

President Hichilema said the DSCSC was an ideal and conducive place to launch the book because it is where the study of strategy and operational art takes place daily, and that the College has a historical significance as it was used as a Center for liberation struggle, particularly for the African National Congress.

He emphasised the need for Africa to build the capacity to address its security challenges by investing in institutions such as the Defence Services Command and Staff College, also stating the need for home grown solutions.

“It is important for us to sustain peace, extremely important. I’m talking to military people; your main role is to fight, to protect countries, regions and continents,” he said.

In the book’s foreword, President Hichilema says “the extent of conflict in Africa illustrates the relationship between poverty, development and politics.

Equally, its prevention and its solution reinforce the link between democracy and prosperity, and between democracy and peace”.

He said historically, war has often been waged with the sole aim of achieving strategic military objectives, with little or no consideration for sustainable peace.

President Hichilema stressed that as military officers train for war and planning strategy among other tactics, it is important for them to be clear about the process of building the peace, which he added is more sustainable than anything else.

He said Zambia will continue playing her part towards peace building across the World, adding that that’s the more reason the country through Zambia Army has its troops in the Central African Republic under the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

President Hichilema reiterated that it is practically impossible for sustainable development to take place in the absence of peace as peace remains an essential ingredient to development.

He said because of peace, Zambia has recently seen an influx of investors in the mining sector, a development he stated has resulted in several mines being operationalised, some of which have been dormant for decades.

He said without right resolutions in the mining sector, all the funds that the treasury is drawing in terms of taxes would have gone elsewhere adding that mines like Kansanshi have even extended their life, keeping jobs and business and contributing to Zambia’s economic growth.

President Hichilema also stated the need to prioritise the actualisation and operationalisation of the National Defence University, established through a statutory instrument Number 3 of 2018.

Meanwhile, DSCSC Commandant, Brig Gen Philemon Samatamba thanked the Republican President for finding time to interact with the student officers and for choosing the College as venue for the launch of the book.

Brig Gen Samatamba pledged that the college will always stick to its standards of producing confident, professionally competent and sound military leaders.

Defence and Security Service Chiefs were also in attendance.

ZAMBIAN TROOPS EXCEL IN MALAWI

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ZAMBIAN TROOPS EXCEL IN MALAWI

ZAMBIAN TROOPS EXCEL IN MALAWI

Members of the Zambian Defence Force, from the Zambia Army (Special Forces) and the Zambia Air Force (ZAF), along with their Malawian counterparts have successfully compleled Basic Airborne Course conducted by the Malawi Defence Force’s 5 Para Battalion in Salima.

This comprehensive course was divided into two (02) distinct phases; the Ground Training Phase, spanning Five (05) weeks and the Jumping Phase, which served as the concluding segment.

During the Ground Training Phase, participants underwent rigorous physical exercises meticulously designed to mentally and physically prepare them for efficient airborne operations.

This phase included intensive mountain training, route marches carrying 30kg sand sacks and grueling 40km route march with a parachute, among other challenging activities.

In the final segment, the Jump week participants engaged in actual parachute jumps from an aircraft at an altitude of 1,250ft, encompassing both administrative jumps and combat jumps with full combat gear.

The course included both Commissioned and non-Commissioned Officers who actively participated in the intensive Six (06) week training programme to qualify as Airborne Paratroopers and earn the esteemed Maroon beret and a wing.

Airborne or parachute training was aimed at equipping the volunteers with essential skills required to operate a parachute accurately and be tactically inserted into a designated combat zone.

Zambia Army Director General Training Branch, Brigadier General John Banda was in Malawi to witness the graduation.

He was accompanied by headquarters, 3 Special Forces Group Deputy Commander, Col Moses Shapwaya and Zambia Air Force’s Director of Air Defence, Col A Santana.

Speaking on behalf of the Zambian Defence Force at the closing ceremony, Brig Gen Banda thanked the Malawian Defence Force for the continued support rendered in training to the Zambian paratroopers.

Brig Gen Banda said the training is an actualisation of the Zambia – Malawi Joint Permanent Committee on Defence and Security (IPCDS) resolutions by which the two Defence Forces have resolved by embracing student exchange programmes and joint training at different levels.

Brig Gen Banda added that the course is in line with Command’s vision of having a highly professional force through responsive training.

The ceremony was graced by Brig Gen  Cleveland Kachala, Chief of Research and Development, Malawi Defence Force Joint headquarters and has since congratulated all participants on the successful completion of the course.

Zambia Army

HEARTLANDS BEST LTD ACCOUNTANT ARRESTED FOR STEALING K13,088,668.50

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HEARTLANDS BEST LTD ACCOUNTANT ARRESTED FOR STEALING K13,088,668.50

….wife and three relatives arrested for being conduits and recipients of the same funds.

The Livingstone District Anti-fraud and Financial Crimes unit received a report from ZAM HARVEST ONE LTD trading as HEARTLANDS BEST who reported that between the month of November, 2021 and October, 2024, thirteen million and eighty-eight thousand six hundred- and sixty-eight-kwacha fifty ngwee (K13, 088,668.50) was stolen from the company by Weston Simwambwa Matubulani aged 38 years of unknown house number Highland’s township Livingstone, who is the company accountant.

Investigations revealed that the accountant falsified financial transactions in the company’s serge integrated system purporting to show that two of heartlands best customers trading in chicken and meat products were supplied with different quantities of meat and chicken products. After supplying the products, the accountant then provided different personal account numbers to the supplied companies where the payments were channeled.

Part of the stolen money was later diverted to Bank accounts and mobile money accounts of his close relatives as well other identified mobile money agents.

Further, it was established that in the transaction chain, the suspect accessed funds which he used to purchase different assets in form of motor vehicles, houses, cattle and a farm either in his name or names of relatives.

The following are the properties seized for being proceeds of crime.

1. Ford ranger Raptor, Registration number AJF 8411 valued at K2,300,000
2. Ford Ranger Raptor, Registration number BLA 2284 valued at K400,000
3. Toyota Camry, registration number AJF 1152 valued at 140,000
4. Toyota Wish, Registration number AJF 2332 valued at K120,000
5. Toyota Wish, Registration Number AJF 6801 valued at K120,000
6. 170 hectares of land on Farm number 399 located at Luyala village in Kalomo valued at K1,020,000
7. Residential property number KSS 56, Sha compound in Choma Valued at K165,000
8. Residential property number R156, Highlands township Livingstone valued at K1,200,000
9. Residential Property number LIV/2331 Nottie Broadie Livingstone valued at K150,000
10. Residential property number LIV/6708, Highlands township Livingstone valued at K80,000
11. 39 herds of cattle all valued at K390,000

The estimated Total value of seized property is   K6, 085,000

Arising from these investigations, the following have been arrested;

1. F/Doreen Nzoolo aged 37 years of house number R156 off Lusaka Road Livingstone (wife to Weston S Matubulani the accountant) who received some stolen money through her Access Bank account from the husband and also bought some property which is jointly owned with her husband. she has been charged with the offence of receiving stolen property C/S 318 of the Penal Code Cap 87 and Possession of property suspected of being proceeds of crime C/S 71(1) of the forfeiture of Proceeds of Crime Act No 19 of 2010
2. Winford Simwambwa Matubulani aged 40 years of V/Luyala C/Sipatunyana D/Kalomo who received K800,000 through his Indo Bank account and has been charged with the offence of Receiving stolen property C/S 318 of the Penal Code Cap 87 of the laws of Zambia.
3. Rachael Simwambwa Matubulani aged 49 years of House number 53 Manchinda Compound Choma, a bar lady who was discovered to own residential property number KSS/63 (CHO2458) valued at K165,000. she received the said cash money from his brother Weston Simwambwa through a mobile money agent and has been arrested for the offence of money laundering C/S 3b(i)(iii) of the Prohibition of money Laundering Act No 44 of 2010.
4. Mervis Simwambwa Matubulani aged 36 years of house number 1343 Mcraymond Compound Kalomo, received K143,000 cash from his brother Weston S Matubulani, through her mobile money account from the main suspect in the matter and she was charged with the offence of receiving stolen property C/S 318 (1) of the Penal Code Cap 87 of the Laws

The main suspect Weston S Matubulani is yet to be charged for various offences ranging from Fraudulent false Accounting, Theft by servant and Money laundering and is in Police custody.

Muvi TV

Denzel Washington has opened up about the effects of his past drug and alcohol use

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Denzel Washington has opened up about the effects of his past drug and alcohol use, admitting he’s “done a lot of damage” to his body.

The Oscar winner, 69, has been sober for almost 10 years but got candid about his former vices in the Winter issue of Esquire.

Washington said his unhealthy habits started with wine.

“Wine is very tricky. It’s very slow. It ain’t like, boom, all of a sudden,” he shared in the interview.

The actor explained, “I never got strung out on heroin. Never got strung out on coke. Never got strung out on hard drugs. I shot dope just like they shot dope, but I never got strung out.

“And I never got strung out on liquor. I had this ideal idea of wine tastings and all that — which is what it was at first. And that’s a very sub­tle thing. I mean, I drank the best.”

Washington shared that he had a massive wine cellar in his home and often blew through thousands of dollars on pricey bottles.

“I learned to drink the best. So I’m gonna drink my ’61s and my ’82s and whatever we had. Wine was my thing, and now I was popping $4,000 bottles just because that’s what was left,” he said.

“And then later in those years I’d call Gil Turner’s Fine Wines & Spirits on Sunset Boulevard and say, ‘Send me two bottles, the best of this or that.’”

His wife, Pauletta, would often ask him why he’d only order two bottles at a time, to which he replied, “‘Because if I order more, I’ll drink more.’ So I kept it to two bottles, and I would drink them both over the course of the day.”

Despite his frequent alcohol use, Washington said he wouldn’t indulge while filming.

“I never drank while I was working or preparing. I would clean up, go back to work — I could do both,” the actor explained.

“However many months of shooting, bang, it’s time to go. Then, boom. Three months of wine, then time to go back to work.”

He said he “wasn’t drinking” when he filmed the 2012 drama “Flight,” in which he played an alcoholic pilot.

“I’m sure I did as soon as I finished. That was getting toward the end of the drinking, but I knew a lot about waking up and looking around, not knowing what happened,” he told Esquire.

Washington quit drinking in Dec. 2014, shortly after his 60th birthday. Reflecting on his past, the actor admitted, “I’ve done a lot of damage to the body. We’ll see. I’ve been clean.”

He’ll turn 70 on Dec. 28 and acknowledged that “this is the last chapter.”

Washington recently announced he would be retiring after his next batch of films.

Diddy has been accused of raping multiple men in the latest wave of lawsuits

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Diddy has been accused of raping multiple men in the latest wave of lawsuits

Embattled music mogul, Diddy has been accused of raping multiple men in the latest wave of lawsuits against the embattled mogul.

Each lawsuit accuses Diddy (real name Sean Combs) of “violent sexual assault” and involves three men and two women, all of whom have filed anonymously.

One of the male accusers claims the Bad Boy records boss raped him in 2022 after he was invited to an afterparty at the mogul’s mansion in Miami.

The lawsuit alleges Diddy gave the man a drink and led him on a tour of the property that “came to an end in a bedroom,” where the record executive “demanded” two women perform “sexual dances” for a group of three men.

The man claims he then “felt weak and disoriented” and “soon lost consciousness entirely,” before waking up to discover Diddy attempting to rape him.

“At some point later, he woke to a sharp pain in his rectum and anus,” the suit reads. “As he turned around to check the pain coming from his anus, he saw Combs naked, fully erect, trying to insert his penis into Plaintiff’s anus.”

The man claims the spiked drink made it impossible for him to fight off Diddy, who he said had a “disturbing smile” on his face while he allegedly raped him.

In a separate lawsuit, another man claims that he met Puffy in 2001 “for a possible acting role in a music video.”

Diddy allegedly arrived at the casting and ordered the man to take his shirt off before offering him a drink. The plaintiff claims he accepted a Diet Coke which “tasted strange.”

The lawsuit then alleges the man became disorientated and “realized he was laying face-down across a large ottoman with his head and arms hanging off of one side, and the lower half of his body hanging off of the other.”

The suit states: “His pants were pulled down to his ankles and his shirt was pulled over his head. He felt a great deal of pain and realized, as he looked back, that he was being anally sodomized by Combs. His vision was blurry, but he recognized Combs’ chest tattoo and the large gold chain with a jeweled cross on it that Combs wore during the interview.”

The man claims that Diddy’s bodyguard and another man from the audition were also involved in the sexual assault, with the latter “orally sodomizing him.”

A third lawsuit from an unnamed man claims that Diddy raped him at a party in New York City.

He claims he lost consciousness after drinking an alcoholic beverage and awoke in a dark bedroom to discover “Combs on top of him, sodomizing him.”

The two other lawsuits accuse Diddy of forcing an 18-year-old woman to perform oral sex on several of his bodyguards in a limousine outside a New York City nightclub in 2001, and drugging and raping a 17-year-old girl at one of his 4th of July parties in the Hamptons.

The 55-year-old has denied all of the allegations, with his lawyer telling Rolling Stone: “As his legal team has said before, Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process.”

Each plaintiff is represented by the law firm of Texas attorney Tony Buzbee, who has filed several other lawsuits against Diddy in recent weeks.

Buzbee claims he represents a total of 120 alleged victims of Diddy who is currently in jail awaiting trial on sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

Rapper Kodak Black admits he’s back on drugs

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American rapper, Kodak Black has admitted to falling back to drugs amid increasingly erratic behavior that has been causing concern among his fans.

Black went live on Instagram while attending a football game, and proudly declared he’s not sober after a fan commented that she loves when he is.

“Bitch, I ain’t sober. I look sober? I’m never sober, bitch,” he replied. “For what? For what? Look at this money. Look at all this cash. Sober for what? I’m too young to die sober.”

He then handed the phone to one of his friends and proceeded to jump over a fence.

As part of Kai Cenat’s current 30-day “Mafiathon 2” livestream, Kodak Black joined earlier this month and raised concerns for his well-being after appearing incoherent even seemingly popping pills on camera at one point.

One particular moment shows him appearing to “trickshot” a pill before falling to the floor a move that concerned Cenat as well as viewers.

At another point, the Florida rapper was talking to fans in the Twitch chat while profusely sweating and rambling.

Back in April, Kodak Black admitted that his addiction to Percocet had spiraled to the point he was consuming dozens of pills each day until he was able to get a handle on his habit.

“I remember a point in my life when I was chewing a lot of Percs,” he said on Instagram Live. “I’m proud of myself. I’ve never been this happy in my life. I don’t know where this came from, what the fuck going on.

“I ain’t even going to say I’m anti-Perc. I never took a Perc since I been home. But my dosage so low that I can’t believe it myself. Man, I’m telling y’all, bro.”

“Before I just went to jail — I can talk about this because it’s my testimony, ain’t no shame in my shit — I was taking at least 100 Percs. My average was 40 Percocets… to the point where I look at this shit and be like, ‘What the fuck was wrong with me, bruh?’”

He even expressed regret for rapping about willfully swallowing a fake Percocet pill on his hit song “Super Gremlin” and vowed to never perform the track again.

Despite his attempts to get clean, however, Kodak seemingly relapsed on his sobreity months later in July when he filmed himself swallowing multiple pills, telling viewers he’s “finna glitch right quick.”

Putin mass producing ‘mobile nuclear bunkers’ as tensions with West escalate

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Putin mass producing ‘mobile nuclear bunkers’ as tensions with West escalate

Russia is launching mass production of mobile nuclear war shelters amid acute concern that Vladimir Putin could trigger nuclear war.

The move comes 1,000 days into the conflict with Ukraine.

Today, Nov. 19, Putin rewrote Russia’s nuclear doctrine to suggest he might trigger Armageddon if Ukraine strikes his territory with NATO-supplied weapons.

Such a strike on an ammunition arsenal in Bryansk region with ATACMS US-supplied missiles has now been admitted by his own defence ministry.

For the first time, Russia has gone into serial production of mobile nuclear shelters.

These are intended to give protection from the light radiation of a nuclear explosion and radioactive contamination of the area, according to the All-Russian Research Institute for Civil Defence and Emergencies. One variant is called Kub-M manufactured in the city of Dzerzhinsk, named after brutal Felix Dzerzhinsky, founder of the Soviet secret police.

This is a £300,000 mobile shelter and can be transported by road or rail, said the Moscow Times. It can fit 54 people but its capacity can be increased by 150 people by adding additional blocks if necessary.

It “provides reliable protection against air shock waves, explosive and fragmentation effects of conventional weapons, falling debris from building structures, as well as toxic, chemical, and radioactive substances, and penetrating radiation”. Once placed on a prepared site, Kub-M modules are connected to existing utility networks.

In their absence, it is able to operate autonomously for up to two days. In such a scenario, it is equipped with life-support systems like air filtration and regeneration, backup water supply, sewage, and heating.

The shelters are designed to “protect the population from the effects of all types of modern weapons, including nuclear weapons”. How effective they would be is open to question.

Separately, Russia has a network of bunkers for its senior civilian and military officials is all regions of the country which spans 11-time zones. The mobile shelters are a long way from Putin’s own bunkers.

He has a new nuclear control centre – believed to be an underground city – where he can live for years with his family and leading apparatchiks. The location of the command and control bunker near Ufa, capital of the Bashkortostan republic – some 725 miles east of Moscow.

On Putin’s orders, former defence minister Sergei Shoigu operated from here early in the war in 2022. But Putin’s notorious network of palaces are also believed to have concealed bunkers offering VIP accommodation and living facilities.

KUMBUCHA FIRM SHUTS DOWN – COURT ORDER

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KUMBUCHA FIRM SHUTS DOWN – COURT ORDER

KUMBUCHA FIRM SHUTS DOWN – COURT ORDER

The High Court has ordered the liquidation of the famous Elixir Kumbucha drink after it failed to settle huge debts including taxes to the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA).

The Kitwe High Court has since appointed a Provisional Liquidator to wind up the affairs of the company – Gavi Beverages Limited – which produces the famous Elixir Kumbucha energy drink. The closure has been necessitated by huge debts which the company owe suppliers including ZRA.

Justice Pengele issued the order of appointment on 11th November 2024 in Kitwe after over USD 5 million dollars held in the company account at Indo Zambia Bank mysteriously disappeared without the knowledge of the company directors.

The Company owes the suppliers of bottles, ginger and sugar for non payment on invoices while ZRA is owed on unpaid taxes including withholding taxes and income taxes.

“The company had money to pay the debts but the bank connived with other shareholders who are in India to move the money out of the company account without board approval,” the source said.

“The money has now been found in an account at Isaac and Partners law firm. DEC and FIC have since instituted investigations to find out how the money moved to the law firm when there was no resolution,” the source said.

“It is pure money laundering by the bank and the shareholders as there is no court order nor board resolution to move money into private law firm,” the source said.

The movement of money from company accounts to the private law firm was another attempt to avoid paying ZRA taxes  and transfer the money to India where two of the shareholders are currently based.

Over 100 workers have been affected after the money was moved as they cannot receive salaries and allowances while the money sits in the account of Isaac and Partners. It is not clear how the law accessed the funds hence the investigation by FIC.



The shareholders, who are Indian brothers, have been embroiled in a long battle for the control of the company in the last three years.

Two of the shareholders, Syam Reddy and Uma Reddy, fled the country and are based in India while the company is managed by another brother Madhu Reddy but has no access to the funds after the bank restricted him.

SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, MUST DESIST ON ILLEGAL ULTIMATUMS TO DECLARE PETAUKE CENTRAL CONSTITUENCY SEAT VACANT- UMODZI KUM’MAWA

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SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, MUST DESIST ON ILLEGAL ULTIMATUMS TO DECLARE PETAUKE CENTRAL CONSTITUENCY SEAT VACANT- UMODZI KUM’MAWA

November 20, 2024

BRING BACK HONOURABLE EMMANUEL JJ BANDA, SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, MUST DESIST ON ILLEGAL ULTIMATUMS TO DECLARE PETAUKE CENTRAL CONSTITUENCY SEAT VACANT.

KUM’MAWA DEVELOPMENT COALITION, known as UMODZI KUM’MAWA, is deeply concerned with the pronouncements by the Speaker of the National Assembly, suggesting a Seven (7) days ultimatum for Honourable Emmanuel J J Banda to be available in the House or his Petauke Central parliamentary seat will be declared vacant, and substantially, a by-election.





Firstly, this shocking, disappointing, and an undemocratic action must be reconsidered. It is very political and is not supported by Law. The National Assembly, either by vote or whatever means, has no power to expel a member of parliament from the house. The matter of an MP vacating the House is constitutional, and the Speaker should and must refer the issue to the Constitutional Court for determination. Suggesting to declare the seat vacant is constitutionally wrong, and the Speaker should not become the law in herself.

Secondly, in the case of absence from Parliament, we are very much aware that Hon Emmanuel Banda, MP, was abducted on the 24th of May 2024, agitated by persons that he mentioned and are representatives of the State, particularly those operating at State House. He never saw any freedom and was re-arrested at the agitation of the Republican President, as was witnessed during a presidential address to the nation. There is no doubt that following that presidential decree, he remained in the custody of the state in Remand at Chipata’s Namseche Correctional, with ill health, requiring him to get medical attention at Chipata’s Central Hospital, where he was alleged to have escaped.

As far as we are concerned, and is the view of many people in his constituency, region, and nation at large, rather than expect ultimatums from the Speaker of the National Assembly, we expect proper explanations from the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, regards the progress they have made in investigating the whereabouts of Honourable Emmanuel JJ Banda, and bring him to his family, which they continue to torture mentally and physically.

We remain extremely concerned about the whereabouts of Honourable Emmanuel JJ Banda, and the very fact that the Speaker makes this 7-day ultimatum, it is a blatant disregard for the welfare of his constituency, Petauke Central. If anything, it is an affront to the country’s democratic principles as this has continued to deny the people of Petauke Central representation in national affairs.

It is also clear that it is part of a continued machination of political expediency and the UPND’s appetite to increase parliamentary representation using illegal means, as has been the case in other parts of the country.

Again, we call upon the Speaker of the National Assembly to desist from this action. Also it is a call on the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security to instead furnish the nation on the where abouts of Honourable Emmanuel JJ Banda, who was in custody of the State at the time of his purported disappearance.

We also call upon the Inspector General of Police to arrest the trio of officials that were mentioned in the abduction ordeal of Honourable Emmanuel J J Banda. The law should not have eyes of discrimination.

Issued for and on behalf of KUM’MAWA DEVELOPMENT COALITION aka UMODZI KUM’MAWA

Chanoda Ngwira F
SPOKESPERSON

THINGS ARE NOT OKAY FOR UPND AND HICHILEMA, NUMBERS DON’T LIE- Fred M’membe

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THINGS ARE NOT OKAY FOR UPND AND HICHILEMA, NUMBERS DON’T LIE- Fred M’membe

THINGS ARE NOT OKAY FOR UPND AND HICHILEMA, NUMBERS DON’T LIE…

If the three (3) ward by-elections in Mumbwa, Malole, and Chipata, manipulated as they may be by the UPND, were translated in presidential votes in a general election, Mr Hakainde Hichilema would have failed to get required 50% plus 1 majority and there would definitely be a rerun.

In Chipata, Mr Hakainde Hichilema would have gotten 41.5% (1,543 out 3,710 votes cast); in Malole 37.3% (690 out 1849 votes cast), and in Mumbwa 64% (507 out 804 votes cast). Overall, Mr Hichilema would have gotten 43% (2,740 out of 6,363 votes). The second highest would have been SP with 20.9%(1,331 out of 6,363 votes cast) and would be the party in the rerun with Mr Hichilema and the UPND. This is what the numbers reveal, and anyone with an objective and analytical mind will not struggle to understand the situation as it stands today.

With the exception of Mumbwa, what this clearly means is that Mr Hichilema and the UPND are less popular than the opposition combined. They are increasingly being rejected by the people.

This being the case, how can one honestly say that there’s no opposition to defeat the UPND in 2026? What type of self-deception and misguided thinking is this? Despite all the violence, intimidation, persecution, abuse of state systems, vote buying,malice and terror, the opposition, the SP in particular, is steadily gaining ground and is increasingly getting more and more closer and attached to the people.

And no matter how resolute they attempt to disguise their narcissism, brutality, tribalism and corruption, the people have already read through them, and decided that Mr Hichilema and his league are divisive liars and manipulators, and therefore, not suitable to continue governing this country. This is a fact. The by-election results confirm this reality and response from the people.

Mr Hichilema and the UPND have failed lamentably. They have created a monumental mess and impoverished multitudes of families. The country needs a break from this madness, and our people must prepare for a new order of justice, equity, prosperity, and peace.

Aba bena nabaya. Tapali ichabo. Uwafitala akaimwena!

Fred M’membe
President of the Socialist Party

CHIEFS MEETING IN MANSA AMOUNTS TO ELECTORAL INTEREFERENCE – TONSE ALLIANCE

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CHIEFS MEETING IN MANSA AMOUNTS TO ELECTORAL INTEREFERENCE – TONSE ALLIANCE

CHIEFS MEETING IN MANSA AMOUNTS TO ELECTORAL INTEREFERENCE AND MALPRACTICE

Lusaka- Tuesday 19th November 2024

We have noted a communication attributed to Mrs. Prudence Mwansa Chinama, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Luapula Province, inviting our traditional authorities to meet with Cabinet Ministers to be held at Sali Riverside Resort on Wednesday, 20th November 2024.

The New Dawn Government has been brutal in its approach, especially in the handling of the court cases of the Kawambwa Member of Parliament, Hon. Nixon Chilangwa, Pambashe MP, Hon. Ronald Chitotela and former Council Chairperson Kalumba Chifumbe.

The trio has been jailed and the case record clearly shows that there is no sound basis for their jailing, other than political persecution.

They have since appealed against their unfair convictions convictions and harsh sentences.

Further, they have been denied bail pending appeal and were transferred to Mukobeko Maximum Prison based in Kabwe, despite the fact that their alleged offence is not a capital offence to warrant being incarcerated in such a harsh environment.

Despite a court order issued by Chinsali High Court on 19th August 2024 interdicting and stopping the by-election from proceeding, the by-election, the Electoral Commission of Zambia has disregarded the court order and proceeded to hold both the Council District Election and now the Parliamentary by-election in Kawambwa.

It should be made very clear that these manouvres and utter injustices have caused great distress to the people of Luapula and Zambians in general.

It is therefore clear that the action by Government to call for this purported consultative meeting with Chiefs in Luapula is a clear desperate attempt to pacify the feelings of the people and amounts to blatant acts of electoral interference and defacto vote buying.

We urge the UPND Government to stop abusing public resources and refrain degrading our traditional authorities for purposes of political expediency. Further, we urge our political leaders in Luapula Province to shun this UPND event planned for tomorrow.

As TONSE ALLIANCE, we wish to assure the people of Kawambwa Constituency that we shall definitely retain this parliamentary seat in honor of Hon. Nickson Chilangwa who is currently languishing in Mukobeko Maximum Prison, for no good reason other than the insatiable appetite by the ruling UPND party to force a two thirds majority in Parliament. We further urge the good people of Kawambwa to take whatever bribes that are offered to them by this corrupt UPND Government, but ensure that come the day of voting on 20th December 2024, no single vote should be given to them, as a show of solidarity with the unduly incarcerated Hon. Nickson Chilangwa.

TILI TONSE

Issued by:

Sean Tembo
PeP President and TONSE ALLIANCE Spokesperson
Lusaka, Zambia

MUNDUBILE, SAMPA LEAD MPS TO PETITION SPEAKER AGAINST DECLARATION OF JJ BANDA’S PETAUKE SEAT

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MUNDUBILE, SAMPA LEAD MPS TO PETITION SPEAKER AGAINST DECLARATION OF JJ BANDA’S PETAUKE SEAT

DECISION ON JJ BANDA ILLEGAL

MUNDUBILE, SAMPA LEAD MPS TO PETITION SPEAKER AGAINST DECLARATION OF JJ BANDA’S PETAUKE SEAT

•revisit the decision made on the floor of the Housc on Tuesday 19 November 2024.

•if we do not receive your communication informing us of the reversal of the decision within forty eight (48) hours we shall take out legal action against the presiding Officers.

•decision by the Speaker is NOT backed by
Standing Order 223 and is against

WE THE UNDERSIGNED, MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT HEREBY PETITION THE OFFICE OF THE SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL on her decision to give the-seven (7) days ultimatum to the Honourable Mr Emmanuel Jay Banda Member of Parliament for Petauke Central to present himself before Parliament failing to which his Parliamentary seat will be declared vacant.

By way of background to our Petition, the Honourable Mr Banda was a victim of an abduction and was kept out of circulation by his Captors for a considerable period of time.

After pressure was brought to bear on the Zambia Police, the MP was made to resurface but he was immediately arrested and charged with the Offence of aggravated robbery which is an unbailable offence.

While in Police custody the MP became indisposed and was taken to Hospital for medical attention and it was during this period of medication that the Honourable Member went missing in circumstances that have remained unexplained satisfactorily up to this day by Authorities.

Without belabouring the point, we find that the decision by the Speaker is not backed by the
Standing Order 223 which was cited as authority for giving the Honourable MP the seven (7) days ultimatum.

More importantly the Standing Order cited does not grant the Speaker any authority declare a Member’s seat vacant for failure to attend sittings.

The clear reading of the Standing Order shows that the only power the Speaker has in deserving instances is to punish the Member
who is found guilty by suspensions of one week for the first offender, two weeks or the second Offender and one month for the third and subsequent Offender.

Our second and equally important ground for this our Petition is Constitutional.

The NationalAssembly which is presided over by the Speaker is a creature of the Constitution. Under the Constitutional democracy espoused by the Constitution,as amended by the Constitution( Amendment Act No.2 of 2016)the mandate to declare the seat of a member of parliament.

The Speaker is only bound to announce the vacancy upon being notified by the Constitutional Court of such vacancy after the Court process.

On this basis We find that the part of the Ruling of the Speaker which threatened to declare the Petauke Seat vacant if the Honourable MP fails to appear in the House after seven (7) days to be a usurpation of the Constitutional mandate of the Constitutional Court as created by Act Number 2 of 2016.

We therefore earnestly urge the Speaker to consider our Petition and, upon reflection, revisit the decision made on the floor of the Housc on Tuesday 19 November 2024.

We hasten to state that if we do not receive your communication informing us of the reversal of the decision within forty eight (48) hours we shall take out legal action against the presiding Officers and seek the relief from the Court which will properly interpret both the Standing Orders 2024 and the provisions of
the Constitution that provide for the procedure for declaring a Parliamentary seat vacant
AS WITNESS TO THIS PETITION our signatures have been appended this 19th day of November 2024

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